China issues draft marriage law

Beijing - China published a watered-down draft of a revised marriage law yesterday that would outlaw domestic violence and clamp…

Beijing - China published a watered-down draft of a revised marriage law yesterday that would outlaw domestic violence and clamp down on adultery without making it illegal, and invited comments.

An earlier draft, which provoked unusually fierce opposition, would have made adultery illegal and adulterers liable to compensate their spouses in divorce settlements.

The new draft keeps the compensation obligations, but stops short of making adultery illegal. Instead, it says: "It is forbidden to engage in bigamy and any other activities that harm the system of one man, one wife."