A comparative analysis of the intermediary systems in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia
- Authors: Wilkerson, Tendai Marowa
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Juvenile courts -- South Africa , Juvenile courts -- Namibia , Juveline courts -- Zimbabwe , Juvenile courts -- Ethiopia , Children -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- South Africa , Children -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Namibia , Children -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Zimbabwe , Children -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Ethiopia , Child witnesses -- South Africa , Child witnesses -- Namibia , Child witnesses -- Zimbabwe , Child witnesses -- Ethiopia , Mediation -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Mediation -- Law and legislation -- Namibia , Mediation -- Law and legislation -- Zimbabwe , Mediation -- Law and legislation -- Ethiopia , Children's rights -- South Africa , Children's rights -- Namibia , Children's rights -- Zimbabwe , Children's rights -- Ethiopia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:3698 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003213 , Juvenile courts -- South Africa , Juvenile courts -- Namibia , Juveline courts -- Zimbabwe , Juvenile courts -- Ethiopia , Children -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- South Africa , Children -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Namibia , Children -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Zimbabwe , Children -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Ethiopia , Child witnesses -- South Africa , Child witnesses -- Namibia , Child witnesses -- Zimbabwe , Child witnesses -- Ethiopia , Mediation -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Mediation -- Law and legislation -- Namibia , Mediation -- Law and legislation -- Zimbabwe , Mediation -- Law and legislation -- Ethiopia , Children's rights -- South Africa , Children's rights -- Namibia , Children's rights -- Zimbabwe , Children's rights -- Ethiopia
- Description: Prior to 1990, very few countries in the world offered special protection to child witnesses interfacing with the justice system. There were no legal provisions permitting testimonial accommodations for children in court. The courtroom experience was significantly traumatic for the children. With the international focus shifting from protecting and upholding the rights of the accused in the courtroom towards a more victim-centred approach, various international and regional instruments have strongly dvocated that children deserve special protection because of their vulnerability. In order for the courts to be able to elicit accurate evidence from the child without further traumatizing the child, research has shown that the child needs assistance. An intermediary may be defined as a person who facilitates communication between the child and the courtroom in a manner that takes into account the child‟s cognitive and developmental limitations. The thesis was prompted by the need to make a contribution to the currently limited body of literature on the intermediary systems in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia by investigating how the systems can be improved and sustained in a way that helps to protect the child witness in court. Despite the problems the South African courts have had in identifying the appropriate interpretation of its intermediary legislation, the country emerges as a clear leader for the steps it took by creating a positive legal framework within which child protection issues are addressed and introducing the concept of the intermediary. This concept proved to be an inspiration to its neighbours, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The influence of the South African intermediary legislation is evident in the Namibian and Zimbabwean legislation. Although Namibian legislators have drafted laws that permit intermediary assistance in court, there are as yet no intermediaries appointed. In Ethiopia, although there is no discernible intermediary legislation, the country has managed to establish an intermediary system. As a result of the analysis conducted, it is evident that the efficacy of the intermediary system is dependent on the presence of an enabling legislation, its clarity and ease of interpretation, the sensitisation of court role players on child vulnerabilities, the significance of intermediary assistance, and finally a government's commitment towards the implementation process.
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The legal position of unmarried fathers in the adoption process after Fraser v Children's Court, Pretoria North, and others 1997 (2) SA 261 (CC) : towards a constitutionally-sound adoption statute
- Authors: Schäfer, Lawrence Ivan, 1972-
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Unmarried fathers -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- South Africa , Unmarried fathers -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Case studies , Children's rights -- South Africa , Adoption -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:3694 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003209 , Unmarried fathers -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- South Africa , Unmarried fathers -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Case studies , Children's rights -- South Africa , Adoption -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Description: The subject-matter of this thesis is the rule, previously contained in section 18(4)(d) of the Child Care Act 74 of 1983, in terms of which a mother could surrender her child born out of wedlock for adoption without the consent of its father. This section was struck down as unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court in Fraser v Children's Court, Pretoria North and others 1997 (2) SA 261 (CC), on the grounds that it violated an unmarried father’s constitutional rights to equality and non-discrimination. In the light of this judgment, this thesis seeks to articulate the constitutional parameters within which section 18(4)(d) must be amended. The requirements of Fraser are identified and discussed. Regard is also had to other constitutional rights upon which Fraser might have been decided; in particular, an unmarried father’s right to procedural fairness, and his child’s right to family or parental care. Case law from the United States, Canada, Ireland and the European Court of Human Rights is also discussed. The end product of this examination is an exposition of the various constitutional rights which vest in the father of a child born out of wedlock. A separate exposition is given of the distinct rights which vest in all children in the adoption process. The latter set of rights is drawn both from the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 96 of 1996, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The thesis then proceeds to examine the Adoption Matters Amendment Act 56 of 1998, which was enacted in response to Fraser. The consent and notice provisions of adoption statutes in the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland and England are also examined, and compared to the provisions of the Adoption Matters Amendment Act. The object, here, is two-fold: first, to consider the practical value of this Act; and second, to consider whether it satisfies the constitutional requirements identified earlier in this thesis. The thesis concludes with suggestions for the improvement of this Act.
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Some comparative studies of the fauna in soils developed under natural forest, pine and bluegum
- Authors: Watts, John Christopher David
- Date: 1952
- Subjects: Soil science , Forest ecology , Soil animals
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5895 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013423
- Description: [From Introduction] It has been said that, "If a nation saves its trees, the trees will save the nation." The truth of this assertion is apparent in many parts of the world today. In South Africa, fires and demands in the past for timber have led to extensive depletion of the Natural Forests. In many cases, natural revegetation has been slow to develop and deterioration of the soil has resulted. The desire to replace the tree cover and at the same time to meet an increasing internal demand for timber, has led to widespread planting of Pine and Bluegum. It is probable that more trees have now been planted than were destroyed in the past. The silviculturist however, who develops a pure stand on land which previously supported the mixed stand, should anticipate a change in soil properties as a natural accompaniment of such an undertaking. The nature of this change is the primum mobile of the present comparative study. The forest soils studied were taken in the Cape Province in the following areas:- Grahamstown; Amatola Mountains, District Alice; Witte-els-Bosch, District Humansdorp, during the course of a year. The physical and chemical properties, and the faunal composition of the soil samples were examined in relation to the different tree covers. Because of the necessity of taking large numbers of samples and thorough examination of these to arrive at a definite conclusion, the work is necessarily incomplete. It is felt however that the results obtained justify a further study of this aspect of soil biology.
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