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Why is divorce so difficult in Ireland, the most difficult country in the world

Why is Ireland the most difficult country to divorce? How difficult is it to amend the divorce law? Divorce may be very common and easy to handle in other countries, but it is very difficult in Ireland.

Ireland is known as "the most difficult country in the world to divorce", and its people want to change the status quo through a referendum.

According to CNN, on May 24 local time, Ireland held a referendum on divorce laws. There are two specific topics:

1、 Whether the waiting period of separation before divorce can be shortened. According to the existing law, a couple must be separated for at least four years within five years of the divorce agreement before they are eligible for divorce.

2、 Whether to recognize divorce outside Ireland. According to the existing law, foreigners who have divorced overseas cannot remarry in Ireland if their former spouse has not died.

As of press time, the official results of the referendum have not yet been released. Export polls show that 87% of voters agree to change the divorce law and 12% oppose it.

Why is Ireland the most difficult country to divorce? How difficult is it to amend the divorce law?

Marriage breaks down, but can't escape

Ireland is a Catholic country. As early as the founding of the Republic of Ireland in 1937, the constitution of Ireland clearly stipulated that "no law shall be enacted to provide for the dissolution of marriage."

It was not until November 1995 that the Irish referendum passed the lifting of the legal treaty prohibiting divorce, which came into force in 1996. The revised law requires spouses to be separated for at least four years in the past five years before filing divorce proceedings in court, and there is no sign of reconciliation.

In the past 20 years, many couples in Ireland have been troubled by divorce cases. According to CNN, Michael middot, who lives in Dublin; Rossi has filed 40 divorce lawsuits and spent tens of thousands of euros in legal fees, which has not been settled so far.

'if things hadn't dragged on for such a long time, I don't think our relationship would have been as bad as it is now. It's a protracted war.' Rossi said. About 118000 Irishmen, like rosney, are unable to get rid of their broken marriage.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, a Dublin woman said that no one would want a divorce when they get married, but the relationship may change over time, and the quick ending of the relationship will reduce the harm to the couple.

According to the National Women's Council of Ireland, almost no one is exempt from the mandatory waiting period for divorce, but women who suffer from domestic abuse can break away from marriage through shorter divorce procedures to protect themselves and their children from abuse.

In this referendum, if the majority of Irish voters agree to shorten the waiting period before divorce, the constitution will be amended.

Irish justice minister Flanagan said that complex social policy issues are best dealt with through detailed legislation in Parliament rather than directly amending the constitution. He also said that if the referendum is passed, the government tends to shorten the waiting period for divorce to two years, so that both husband and wife can have a suitable transition period.

Bala, a member of the Alliance for the defence of family and marriage, an Irish organization, believes that amending the divorce law will make it easier for Irish couples to give up marriage, which is not good for their children. The group called on the government to investigate local divorce cases to find out the common reasons why people want to divorce and the impact of divorce on children.

Ireland's marriage rate will fall to the lowest in history by 2030

According to the Eurostat report, 0.9 out of every 1000 married people in Ireland choose to end their marriage. In the rest of the EU, an average of 1.9 out of 1000 people want to end their marriage.

According to the independent, a 2018 survey by Euromonitor, a market research organization, found that in 1980, there were only 6.4 couples in every 1000 citizens in Ireland, which decreased to 4.9 in 2017. It is expected that by 2030, the marriage rate will fall to the lowest level in history - 4 & permil;.

In terms of divorce rate, divorce was legalized in Ireland for the first time in 1996, and the divorce rate peaked in 2006 (0.9 & permil;). In 2017, the figure dropped to 0.5 & permil;.

The survey report shows that in the next 10 years, the proportion of people aged 25-34 in the total population in Ireland will decline, with fewer births and fewer marriages.

Ireland is changing

In terms of social change, Ireland has always been in the forefront of the world.

In May 2015, Ireland held a referendum on the legalization of same-sex marriage, with 62.1% in favor and 37.9% against. The referendum approved the legalization of same-sex marriage by an absolute majority.

In a statement released after the results of the referendum, then Irish Prime Minister Kenny said that Ireland has made history and become the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage by direct popular vote.

In May 2018, Ireland held a referendum on whether to abolish the ban on abortion. Nearly two thirds of the voters voted in favor of abolishing the ban and supporting the legalization of abortion. According to the official data of Ireland, more than 3000 Irish women go abroad for abortion every year. Since the 1980s, more than 100000 Irish women have gone abroad for abortion.

Irish Prime Minister Leo middot; Varadka said the result of the referendum marked the successful end of a 'quiet revolution'. He said modern Ireland needs modern laws, and the new abortion law is expected to be enacted and passed by Congress by the end of this year.

If the referendum passes the amendment of divorce law, it will be another historic measure in a series of social reform measures in Ireland in recent years.