Separation cases remain far more common than divorce, statistics revealed in parliament this evening show. 

The courts approved 6,430 cases of divorce and separation between October 2011 and December last year, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici told parliament.

Answering a question by Chris Said (PN), Dr Bonnici said there were 1,864 cases of divorce in Malta and 72 in Gozo in that period of time. Separation cases numbered 4,174 in Malta and 320 in Gozo.

The figures show that for every divorce case, two separation cases are filed. In Gozo, the ratio is even more skewed, with around more than five separation cases for each divorce. 

Malta introduced divorce in late 2011, after a national referendum on the issue was approved with 53 per cent of the vote. Married couples must be legally separated for four years before they can file for divorce.

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