Debates between Baroness Butler-Sloss and Lord Bishop of Oxford during the 2019-2024 Parliament

Tue 17th Mar 2020
Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill [HL]
Lords Chamber

Report stage (Hansard) & Report stage (Hansard) & Report stage (Hansard): House of Lords & Report stage

Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill [HL]

Debate between Baroness Butler-Sloss and Lord Bishop of Oxford
Report stage & Report stage (Hansard) & Report stage (Hansard): House of Lords
Tuesday 17th March 2020

(4 years, 7 months ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 View all Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 Debates Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts Amendment Paper: HL Bill 2-R-I(Rev) Revised marshalled list for Report - (16 Mar 2020)
Lord Bishop of Oxford Portrait Lord Harries of Pentregarth
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Even if it is the case that the wording of the amendment is not quite right, would the noble and learned Baroness in principle support this amendment? It seems to deal precisely with the situation which she outlined so eloquently, where both sides sometimes try to evade service. Would it not be important to have on the statute book a way of dealing with this issue?

Baroness Butler-Sloss Portrait Baroness Butler-Sloss
- Hansard - -

I understand what the noble and right reverend Lord says. The trouble is that I do not think having it in primary legislation will make it any easier for this issue to be resolved. This seems a matter for the Family Division to get on with, to see what it can do to try to deal with this. The Family Procedure Rules have to be obeyed; when I was a family judge, they were as important to me as primary legislation. I understand the point, but I do not think that it will make people behave any better if this is in primary legislation rather than in the rules.