Section 11 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970

Section 11 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 is about Reconciliation. It provides as follows:

(1) It shall be the duty of the court in which a matrimonial cause has been instituted to give consideration, from time to time, to the possibility of a reconciliation of the parties to the marriage (unless the proceedings are of such a nature that it would not be appropriate to do so), and if at any time it appears to the judge constituting the court, either from the nature of the case, the evidence in the proceedings or the attitude of those parties, or of either of them, or of counsel, that there is a reasonable possibility of such a reconciliation, the judge may do all or any of the following, that is to say, he may-
(a) adjourn the proceedings to afford those parties an opportunity of becoming reconciled or to enable anything to be done in accordance with either of the next two succeeding paragraphs;

(b) with the consent of those parties, interview them in chambers, with or without counsel, as the judge thinks proper, with a view to effecting a reconciliation;

(c) nominate a person with experience or training in marriage conciliation, or in special circumstances, some other suitable person, to endeavour with the consent of the parties, to effect a reconciliation.

(2) If, not less than fourteen days after an adjournment under subsection (1) of this section has taken place, either of the parties to the marriage requests that the hearing be proceeded with, the judge shall resume the hearing, or the proceedings may be dealt with by another judge, as the case may require, as soon as practicable.

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