High court hears of computer error that wrongly approved 79 divorce applications in London

A high court in London heard that 79 divorce applications were wrongly approved due to a computer error. The online system failed to recognize that the applications were submitted a day before the legal waiting period of one year and one day after marriage. Lawyers for the lord chancellor argued that the divorces should be considered "voidable," meaning they would still be valid. They expressed concerns about the consequences for couples who may have remarried or made financial arrangements based on their divorces. The court noted that the error affected divorces granted between April 2022 and April 2024. The judgment on the status of these divorces will be issued in writing at a later date.