If couples can afford it, it would mean that rulings would remain confidential, so that colourful celebrity divorces may be able to remain under wraps. |
High-profile married couples who are splitting up may soon be able to avoid airing their dirty linen in public with the advent of private divorce courts. From this week the process of arbitration, previously used mainly for commercial disputes, is being opened up to be able to deal with divorces, as well as financial provision for children, property and inheritance issues, claims between unmarried couples and property disputes, The Times reported. Around 300 former judges and family lawyers have signed up for training and already the first 35 former judges have qualified to adjudicate on such cases. There is said to be a growing demand for arbitration to be used in family disputes, partly in response to media demands in recent years for greater access to the courts. It may see couples pay up to £5,000 a day to choose their own judge or arbitrator to obtain a legally-binding decision. If they can afford it, it would mean that rulings would remain confidential, so that colourful celebrity divorces may be able to remain under wraps. Two retired judges, Sir Hugh Bennett and Sir Peter Singer, are set to be among the first to offer themselves as arbitrators. They already both offer couples private hearings in which they advise on what a judge would be likely to award if the matter goes to court. Sir Hugh told The Times: "Arbitration cannot happen unless all parties consent. It cannot be imposed, unlike litigation. "The parties, by appointing their arbitrator, choose their 'judge', who will take the arbitration through all its stages." (Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies) |
隨著私立離婚法庭的出現(xiàn),那些高調(diào)結(jié)婚又即將分手的夫婦也許很快就能避免在公眾眼皮下曬家丑的命運了。 據(jù)《泰晤士報》報道,從本周起,原本主要用于商業(yè)糾紛的仲裁程序?qū)⒖梢杂糜陔x婚案件,還可用于子女撫養(yǎng)費糾紛、財產(chǎn)繼承糾紛和未婚同居財產(chǎn)糾紛。 約有300名前法官和家庭律師已經(jīng)報名參加了培訓,而且首批報名的35名前法官已獲得判決這類案件的資格。 據(jù)稱家庭糾紛對仲裁需求量越來越大,某種程度上是受媒體近年來呼吁拉近法庭和民眾距離的影響。 到時候,夫婦們將自主選擇法官或仲裁員來獲得一個有法律約束力的判決,花費是每天最多5000英鎊。 如果他們付得起這筆錢,將意味著判決會秘密進行,這樣那些奪人眼球的名人離婚案也將得以保密。 兩位已退休法官——休?貝內(nèi)特爵士和皮特?興爾爵士將加入第一批自愿做仲裁員的人。 這兩人已經(jīng)為一些夫婦舉行了私人聽證會,在聽證會上他們就該案件上法庭時法官可能做出的判決給出了意見。 休爵士告訴《泰晤士報》說:“除非所有當事人都同意,否則無法進行仲裁。這和訴訟不一樣,是不能強行實施的。 “當事人通過指定仲裁員選擇他們的‘法官’,這名法官將按步驟施行仲裁?!?/p> 相關(guān)閱讀 (中國日報網(wǎng)英語點津 陳丹妮 編輯:Julie) |
Vocabulary: high-profile: 倍受矚目的,高調(diào)的 adjudicate: 判決 under wraps: 不公開的,保密的 litigation: 訴訟 |