A very long engagement: The Children's Act 38 of 2005 and the 1993 Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2009/v12i1a2720Abstract
This article analyses the intercountry adoptions provisions contained in Chapter 16 of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005, against the standards of the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoptions, 1993. After a brief overview of the two leading South African cases on intercountry adoption, which stress the importance of having this institution statutorily regulated, the author proceeds to analyse the most significant clauses pertaining to intercountry adoptions contained in the Act, in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses in this new statutory framework. The author concludes that the Children’s Act is a dramatic improvement on the current regime of intercountry adoptions and that it has the potential to make this institution work in the best interests of children.
Downloads
References
Bibliography
Bainham 2003 CFLQ
Bainham A "International Adoption From Romania: Why The Moratorium Should Not Be Ended" 2003 15 (3) Child and Family Law Quarterly 223242
Blair 2005 Capital University LR
Blair M "Safeguarding the Interests of Children in Intercountry Adoption:
Assessing the Gatekeepers" 2005 (34) Capital University Law Review 349403
Chadwick 1999 Journal of International Legal Studies
Chadwick KA “The Politics and Economics of Intercountry Adoption in
Eastern Europe” 1999 (5) Journal of International Legal Studies 113–144
Couzens 2008 Implementing the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention Couzens M Implementing the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention in South Africa (LLM UKZN Durban 2008)
Human 2007 "Inter-country adoption"
Human S "Inter-country adoption" in Davel CJ and Skelton AM (eds)
Commentary on the Children's Act (Juta Cape Town 2007) 16-1–16-29
Katz 1995 Emory Int'l LR
Katz LM "Modest Proposal – The Convention on Protection of Children and
Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption: A Comment" 1995 (9) Emory International Law Review 283-328
Kimball 2005 Denver JILP
Kimball CE "Barriers to the successful implementation of the Hague
Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of
Intercountry Adoption" 2005 (33) Denver Journal of International Law and Policy 561-586
Lammerant 2005 Rev Droit Univ Sherbrooke
Lammerant I "L'évolution et les enjeux de l'adoption nationale et internationale" 2005 (35) Rev Droit Univ Sherbrooke 328-353
Louw 2006 De Jure
Louw AS "Intercountry adoption in South Africa: Have the fears become fact?" 2006 De Jure 503-521
Masson 2001 Journal of International Affairs
Masson J "Intercountry adoption: a global problem or a global solution?"
(55) Journal of International Affairs 141-168
Moodley 2007 PER
Moodley P "Unravelling the legal knots around inter-country adoptions in De Gree v Webb" 2007 (3) Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal 2-14
Mosikatsana 2004 SALJ
Mosikatsana T "www.buyababy.com: Inter-country Adoption" 2004 South African Law Journal 103-136
Nicholson 2000 "The Hague Convention"
Nicholson C "The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and
Cooperation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption 1993" in Davel CJ (ed)
Introduction to Child Law in South Africa (Juta Cape Town 2000) 246-256
Nicholson 2001 JCRDL
Nicholson CMA "Inter-country adoptions – the need for South Africa to accede to the Hague Convention: Fitzpatrick v Minister of Social Welfare and Pensions 2000 3 SA 139 (C)" 2001 (64) Journal for Contemporary Roman Dutch Law 496-499
Sloth-Nielsen and Mezmur 2007 Law, Democracy & Development
Sloth-Nielsen J and Mezmur BD "(Illicit) transfer by De Gree" 2007 Law, Democracy & Development 81-100
Smolin 2005 Seton Hall LR
Smolin DM "The Two Faces of Intercountry Adoption: The Significance of the Indian Adoptions Scandals" 2005 (35) Seton Hall Law Review 403-493
Smolin 2006 Wayne LR molin DM "Child Laundering: How the Intercountry Adoption System
Legitimizes and Incentivizes the Practices of Buying, Trafficking,
Kidnapping, and Stealing Children" 2006 (52) Wayne Law Review 113-200
Walsh 2006 Family Law
Walsh E "Newsline extra: Children and Adoption Act 2006: The Hitchwriter's guide" 2008 (36) Family Law 1230-12355
Register of statutes and secondary legislation
Child Care Act 74 of 1983 Children's Act 38 of 2005
Children's Amendment Act 41 of 2007
Consolidated Draft Regulations Pertaining to Children's Act Including
Regulations Pertaining to Bill 19 of 2006 (publication for comment in GG
of 28 June 2008 as GN 780 of 2008)
Second Draft Guidelines for Intercountry Adoptions (Department of Social
Development Nov 2006)
Register of foreign statutes
Children and Adoption Act 2006 (the UK) www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/20060020.htm [date of use 18 Oct 2007]
Register of court cases
AD v DW (Department of Social Development Intervening; Centre for Child
Law, Amicus Curiae) 2008 (3) SA 183 (CC)
De Gree v Webb (Centre for Child Law, University of Pretoria, Amicus Curiae) 2006 (6) SA 51 (W)
De Gree v Webb (Centre for Child Law, University of Pretoria, Amicus Curiae)
(5) SA 184 (SCA)
Fitzpatrick v Minister of Social Welfare and Pensions 2000 (3) SA 139 (C)
Minister for Welfare and Population Development v Fitzpatrick 2000 (7) BCLR 713 (CC)
Register of international conventions
African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoptions
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Register of internet resources
Albrecht 2005 lawspace.law.uct.ac.za
Albrecht S 2005 Intercountry Adoption: A Swiss Perspective (Master's Dissertation University of Cape Town)
lawspace.law.uct.ac.za:8080/dspace/handle/2165/240 [date of use 11 Jun 2008]
Calcetas-Santos 2000 www.unhchr.ch
Calcetas-Santos O 2000 Rights of the Child. Report of the Special
Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography,
Ms Ofelia Calcetas-Santos. Addendum. Report on the mission to
Guatemala www.unhchr.ch/children/documents.htm [date of use 10 Jun 2008]
Carte Blanche 2006 www.mnet.co.za
Carte Blanche (producer Marion Edmunds) 2006 International Adoptions www.mnet.co.za/Mnet/Shows/carteblanche/story.asp?Id=3080 [date of use 27 Sep 2008]
Committee on the Rights of the Child 2000 www1.umn.edu/
Committee on the Rights of the Child 2000 Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, South Africa
www1.umn.edu/humanrts/crc/southafrica2000.html [date of use 30 Mar 2008]
Committee on the Rights of the Child 2004 www.unhchr.ch/
Committee on the Rights of the Child 2004 Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child: France
www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/6/crc/doc/co/France-CO2.pdf [date of use 16 Jul 2007]
Correll, Correll and Predescu 2006 pdf.usaid.gov
Correll L, Correll L and Predescu M 2006 USAID and Child Welfare Reform in Romania. Challenges, Successes, and Legacy
pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDACH405.pdf [date of use 12 Jun 2008]
Hague Conference (no date) www.hcch.net
Hague Conference on Private International Law (no date) Status Table 33: Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry Adoption www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act= conventions.status&cid=69 [date of use 9 Jun 2008]
Hague Conference 2001 www.hcch.net
Hague Conference on Private International Law, Permanent Bureau 2001
Report and Conclusions of the Special Commission on the Practical
Operation of the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of
Children in Respect of Intercountry Adoption 28 November – 1 December
www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=conventions.publications&dtid=
&cid=69 [date of use 10 Jun 2008]
Hague Conference 2005a www.hcch.net
Hague Conference on Private International Law, Permanent Bureau 2005a Draft Guide to Good Practice under the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption: Implementation www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=publications. details&pid=3657&dtid=2 [date of use 2 Sep 2008]
Hague Conference 2005b www.hcch.net
Hague Conference on Private International Law 2005b South Africa:
response to the 2005 Questionnaire + statistics + organigram www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=publications.details&pid=3558&dtid=33 [date of use 5 Feb 2008]
Hague Conference 2006 www.hcch.net
Hague Conference on Private International Law, Permanent Bureau 2006
Report and Conclusions of the Special Commission on the Practical
Operation of the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (17-23 September 2005) www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=conventions.publications&dtid=2&cid=69 [date of use 10 Jun 2008]
Hague Conference 2008 www.hcch.net
Hague Conference on Private International Law, Permanent Bureau 2008 Draft Guide to Good Practice under the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption: Implementation www.hcch.net/upload/00037643.doc#_Toc
[date of use 2 Sep 2008]
ISS/IRC 2005a www.iss-ssi.org
International Social Service/International Reference Centre for the Rights of Children Deprived of their Family 2005a Accreditation and authorisation of adoption bodies: a necessary inter-country cooperation focused on the needs of children (ISS Statement for the Day on Accreditation, 17 September 2005, during the Special Commission on the practical Operation of The Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of inter-country Adoption) www.issssi.org/Resource_Centre/Tronc_CI/documents/InterventionSSIAccreditatio nDay.pdf [date of use 15 Dec 2008]
ISS/IRC 2005b www.iss-ssi.org
International Social Service/International Reference Centre for the Rights of Children Deprived of their Family 2005b Obligation to use an accredited body for Intercountry Adoption? International Reference Centre for the Rights of Children Deprived of their Family www.iss-ssi.org/Resource_ Centre/Tronc_DI/documents/Obligation OAAICAANG.pdf [date of use 15 Dec 2008]
Jerre 2005 www.svet.lu.se
Jerre U 2005 Conflicting Logics? Implementing Capacity and EU Adaptation in a Postcommunist Context (PhD thesis Lund University) www.svet.lu.se/Fulltext/Jerre.pdf [date of use 14 Jun 2008]
Parra-Aranguren 1994 www.hcch.net
Parra-Aranguren G 1994 Explanatory report on the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=publications.listing&sub=2 [date of use 14 Jun 2008]
SALRC 2002 www.doj.gov.za
South African Law Reform Commission 2002 Discussion papers www.doj.gov.za/salrc/dpapers.htm [date of use 20 Feb 2009]
Teodorescu 2005 www.cdep.ro
Teodorescu AG 2005 The Functioning of the New Legislation on Adoptions and Provision on Defining the Procedures in the Moratoriu www.cdep.ro/ docs_comisii/IE/CPM19_tema6_EN.pdf [date of use 11 Jun 2008]
UNICEF 1999 www.unicef-irc.org
UNICEF 1999 Innocenti Digest 4: Intercountry Adoption www.unicefirc.org/publications/pdf/digest4e.pdf [date of use 10 Jun 2008]
US Department of State (no date) travel.state.gov US Department of State Country Information (no date)
travel.state.gov/family/ adoption/country/country_369.html [date of use 3 Sep 2008]
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2017 Ed Couzens
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
.png){kind=spacer}