The Sexual Orientation of a Parent as a Factor when Considering Care
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2013/v16i3a2375Keywords:
Care, Custody, Sexual orientation, Best interests of the child, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Convention on the Rights of the ChildAbstract
Section 28(2) of the Constitution states that a child's best interest is of paramount importance in every matter concerning the child. Section 9 further provides that every person is considered equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law. Several grounds are listed relating to the unfair discrimination of persons, including their sexual orientation. The concept of care is incorporated in the Children's Act, and it entails a comprehensive description of parents' daily life regarding children and the powers and duties expected to ensure the general protection, well-being and best interests of the child.
The aim of this contribution is to discuss the sexual orientation of a parent as a factor when considering care and the extent to which courts may give consideration to such a factor. The article will also address the question of whether or not the role of a parent's sexual orientation in determining the best interests of the child has changed since the common law concept of custody was replaced by the concept of care in the Children's Act. In this article, care and the best interests of the child will be discussed first. International law will be considered thereafter, followed by a discussion on the approach of our courts, pre- and post-1994, in order to come to a conclusion and make recommendations.
Downloads
References
Bibliography
Boezaart "General Principles"
Boezaart T "General Principles" in Davel CJ and Skelton AM (eds) Commentary on the Children's Act 5th ed (Juta Cape Town 2012) 2-1 to 2-36
Bonthuys 2005 IJLPF
Bonthuys E "The Best Interests of Children in the South African Constitution" 2005 IJLPF 23-43
De Vos 1994 SALJ
De Vos P "The Right of a Lesbian Mother to have Access to Her Children: Some Constitutional Issues" 1994 SALJ 687-694
Doek 2003 Saint Louis University Public Law Review
Doek JE "The protection of children's rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: Achievements and Challenges" 2003 Saint Louis University Public Law Review 235-252
Gallinetti 2002 ESR Review
Gallinetti J "The UN Assembly Special Session on Children: It's Impact for Children's Socio-economic Rights" 2002 ESR Review 12-14
Gose African Charter
Gose M The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (Community Law Centre Bellville 2002)
Heaton 2009 JJS
Heaton J "An individualised, contextualized and child-centred determination of the child's best interests, and the implications of such an approach in the South African context" 2009 34(2) JJS 1-18
Heaton "Responsibilities and Rights"
Heaton J "Responsibilities and Rights" in Davel CJ and Skelton AM (eds) Commentary on the Children's Act 5th ed (Juta Cape Town 2012) 3-1 to 3-5
Hodgkin and Newell Implementation Handbook
Hodgkin R and Newell P Implementation Handbook for the Convention on the Rights of the Child 3rd ed (UNICEF New York 2007)
Jansen van Rensburg and Lamarche "Right to Social Security and Assistance"
Jansen van Rensburg L and Lamarche L "The Right to Social Security and Assistance" in Brand D and Heyns C (eds) Socio-economic Rights in South Africa (PULP Pretoria 2005)
Kruger 2004 Fundamina
Kruger H "The Legal Nature and Development of Parental Authority in Roman, Germatic and Roman-Dutch Law – A Historic Overview" 2004 Fundamina 84-112
LeBlanc United Nations Lawmaking
LeBlanc LJ The Convention on the Rights of the Child: United Nations Lawmaking on Human Rights (University of Nebraska Press Lincoln 1995)
Lubbe 2007 SAJP
Lubbe C "Mothers, fathers, or parents: Same-gendered families in South Africa" 2007 SAJP 260-283
Mahlobogwane 2005 Codicillus
Mahlobogwane F "South African Courts and the 'Best Interest of the Child' in Custody Disputes" 2005 Codicillus 30-34
Mezmur 2006 AHRLJ
Mezmur BD "The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child: An update" 2006 AHRLJ 545-575
Mezmur 2008 SAPR/PL
Mezmur BD "The African Children's Charter versus the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: A zero-sum game?" 2008 SAPR/PL 1-29
Mosikatsana 1996 Acta Juridica
Mosikatsana T "Gay/lesbian adoptions and the best interests standard: A critical analytical perspective" 1996 Acta Juridica 114-131
Mower International Support
Mower GA The Convention on the Rights of the Child: International Support for Children (Greenwood Press London 1997)
Pillay and Zaal 2005 SALJ
Pillay R and Zaal N "Child-interactive video recordings: A proposal for hearing the voices of children in divorce matters" 2005 SALJ 684-695
Proudlock and Skelton "Interpretation"
Proudlock P and Skelton A "Interpretation, objects, application and implementation of the Children's Act" in Davel CJ and Skelton AM (eds) Commentary on the Children's Act 5th ed (Juta Cape Town 2012) 1-1 to 1-43
Robinson 2005 JJS
Robinson JA "The Best Interests of Children in Custody Litigation where Homosexualism of a Parent is a Consideration" 2005 JJS 107-119
Rosa and Dutschke 2006 SAJHR
Rosa S and Dutschke M "Child Rights at the Core: The Use of International Law in South Africa on Children's Socio-economic Rights" 2006 SAJHR 1-37
SALC Review of the Child Care Act
South African Law Commission Review of the Child Care Act: Discussion Paper 103, Project 110 (The Commission Pretoria 2001)
Skelton "Parental Responsibilities and Rights"
Skelton A "Parental Responsibilities and Rights" in Boezaart T (ed) Child Law in South Africa (Juta Cape Town 2009) 62-91
Skelton 2009 AHRLJ
Skelton A "The development of a fledging child rights jurisprudence in Eastern and Southern Africa based on international and regional instruments" 2009 AHRLJ 482-500
Sloth-Nielsen 2002 ICRJ
Sloth-Nielsen J "Children's rights in the South African Courts: An overview since ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child" 2002 ICRJ 137-156
Van der Walt 2010 Obiter
Van der Walt G "The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child- Has the bridge been crossed between theory and practice: Mauritius and South Africa?" 2010 Obiter 715-724
Van Heerden et al Boberg's Law of Persons and Family
Van Heerden B et al (eds) Boberg's Law of Persons and Family 2nd ed (Juta Cape Town 1999)
Van Heerden "Parental Power"
Van Heerden B "How Parental Power is Acquired and Lost" in Van Heerden B, Cockrell A and Keightley R (eds) Boberg's Law of Persons and the Family 2nd ed (Juta Cape Town 1999) 313-323
Wynchank 2006 SAPR/PL
Wynchank D "Psychiatry and same-sex marriages: Are we involved?" 2006 SAPR 69-71
Register of cases
Bannatyne v Bannatyne 2003 2 SA 363 (CC)
Booysen v Minister of Home Affairs 2011 7 BCLR 654 (CC)
Christian Education South Africa v Minister of Education 2000 10 BCLR 1051 (CC)
Dawood v Minister of Home Affairs 2000 3 SA 936 (CC)
De Reuck v Director of Public Prosecutions 2003 12 BCLR 1333 (CC)
DM v SM 2008 2 NR 704 (HC)
Du Toit v Minister of Population Development (Lesbian and Gay Equality Project as Amicus Curiae) 2003 2 SA 198 (CC)
Engar v Engar v Desai 1966 1 SA 621 (T)
Ex Parte Chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly: In Re Certification of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996 4 SA 744 (CC)
Fourie v Minister of Home Affairs 2005 3 SA 429 (SCA)
HG v CG 2010 3 SA 352 (ECP)
J v J 2008 6 SA 30 (C)
Kastan v Kastan 1985 3 SA 235 (C)
McCall v McCall 1994 3 SA 201 (C)
Minister for Welfare and Population Development v Fitzpatrick 2000 7 BCLR 713 (CC)
P v P 2007 5 SA 94 (SCA)
R v Oakes 1986 26 DLR (4th) 200
S v Makwanyane 1995 3 SA 391 (CC)
S v S (Centre for Child Law as Amicus Curiae) 2011 7 BCLR 740 (CC)
Van Rooyen v Van Rooyen 1994 2 SA 325 (W)
V v V 1998 4 SA 169 (C)
WW v EW 2011 6 SA 53 (KZP)
Register of legislation
Child Care Act 74 of 1983
Children's Act 38 of 2005
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996
Interim Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 200 of 1993
Register of international instruments
African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990)
General Comment No 4: Adolescent Health and Development in the Context of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (2003)
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2017 Chantelle Feldhaus
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
.png){kind=spacer}