TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION .............................................................................................................................. i
APPROVAL .................................................................................................................................... ii
DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .............................................................................................................. iv
LIST OF CASES ............................................................................................................................. v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ vi
CHAPTER ONE .............................................................................................................................. l
GENERAL INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ !
1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................ 1
1.2 Statement of the problem ........................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Objective of the study ................................................................................................................ 3
1.3.1 The general objective .............................................................................................................. 3
1.3.2 Specific objective .................................................................................................................... 3
1.4 Scope of the research ................................................................................................................. 3
1.5 Hypothesis ................................................................................................................................. 3
1.6 Literature review ........................................................................................................................ 4
1. 7 Chapterization ............................................................................................................................ 5
CHAPTER TW0 ............................................................................................................................. 6
THE LAW RELATING TO DIVORCE IN UGANDA .................................................................... 6
2.0. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 6
2.1 Law applicable for divorce ......................................................................................................... 6
2.2. Preliminaries for divorce under tile divorce act. ......................................................................... 6
2.2.1. DOMICILE ............................................................................................................................ 7
2.3. GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE .................................................................................................... 7
2.3.2. CRUELT¥ ........................................................................................................................... 11
2.3.3. DESERTION ....................................................................................................................... 12
2.4. BARS TO DIVORCE; ............................................................................................................ 18
24.1. COLLUSION ........................................................................................................................ 18
2.4.2. CONNIVANCE ................................................................................................................... 19
2.4.3. CONDONATION ................................................................................................................ 20
vi
2.5. DISCRETIONARY BARS TO DIVORCE ............................................................................. 21
2.6. PROCEDURE FOR DIVORCE .............................................................................................. 21
2. 7.1. CUSTODY .......................................................................................................................... 22
2.7.2. ALIMONY .......................................................................................................................... 22
2.8. PROCESS OF FINAL DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE ....................................................... 23
2.9. DISTRIBUTION OF PROPERTY .......................................................................................... 23
CHAPTER THREE ....................................................................................................................... 24
UGANDAN POLICY OF DIVORCE EFFECTS ON A FAMILY STRUCTURE IN UGANDA .... 24
3.1 DIVORCE LAW ..................................................................................................................... 24
3.2 INHERITANCE OR SUCCESSION LAW .............................................................................. 27
3.3 Testate Succession ................................................................................................................... 31
3.4 LAND LAW ............................................................................................................................ 33
CHAPTER FOUR ......................................................................................................................... 38
DIVORCE AND ITS E EFFECTS ON A FAMILY STRUCTURE IN UGANDA ......................... 38
4.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 38
4.2. Loopholes in the Law .............................................................................................................. 38
4.3 Economic Consequences of Divorce ........................................................................................ 40
4.4 Family changes and household economy .................................................................................. 41
4.5. Post-separation family change ................................................................................................. 42
4.6 The Effects of Divorce on Children: ......................................................................................... 43
4.7. Uncontrollable Had Effects ..................................................................................................... 45
4.8. The Loss ofFriends ................................................................................................................. 45
4. 9. The Loss of Family ................................................................................................................. 45
CHAPTER FIVE ........................................................................................................................... 49
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION ....................................................... 49
5.1. Summary ................................................................................................................................ 49
5.2 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 50
5.3. Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 52
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................. 54
CHAPTER ONE GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Prior to modern reforms, courts would grant a divorce only if (a) it found that one spouse committed a specific violation against the other (typically something like adultery. Chronic drunkenness, or physical abuse), and (b) both spouses agreed to the divorce. Over the past century, all U.S. states have adopted "no-fault" divorce laws that eliminate the former requirement, so courts can now grant divorces without finding either spouse guilty of marital fault. In addition, 34 states now allow one spouse to obtain a divorce without the consent of the other-what is called "unilateral divorce." Jonathan Gruber (2004) has reviewed the legislative history in each state to determine the precise timing of these reforms. Perhaps surprisingly, in many states no-fault divorce preceded unilateral divorce by several decades. For example, four states had passed no-fault reforms by 1910 (many decades before the first unilateral refonns, but three of them (Rhode Island, Texas and Wisconsin) did not enact unilateral divorce legislation ' until the 1970s and fourth (North Carolina) never did. The unilateral divorce laws were also adopted over a much more concentrated interval; 29 of the 34 states to pass such a reform did so between 1967 and 1978. Only about half of the no-fault reforms occurred during that period.