I. Составьте предложения, используя данные слова и словосочетания.

legal intervention in family life; to represent the interests of everyone within the household; to promote the rights of individuals within the family unit; to punish physically

3. Ответьте на вопросы.

1. What does the chapter 'The Law and the Family' consider?

2. What is the family promoted for?

3. Is there much intervention in family life in Islamic countries?

4. What courts control private property in the interests of children in Britain?

Text 2

MARRIAGE REQUIREMENTS

Generally, romantic love is the basis of marriage in this country, but this is a relatively recent development. In the past bride seizure, payment and parental arrangement were regarded as the normal methods for deciding on marriage partners. To be legally valid, a marriage must be:

• voluntary

• between two single people

• who are over sixteen

• of the opposite sex

• and not closely related.

A. Voluntary

Both man and woman must be acting voluntarily. Force, fear and duress will all invalidate the marriage. But it must be real duress: for instance, social pressure and the desire to please one's parents do not invalidate the marriage.

The marriage will also be invalid if one of the couple does not realize what he or she is doing (e.g. if drink or old age affects their awareness of what is happening).

Similarly, if there was a mistake as to the identity of the other partner the marriage would be invalid. But other mistakes will not invalidate it. For instance, if the man is mistaken as to the financial standing, social status or career prospects of his wife, he cannot argue that he would not otherwise have married her and so claim that the marriage is invalid. Duress and social pressure can also invalidate the marriage. This can be a particular problem with arranged marriages.

A nineteen-year-old Hindu girl was forced into an arranged marriage Had she not agreed, her parents would have thrown her out of the house, leaving her homeless and penniless. The Court of Appeal granted a declaration that the marriage was a nullity — the crucial question in these cases is whether the threats, pressure, or whatever it is, is such as to destroy the reality of the consent and overbear the will of the individual. So, in many ways it was the threat of homelessness and social ostracism that were the key factors in this case, and not so much the mere parental and social pressure.

This case should not be taken as showing that all arranged marriages can be set aside, but it is clear evidence of a change of attitude by the courts in being prepared to tackle this difficult problem.

Notes

development — обстоятельство, развитие seizure — захват, похищение

payment — оплата; зд. выкуп

parental arrangement - договоренность между родителями

be regarded as — считаться, рассматриваться

be valid - быть действительным

voluntarily — добровольно

duress — принуждение

invalidate — делать недействительным

be invalid - быть недействительным

affect — влиять

awareness — осведомленность, сознание

identity — личность

financial standing — материальное положение

arranged marriage — брак по договоренности

Court of Appeal — апелляционный суд

nullity — аннулирование

consent — согласие

overbear — подавлять

will — воля, желание

homelessness - бездомность

ostracism — остракизм, изгнание из общества

parental — родительский

pressure — давление

be set aside — зд. расторгать, аннулировать

tackle the problem — решать проблему

ражнения