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Owens v Owens

Hearings

24 Mar 2017 [2017] EWCA Civ 182; [2017] 4 WLR 74; [2018] 1 FLR 1002; [2017] WLR (D) 217, CA (Sir James Munby P, Hallett, Macur LJJ)

08 Aug 2017 Permission to appeal to Supreme Court given

25 Jul 2018 (Resolution intervening) [2018] UKSC 41; [2018] AC 899; [2018] 3 WLR 634; [2018] 4 All ER 721; [2018] 2 FLR 1067; [2018] WLR (D) 485; Case details, SC(E) (Baroness Hale of Richmond PSC, Lord Wilson, Lord Hodge, Lady Black JJSC, Lord Mance)

Subject Matter

MARRIAGE — Divorce — Respondent’s behaviour — Wife seeking divorce on basis of husband’s behaviour — Husband contesting petition — Judge finding wife failing to prove husband’s behaviour such that she could not reasonably be expected to live with him — Current approach to objective test — Whether trial process flawed — Whether judge having erred in law — Whether requirement to prove fault consistent with Convention rights — Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (c 18), s 1(2)(b) — Human Rights Act 1998 (c 42) Sch 1, Pt I, arts 8, 12

[2017] EWCA Civ 182; [2017] 4 WLR 74; [2018] 1 FLR 1002; [2017] WLR (D) 217, CA

MARRIAGE — Divorce — Behaviour — Wife seeking divorce on basis of husband’s behaviour — Husband contesting petition — Judge finding wife failing to prove husband’s behaviour such that she could not reasonably be expected to live with him — Whether applying correct test — Current approach to test — Whether trial process flawed — Whether judge having erred in law — Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (c 18), s 1(2)(b)

[2018] UKSC 41; [2018] AC 899; [2018] 3 WLR 634; [2018] 4 All ER 721; [2018] 2 FLR 1067; [2018] WLR (D) 485; Case details, SC(E)

Appellate History

Owens v Owens [2017] EWCA Civ 182; [2017] 4 WLR 74; [2018] 1 FLR 1002; [2017] WLR (D) 217, CA

Decision of the Court of Appeal affirmed

Owens v Owens [2018] UKSC 41; [2018] AC 899; [2018] 3 WLR 634; [2018] 4 All ER 721; [2018] 2 FLR 1067; [2018] WLR (D) 485; Case details, SC(E)

Commentary

New Law Journal
Owens: a dead marriage but no divorce (2017) 167 NLJ 7740, p 7

ICLR blog
Family law: Mrs Owens – a divorce in 2017 Case comment

Transparency Project
Unreasonable behaviour, unreasonable judges or unreasonable law? Case comment

LexisNexis Family Law
Time for constructive divorce Case comment

New Law Journal
Owens and how to plead a divorce case (2018) NLJ 7805, p 12

Transparency Project
Owens v Owens: nobody panic Case comment

New Law Journal
Owen: unreasonable behaviour on trial (Pt 2) (2018) 168 NLJ 7804, p 9

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