Law Society wants annulment law overhaul

The Law Society has called for the overhaul of the laws covering the annulment of marriages.

The society has issued a report recommending that certain grounds for annulling a marriage be abolished and instead be dealt with under divorce legislation.

At present, a union can be annulled if declared void due to duress or bigamy or inability to sustain marital relations.

The report also wants courts to be able to award financial provision to weaker spouse in annulment cases and says where marriages are brief and there are no dependent children, a 'clean break' divorce should be introduced.