British Conservatism and the Legal Regulation of Intimate Relationships

This monograph explores the relationship between family law, British conservatism and the Conservative parties over the last generation. Taking a political and socio-legal perspective, it examines law-making in the field, highlighting the resultant tension between liberty and authority. The study takes a two part approach; firstly it sets out the nature of conservatism as a body of political thought. It then goes on to interpret the discourse around the development of four crucial statutes in the field, namely: the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984; the Family Law Act 1996; the Civil Partnership Act 2004 and the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013. This offers the first true synthesis of family law, political thought and policy making and as such is a landmark publication.