January 18, 2026
R v R [1991] UKHL 12
A husband was convicted of attempted rape upon his wife after forcing entry into her parents' home where she had been living following their separation. The House of Lords abolished the common law marital exemption from rape, holding that marriage no longer implies irrevocable consent to sexual intercourse. Facts The appellant married his wife in August 1984 and they had one son. On 21 October 1989, the wife left the matrimonial home with their son to live with her parents, having left a letter for the appellant indicating her intention to petition for divorce. On 23 October 1989, the appellant
