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Post Reply: Court Dismisses Petition to Allow Divorce by Mutual Consent Without Court Process in Kenya

<blockquote><div class="quotetitle">Quote from <a class="profile-link highlight-moderator" href="https://lawguide.co.ke/understanding-law/legal-forum/profile/lawyer/">Lawyer</a> on April 25, 2025, 5:17 am</div><div id="pl-5056" class="panel-layout">
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<p class="break-words" dir="auto">On 24th April 2025, Justice Lawrence Mugambi of the Milimani High Court in Nairobi dismissed a petition by Coppler Attorneys and Consultancy that sought to allow couples in Kenya to divorce by mutual consent without court proceedings. The petition challenged Part X of the Marriage Act, 2014, arguing it was unconstitutional for restricting divorce to specific grounds like adultery, cruelty, desertion, or irretrievable breakdown, which often lead to contentious court battles. The petitioners claimed that mutual consent should suffice, as the current system causes emotional distress and financial burdens, sometimes trapping couples in abusive marriages.</p>
<p class="break-words" dir="auto">Justice Mugambi ruled that the petition lacked merit, emphasizing that marriage is a fundamental social institution under Article 45 of the Kenyan Constitution, which recognizes the family as the "natural and fundamental unit of society." He argued that allowing divorce by mutual consent without court oversight would undermine the societal interest in preserving stable family units. The judge stated, “The formulation of the grounds of divorce is to ensure marriages succeed and are not dissolved casually,” and that the law provides opportunities for reconciliation through mandated separation periods and interventions like counseling.</p>
<p class="break-words" dir="auto">He further rejected the petitioners’ request to compel Parliament to amend the Marriage Act, citing the separation of powers doctrine. Mugambi noted that courts cannot direct Parliament to legislate in a specific way, only intervene if laws are unconstitutional. The Attorney-General and Parliament, opposing the petition, argued that casual separations would destabilize families, aligning with the judge’s view that the current fault-based system protects the institution of marriage.</p>
<p class="break-words" dir="auto">This ruling means Kenyan couples must continue to prove statutory grounds for divorce in court, even if both parties agree to separate, prolonging the process and often escalating personal conflicts</p>

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