WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Victims of domestic violence in New Zealand will be allowed to cut ties to abusive spouses more quickly after lawmakers unanimously voted Wednesday to exempt them from a mandatory two-year separation period before divorce can be sought.
The required cooling-off period before a couple in New Zealand can file for divorce — during which they must also live apart — is the longest among no-fault divorce laws in comparable countries, including Australia, Britain, Canada and most states in the U.S.
Wednesday’s change means a victim of domestic violence can seek dissolution of their marriage or civil partnership as soon as a protection order against their spouse is granted. Lawmakers said in speeches at parliament in the capital, Wellington, that some survivors had told them the long reflection period made leaving an abusive relationship difficult and increased the chance they would return to a violent partner.
“Two years holds the tie. It binds the victim to their abuser,” said Deborah Russell, the lawmaker who sponsored the bill. “That should not be the case.”
All 123 members of parliament voted for the change, in a rare show of political unity.
Lawmakers cited New Zealand’s domestic violence figures, which are widely considered one of the country’s most entrenched and thorny social problems. Police figures for the year to June 2023 recorded more than 177,000 family harm investigations in the country of 5 million people, a 49% increase since 2017.
Some said more law changes were needed to ensure those leaving violent marriages were not rushed through property division or custody agreements while emotions were high. Others suggested more forms of evidence that abuse had taken place should be accepted. Currently a formal protection order must be granted before an expedited divorce is allowed.
New Zealand has permitted no-fault divorce, in which a couple need not state a reason for splitting, since 1980.
In neighboring Australia, a couple must separate for 12 months before divorcing but they can choose to remain under the same roof.
The U.K. introduced no-fault divorces in 2022, with a 20-week waiting period. Until then, couples had to cite a reason, including infidelity or abuse, to be granted a dissolution.
All 50 U.S. states allow for no-fault divorce, with some requiring separation periods — most shorter than New Zealand’s. In recent years, conservative commentators and lawmakers in a handful of states have urged reversals of no-fault divorce laws.
Lawmakers credited three women, all survivors of abusive marriages, with prompting New Zealand's shift.
Ashley Jones had approached her local MP, Chris Bishop, after leaving an abusive marriage in 2020 and later took a petition to parliament on the matter. It took more than 1,000 days after she left her husband for Jones to be granted a divorce, she said in 2023.
“We get a lot of grief in this place, probably sometimes fairly, about being fixated on things that don’t actually matter that much,” Bishop told parliament Wednesday. “But this matters, this legislation matters and this issue matters and today we’re doing something about it.”
FILE -People arrive at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Charlotte Graham-McLay, File)
LONDON (AP) — Thomas Tuchel was hired as England coach on Wednesday and will take on the challenge of ending the national team’s decades-long wait for a trophy.
The German, who previously managed Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, will begin his tenure in January ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States.
“We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world,” English Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham said in a statement.
Tuchel has won major trophies across Europe and is England's third foreign coach, after the late Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
“I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already,” Tuchel said. “To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.”
The 51-year-old Tuchel succeeds one of England’s most successful coaches in Southgate, who led the country to back-to-back European Championship finals and a World Cup semifinals.
Southgate stepped down after eight years following defeat to Spain in the final of Euro 2024 in July. England’s only major trophy was the World Cup in 1966.
The FA said it had interviewed several candidates before deciding on Tuchel. It said Tuchel had signed his contract last week but the announcement was delayed until after recent Nations League games against Greece and Finland.
Tuchel fits the FA’s remit of hiring a coach who has delivered at the highest level and also knows the English game.
As manager of Chelsea, Tuchel beat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to win the Champions League within months of taking the job. He also won the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup with the Premier League club.
He has won league titles with PSG in France and Bayern in Germany. He takes on the England job after leaving Bayern at the end of last season.
Tuchel will be joined by his former Chelsea assistant Anthony Barry, who most recently worked with Portugal at the Euros.
“Fundamentally we wanted to hire a coaching team to give us the best possible chance of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that,” Bullingham said. “Thomas and the team have a single-minded focus on giving us the best possible chance to win the World Cup in 2026.”
Tuchel will take up his role after the draw for the World Cup qualifying groups in December.
Under 21s coach Lee Carsley will remain in charge of England as interim coach for the Nations League games against Greece and Ireland next month.
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Chelsea's head coach Thomas Tuchel reacts during the Champions League final soccer match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Dragao Stadium in Porto, Portugal, Saturday, May 29, 2021. (Pierre Philippe Marcou/Pool via AP, File)
FILE - Bayern's head coach Thomas Tuchel reacts during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Leipzig and Bayern Munich, at the Red Bull Arena stadium in Leipzig, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
FILE - Chelsea's head coach Thomas Tuchel celebrates with the trophy after winning the Champions League final soccer match against Manchester City at the Dragao Stadium in Porto, Portugal, Saturday, May 29, 2021. (Susana Vera/Pool via AP, File)
