10
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1992
EXPLAINING THAT SHE HAD BOTH A PERSONAL AND A PROFESSIONAL INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT, MRS PATTEN SAID AS A FORMER BARRISTER IN BRITAIN SPECIALISING IN FAMILY LAW, SHE HAD SEEN FIRST-HAND A SORRY TALE OF MARRIAGES THAT WERE FALLING APART.
SHE ADDED THAT SHE HAD BEEN FORTUNATE TO BE VERY HAPPILY MARRIED FOR 21 YEARS DESPITE THE STRESSES AND STRAINS THAT POLITICAL LIFE INEVITABLY IMPOSED.
TURNING TO CASES WHERE MARRIAGES WENT WRONG, MRS PATTEN DID NOT CONSIDER THAT MAKING DIVORCE MORE DIFFICULT WAS OF ANY GREAT PRACTICAL BENEFIT WHEN IT CAME TO DETERMINING WHETHER COUPLES STAYED TOGETHER OR SPLIT APART.
SHE SAID HOWEVER, THERE WAS A CASE FOR PROVIDING TWO THINGS:
* A 'COOLING OFF' PERIOD TO ENABLE COUPLES TO AGREE ON WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR CHILDREN BEFORE A DIVORCE IS FINALISED; AND
MEDIATION SERVICES TO ENABLE COUPLES TO COME TO AGREEMENTS WITHOUT THE DISASTROUS, DESTRUCTIVE EXPERIENCE OF A COURT CASE.
SHE SAID FIRST DUTY TO TRY THE CHILDREN.
AS A FAMILY LAWYER, SHE ALWAYS CONSIDERED IT HER AND GET THE PARTIES TO SETTLE IN THE INTERESTS OF
DESCRIBING THAT DIVORCE WAS NEVER AN EASY OPTION, SHE SAID: "DIVORCE BRINGS FINANCIAL AND EMOTIONAL TURMOIL IN ITS WAKE; HOUSING PROBLEMS; INSECURITY FOR THE CHILDREN AND LONELINESS FOR THE SINGLE PARENT.
77
"HOW MUCH BETTER, THEN, TO TRY AND KEEP THE MARRIAGE TOGETHER THAN TO ALLOW ANY OF THIS TO HAPPEN, SHE SAID.
CIVIC EDUCATION COMMITTEE TO PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS
*
THE COMMITTEE ON THE PROMOTION OF CIVIC EDUCATION (CPCE) WILL TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
THIS IS ON TOP OF ITS PRESENT WORK FOCUS ON PROMOTING THE RULE OF LAW,
CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE, DR DANIEL TSE, SAID AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (MONDAY).
TEACHERS, JOURNALISTS AND FRONT-LINE WORKERS WILL BE CALLED IN
TO HELP.
THE COMMITTEE, DR TSE SAID, IS то PLAY THE ROLE OF A FACILITATOR IN SPREADING THE MESSAGES AND GUIDELINES TO TEACHERS, NEWS REPORTERS AND FRONT-LINE COMMUNITY WORKERS. THEY WILL IN TURN HELP SPREAD THE MESSAGE WIDELY ACROSS ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY.
/DR TSE