An individualised, contextualised and child-centred determination of the child’s best interests, and the implications of such an approach in the South African context
| dc.contributor.author | Heaton, J. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2017-02-07T08:36:11Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2017-02-07T08:36:11Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2009 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: This contribution deals with the approach that should be adopted when applying the concept of “the best interests of the child” and evaluating the individual factors that are used in determining what is in the child’s best interests. Section 28(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 and Constitutional Court decisions are used as the main sources of guidance on the correct approach. The submission is made that an individualised, contextualised and child-centred determination of the child’s best interests is required. In view of our constitutional values of tolerance of and respect for diversity and pluralism, it is further submitted that we must move away from a mainly Judaeo-Christian, Eurocentric interpretation of “the best interests of the child” to an approach that takes the cultural and religious circumstances, interests and needs of the individual child into account. It is concluded that all factors that are shown to be relevant because they have, or could have, a negative or positive impact on the individual child should be taken into account in a contextualised child-centred way without reducing other constitutionally-protected rights and interests to nothing. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Hierdie bydrae handel oor die benadering wat aangewend moet word wanneer die begrip “die beste belang van die kind” toegepas word en die individuele faktore wat gebruik word om te bepaal wat in die kind se beste belang is oorweeg word. Artikel 28(2) van die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, 1996 en uitsprake van die Konstitusionele Hof word gebruik as die hoofaanduidings van wat die korrekte benadering is. Daar word aan die hand gedoen dat ’n benadering wat geïndividualiseer en gekontekstualiseer is en waarin die kind sentraal is, toegepas moet word wanneer die kind se beste belang bepaal word. In die lig van ons grondwetlike waardes van verdraagsaamheid ten opsigte van en respek vir diversiteit en pluralisme word daar verder aan die hand gedoen dat ons moet weg beweeg van ’n hoofsaaklik Judaeo-Christelike, Eurosentriese uitleg van “die beste belang van die kind” na ’n benadering wat die individuele kind se kulturele en godsdienstige omstandighede, belange en behoeftes in ag neem. Die slotsom is dat alle faktore wat relevant is omdat hulle ’n negatiewe of positiewe uitwerking op die individuele kind het of kan hê, in ag geneem moet word op ’n manier wat die kind sentraal plaas sonder om ander grondwetlik beskermde regte en belange tot niet te maak. | af |
| dc.description.version | Publisher's version | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.citation | Heaton, J. (2009). An individualised, contextualised and child-centred determination of the child’s best interests, and the implications of such an approach in the South African context. Journal for Juridical Science, 34(2), 1-18. | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.issn | 0258-252X (print) | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 2415-0517 (online) | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/5549 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Faculty of Law, University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | Faculty of Law, University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Child's best interests | en_ZA |
| dc.title | An individualised, contextualised and child-centred determination of the child’s best interests, and the implications of such an approach in the South African context | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Article | en_ZA |