MICHAEL Suen Ming-yeung's belief that the new liberal divorce laws will not lead to an increase in the number of marriages that break up may be a triumph of hope, if not over experience, then at least over logic.
However, the object of liberalising the law is neither to prevent nor to encourage divorce, but to reduce the pain for those whose marriage has irretrievably broken down. If ease of divorce alone dictated the number of broken homes, there would be sense in making it impossible. But it is only one factor - and for many couples being forced to remain in a broken marriage is a fate far worse than a painful divorce.
The object must be to do everything possible to ensure the rules do not, of themselves, cause additional pain (to the children as well as to the couple) than is already present. The more the process is speeded up, and the more the inevitable tug of war over children and property can be simplified and kept out of court, the better. Still, a balance must be struck between allowing painless divorce and devaluing the institution of marriage to the point where personal commitment is lost. Children suffer - and their lives can be permanently affected by the trauma - no matter how easy their parents make it for themselves.
Perhaps society needs to evolve other methods of showing disapproval of partnerships which are entered into and broken frivolously. But putting couples and children through unnecessary pain is not the way to go about it.
