by The Cheltenham Group, HTML Edition 2.1, July 1999
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© The Cheltenham Group 1998
Disk Edition 1.0 first published in 1996
Disk Edition 2.0 in 1998 : ISBN 1 900080 04 4HTML Edition 2.1 1998
All rights reserved
The Cheltenham Group was established on 30 April 1994 by representatives from a numbers of men’s organisations, in order to establish a programme of initiatives to address the increasing marginalisation of men within the family through legal and social policy measures. The group is non party political and non sectarian but is explicitly committed to work for support for the conventional Judaeo-Christian view of marriage and the married family. The Group now speaks for the United Kingdom Men’s Movement on matrimonial and family policy.
Quotations from this document may be copied and distributed without restriction, provided that no meaning is distorted and that they are not produced for re-sale. Acknowledgement in any written reference must be made to The Cheltenham Group.
For Our Children
in the hope that they may one day understand
why this book has been necessary
‘But the Emperor has nothing on at all !’ cried a little child
Danish Fairy Legends and Tales (1846) ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’
Hans Christian Anderson 1805-75, Danish novelist and writer of fairy stories
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Abstract
With Reference to a Synopsis for Young Men
PART 1 : PROCESSES IN MATRIMONIAL LAW
Chapter 1 : No Serious Inquiry on Evidence
Chapter 2 : Wives Placed above the Law
Chapter 3 : Malpractices in the Interpretation of Matrimonial Law
Chapter 4 : Defencelessness of Husbands
PART 2 : CONSEQUENCES FOR THE INDIVIDUAL
Chapter 5 : Primary Consequences - Loss of Children
Chapter 6 : Primary Consequences - Loss of Home and Finance
Chapter 7 : Secondary Consequences - Damage to Health, Career, and Quality of Life
Chapter 8 : Secondary Consequences - Subsequent Attitudes to Women, the Law, and Society
THE ANNEXES - Introduction to the Annexes
ANNEX 1 : ‘SURVEY’ CASE STUDIES
ANNEX 2 : ‘PERSONAL CONTACT’ CASE STUDIES
The Impact of Divorce Law Practice on Fathers and Children : The Main Findings
Supplement : Summary, Probabilities and Extrapolations, and Conclusions
ANNEX 4 : THE NAPO ‘ANTI-SEXISM’ POLICY & LACK OF AVAILABLE REMEDIES
Index - only available in hardcopy or disk format of report.
THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES : DIVORCE PROCESS & CONSEQUENCE
by The Cheltenham Group
The legal basis for marriage in the UK has reached a terminal stage, culminating with the Lord Chancellor's divorce law reform proposals, in the Family Law Act 1996, which will effectively remove responsibility and obligation by introducing the concept of ‘no fault’ in matrimonial proceedings.
The laws relating to marriage have changed dramatically, from 1948 onwards, until by 1995 few people know their rights and responsibilities within the family. The great majority of the public have little if any appreciation of the realities of matrimonial law, how much this may destroy the fabric of their lives, or how this situation has come about.
But more than this, the process of change has been driven not by the ordinary man or woman writing to his or her MP, but by lawyers who are unaccountable and unelected, often with the Law Commission’s initiatives. These lawyers have not consulted the ordinary man or woman whose lives they are affecting, and have never had to explain themselves to anyone except some other lawyers.
The results of this is that the vast majority of the public have remained ignorant and naive of the situation, until the situation affects them, or perhaps someone known to them, directly.
This book describes the current practices and malpractices in the interpretation of matrimonial law, and the effects of these on individuals. It describes the effects of the malpractices which are endemic in the system, and the lack of remedies for these. It explains the changes which have taken place in the period 1970s to 1990s. It identifies the effects of all of this for individuals and for society.
Remedies for this situation are indicated, with an invitation for those concerned with these issues to join in the campaign for remedy, which will include constitutional reform.
This book will awaken many men and women to what has been done to our society over the last two generations, and identifies probable future trends. It is essential knowledge.
The Cheltenham Group
March 1998
ISBN 1 900080 04 4