Collusive Divorce If the supporters of the Divorce Bill now
before the House of Commons are right in their belief that the measure would by facilitating permitted divorce diminish substantially the evil of the collusive divorce, dependent on arranged adultery at a hotel authenticated by the evidence of waiter or chambermaid, then the case in its favour is strong. Most judges do at least discountenance the plea of "misconduct with a woman" unnamed," and insist that the hotel divorce shall be impeded by what- ever obstacle the necessity of disclosing the convenient co-respondent's name constitutes. At what must now be regarded as the most famous divorce suit of the present century the Judge did indeed content himself with the fact that the woman's name was mentioned in the petition and did not require it to be stated in open court. But till this Bill, or some other like it, is passed the position still is that even the innocent husband whose wife has been unfaithful is expected, under a singular code of so-called chivalry, to commit adultery himself in artificial circumstances in order to enable her to free herself by divorcing him. The law will not tolerate this for ever.
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