Let's grow up and allow divorce (2)

The government's reported stance on Franco Frattini's divorce proposal, as reported in The Times on January 4, is one that should give cause for concern.

For if Mr Frattini's initiative is indeed adopted, and an opt-out clause is secured for Malta, then we would be relegated to the status of second-class EU citizens, denied the rights that would be guaranteed to residents of other member states.

Of course, there are still those who want us to believe that by not introducing divorce legislation the country will manage to halt the increase in marriage breakdowns.

Unfortunately, the increase in legal separations witnessed over the last two decades clearly indicates that this is not the case.