Divorce law brought into effect from 1 December 2019

Following the referendum held in May 2019 in which the Government’s proposal to amend Articles 41.3.2 and 41.3.3 of the Constitution to allow the Oireachtas to legislate on the matter was approved by the majority of voters.

The Government subsequently passed the Family Law Act 2019. On 29 November 2019, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan announced that he had signed a commencement order to bring some of the provisions of the Act into law.

The effect of this commencement amends Section 5 of the Family Law (Divorce) Act 1996, reducing the minimum living apart period specified in that Act to two years during the previous three years It was previously four years during the previous five years.