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22 October 2021 / Nazia Rashid
Issue: 7953 / Categories: Features , Family
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I now pronounce you…

61708
Nazia Rashid considers whether reinstating breach of promise to marry could fill a gap in the law

Could reinstating the right to sue for breach of promise to marry assist couples in non-qualifying ceremony marriages?


Do we need to re-look at the abolished right to sue for breach of promise to marry?

I recently came across a tweet which referred to reforming family law by re-introducing ‘breach of promise’ as a remedy in ‘non qualifying ceremony’ cases, on protection for parties in religious marriages promised a legally binding ceremony gone unfulfilled. (Family Law Reform Now: Twitter 09/09/21 15:45.)

My legal mind, and I am sure for many family lawyers, headed straight to the case of Akhter v Khan [2018] EWFC 54. However, at the same time, I thought of friends who have previously been in committed relationships which have broken down, and at least one party felt he/she still had a choice as to whether to proceed with the civil marriage or not regardless of what might have taken place following

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NEWS
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

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