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Call for curb on judges to cut celebrity divorce cases
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent17 Nov 2008
JUDGES awarding divorce settlements in London need to be reined in by new laws, a Tory think-tank urged today.
The Centre for Social Justice called on Parliament to legislate to stop London being the divorce capital of the world, after a string of celebrities and wealthy individuals have headed to court in the capital for rulings.
The group, set up by former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, is demanding restrictions on judges' decisions on financial awards and access to children.
The call comes in the wake of Heather Mills being awarded £24.3million in her divorce settlement with Sir Paul McCartney, and Guy Ritchie hiring Britain's top children's lawyer in his impending divorce from Madonna.
The think tank stressed that senior judges were advocating reforms rather than leaving divorce cases, particularly high-profile ones, to be swayed by "warring lawyers" trying to prove that they are "the best in town."
Mr Duncan Smith said: "There is so much leeway around what a judge will decide on. That allows huge territory for the legal profession to have a field day."
The system was "hugely adversarial", with children "pawns" in the process.
