The Act Divorce Section 15: Postponement of decree of divorce where religious impediment to re-marry exists
27.This section inserts a new section 3A into the Divorce (Scotland) Act 1976 which provides the court with the discretion to postpone decree of divorce where a religious impediment to remarry exists. Regardless of the fact that irretrievable breakdown of a marriage has been established in an action of divorce, the court may postpone granting decree of divorce until it is satisfied that the other party has removed or has contributed to the removal of the impediment which prevents that marriage. If this is the case, the court may order the other party to produce a certificate from a relevant religious body confirming that the other party has acted in the way described above. A power is given to Scottish Ministers to make regulations to prescribe the religious faiths which can rely on this provision.