I don't mind people disagreeing with me on the subject of divorce. But I do find it tiresome when people misrepresent what I have said.

Tony Mifsud did just that in his letter of March 5 (The Debate On Divorce Legislation In Malta) when he stated that in my two recent articles about divorce, I "failed to make reference to curative social services, like marriage counselling..." In my first article, I referred specifically to the think-tank report having "started from the basis of proposals for strengthening marriage in Malta".

If Mr Mifsud were to down-load the report from our website (www.tppi.org.mt) he would find that in the section of the report dealing with strengthening marriage there is a specific recommendation: "The provision of State mediation, counselling and reconciliation services should be greatly expanded to nip in the bud marriages which are getting into difficulties. Couples with marital problems should be actively encouraged to seek help as early as possible."

In my second article, dealing with the outline framework of possible legislation for a divorce remedy to broken marriages to be introduced in Malta, I said that "This legal framework for the granting of the civil dissolution of a marriage should also be underpinned by a comprehensive social support system, including inter alia comprehensive family mediation and counselling services." I don't think these statements could be clearer. While Mr Mifsud is right to emphasise the need for good social support for marriages in trouble, he is wrong to suppose that that can be the only answer to the problem of broken marriages in Malta.

The bottom line remains that, despite all such efforts, marriages will continue to break down. When marriages fail, the government must give legal recognition to this fact in such a way as to acknowledge the need to encourage the institution of marriage by allowing those who have been legally separated, and whose marriages have irretrievably broken down, to re-marry after the civil dissolution of their marriage.