Realising children’s right to participation during the divorce proceedings of parents
Date
2021-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: To a child, the divorce of his or her parents is a traumatic and life-altering event. The
divorce of parents and the proceedings related thereto have the potential to determine
how various aspects of a child’s life, such as where they will live and go to school or
how often they will have contact with the parent with whom they do not live, will
develop. Based hereupon it is safe to say that a child’s parents’ divorce and related
proceedings can greatly affect a child.
In terms of article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child,
article 4(2) of the African Charter of the Rights and Welfare of the Child as well as
sections 10 and 31(1) of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005, a child, who is capable to do
so, has the right to participate in matters that affect him or her by sharing his or her
views and having these views considered.
Despite having a clear and well-established right to participate in a matter that so
deeply affects them, a child’s right to participate in their parents’ divorce related
proceedings is often not realised. This thesis will evaluate the various methods of
representation and direct participation employed to give effect to the child’s right to
participation to determine to what extent the child’s right to participation is being
realised or not realised.
It is generally accepted that litigation is not the ideal way in which to resolve divorce
and related proceedings, especially when children are involved. This thesis attempts
to determine whether family mediation as model is better suited to realise a child’s
right to participation in this particular context. It does so be placing family mediation as
a model in contrast with the traditional legal processes that go hand in hand with
divorce related litigation.
To achieve the abovementioned, a model of measuring children’s participation is
proposed. The proposed model highlights the shortcomings as well as the positive
aspects of the various methods of children’s participation in South Africa. This exercise
is repeated in the context of Australian divorce related proceedings in an attempt to
compare and contrast the two jurisdictions.
Finally, the model is also employed to measure mediation as a model to realise a
child’s right to participation, in aid of determining whether mediation as a model is better suited to realise a child’s right to participation in his or her parents’ divorce
related matters.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die egskeiding van ouers is ‘n traumatiese en lewensveranderende gebeurtenis in ‘n kind se lewe. ‘n Egskeiding en ander gepaardgaande regsprosesse het die potensiaal om te bepaal hoe verskeie aspekte van die kind se lewe sal ontwikkel. Hierdie aspekte sluit onder meer in waar die kind sal woon en skooltoe gaan, en hoe gereeld hul die ouer by wie hul nie woon nie, sal sien. Gebaseer hierop is dit regverdig om te sê dat ‘n kind se ouers se egskeiding en gepaardgaande regsprosesse, ‘n groot impak op die betrokke kind se lewe kan hê. ‘n Kind het, in terme van artikel 12 van die United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, artikel 4(1) van die African Charter of the Rights and Welfare of the Child sowel as artikels 10 en 31(1) van die Kinderwet 38 van 2005, ‘n reg om deel te neem in aangeleenthede wat hom of haar beïnvloed. Dit behels onder meer dat die kind hul siening mag deel, en daardie siening in ag geneem word. Ten spyte van ‘n kind se duidelike en gevestigde reg tot deelname, gebeur dit gereeld dat hierdie betrokke reg nie gerealiseer word nie. Hierdie tesis evalueer verskeie metodes van verteenwoordiging sowel as direkte deelname te evalueer ten einde vas te stel tot watter mate die kind se reg gerealiseer word, aldan nie. Daar word oor die algemeen aanvaar dat litigasie nie die ideale manier is om egskeidings en verwante aangeleenthede te benader waar daar kinders betrokke is nie. Juis hierom poog hierdie tesis om vas te stel of gesinsbemiddeling as model meer geskik is om die kind se reg in die betrokke konteks te realiseer. Dit word gedoen deur tradisionele litigasie te vergelyk met gesinsbemiddeling. Ten einde bogenoemde oogmerk te bereik, word ‘n model wat verskillende vlakke van deelname meet, voorgestel. Die model werp lig op die tekortkominge sowel as positiewe eienskappe van verskeie metodes van deelname in Suid-Afrika sowel as Australië. Die model word ook gebruik om gesinsbemiddeling as model te evalueer om vas te stel of dit die kind se reg realiseer terwyl dit die tekortkomige van tradisionele litigasie aanspreek.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die egskeiding van ouers is ‘n traumatiese en lewensveranderende gebeurtenis in ‘n kind se lewe. ‘n Egskeiding en ander gepaardgaande regsprosesse het die potensiaal om te bepaal hoe verskeie aspekte van die kind se lewe sal ontwikkel. Hierdie aspekte sluit onder meer in waar die kind sal woon en skooltoe gaan, en hoe gereeld hul die ouer by wie hul nie woon nie, sal sien. Gebaseer hierop is dit regverdig om te sê dat ‘n kind se ouers se egskeiding en gepaardgaande regsprosesse, ‘n groot impak op die betrokke kind se lewe kan hê. ‘n Kind het, in terme van artikel 12 van die United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, artikel 4(1) van die African Charter of the Rights and Welfare of the Child sowel as artikels 10 en 31(1) van die Kinderwet 38 van 2005, ‘n reg om deel te neem in aangeleenthede wat hom of haar beïnvloed. Dit behels onder meer dat die kind hul siening mag deel, en daardie siening in ag geneem word. Ten spyte van ‘n kind se duidelike en gevestigde reg tot deelname, gebeur dit gereeld dat hierdie betrokke reg nie gerealiseer word nie. Hierdie tesis evalueer verskeie metodes van verteenwoordiging sowel as direkte deelname te evalueer ten einde vas te stel tot watter mate die kind se reg gerealiseer word, aldan nie. Daar word oor die algemeen aanvaar dat litigasie nie die ideale manier is om egskeidings en verwante aangeleenthede te benader waar daar kinders betrokke is nie. Juis hierom poog hierdie tesis om vas te stel of gesinsbemiddeling as model meer geskik is om die kind se reg in die betrokke konteks te realiseer. Dit word gedoen deur tradisionele litigasie te vergelyk met gesinsbemiddeling. Ten einde bogenoemde oogmerk te bereik, word ‘n model wat verskillende vlakke van deelname meet, voorgestel. Die model werp lig op die tekortkominge sowel as positiewe eienskappe van verskeie metodes van deelname in Suid-Afrika sowel as Australië. Die model word ook gebruik om gesinsbemiddeling as model te evalueer om vas te stel of dit die kind se reg realiseer terwyl dit die tekortkomige van tradisionele litigasie aanspreek.
Description
Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Keywords
Children and divorce, Children's rights, Children -- Legal status, laws, etc., Children of divorced parents, Divorce -- Psychological aspects, UCTD