MARRIED WOMEN'S PROPERTY (SCOTLAND) BILL. (Hansard, 29 November 1920)

§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR

My Lords, the object of this Bill is to alter in Scotland, in the direction of giving greater freedom to married women, the law relating 713 to property held by them. Under the law at present obtaining in that country, although a married woman may dispose of the income of her estate, both heritable and movable, without the consent of her husband, she cannot dispose of the capital without his consent, the capital being still subject to what is known as the jus administrationis. The Married Women's Property (Scotland) Act, 1881, did not place the Scottish woman in the same position as regards the disposition of her property as the English Act of 1882 places the English married woman. It is not, of course, either desirable or defensible that there should be a difference in the status of English women and Scotch women in this respect, and this Bill places both, as far as the different systems admit, in the same position. I could, of course, explain any clause if any of your Lordships is in any difficulty. I beg to move that the Bill be read a second time.