An analysis of the rationale behind the inclusion of the genetic link requirement in surrogate motherhood agreements in the Children's Act 17 of 2005
| dc.contributor.advisor | Horsten, Debbie | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Wallendorf, Bianke | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Law. Dept. of Private Law. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2018-03-02T14:33:14Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2018-04-09T11:48:44Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-03-31T03:00:08Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2018-03 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2018. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis seeks to analyse the rationale behind the inclusion of the genetic link requirement, contained in section 294 of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 (“Children’s Act”) in surrogate motherhood agreements. Infertility has become a global phenomenon, making assisted reproductive technology more relevant than ever. Surrogacy, as one form of assisted reproductive technology, enables people who aspire to become parents to have a child (or children), by making use of a surrogate mother to do so. This is done by way of a surrogate motherhood agreement, which is regulated extensively by the Children’s Act. The Children’s Act sets out many requirements for a valid surrogate motherhood agreement. This dissertation entails an analysis of the genetic link requirement, which requires a genetic link between the child born pursuant to the surrogate motherhood agreement and at least one commissioning parent. In essence, this thesis considers the reasoning behind the inclusion of the requirement, which was confirmed as being constitutional in AB (CC) 2016 ZACC 43, in the Children’s Act. It considers the process of regulating surrogacy in South Africa, focussing particularly on the origin of the genetic link requirement, and the decision of the legislature to include the requirement in the Children’s Act. In order to provide context, the legal position in South Africa regarding this requirement is briefly compared with that of India and Greece; the former also requiring a genetic link, the latter legal system not containing such requirement. Since the genetic link requirement is a contentious requirement in South Africa, the conflicting jurisprudence dealing with the requirement is considered in detail. By extracting the rationales for the genetic link requirement contained in the preparatory documents used by the legislature in the enactment of section 294 of the Children’s Act, as well as those contained in the jurisprudence, it is suggested that the two primary rationales for the inclusion of the genetic link requirement in the Children’s Act is the genetic origin rationale and the adoption rationale. This thesis examines both rationales extensively, taking into account that children’s best interests are of paramount importance, and that South Africa has a unique context of poverty and racial inequality following the apartheid regime – the predecessor of a democratic South Africa. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis poog om die beweegrede agter die insluiting van die genetiese skakel vereiste in surrogaatmoederskapsooreenkomste, vervat in artikel 294 van die Kinderwet 38 van 2005 ("Kinderwet"), te analiseer. Onvrugbaarheid het 'n wêreldwye verskynsel geword wat voortplantingstegnologie meer tersaaklik as ooit maak. Surrogaatskap, as een vorm van bygestaande voortplantingstegnologie, stel mense wie smag om ouers te word in staat om 'n kind (of kinders) te hê, deur van 'n surrogaatmoeder gebruik te maak. Dit word bewerkstellig deur middel van 'n surrogaatmoederskapsooreenkoms, wat breedvoerig deur die Kinderwet gereguleer word. Die Kinderwet stel verskeie vereistes vir 'n surrogaatmoederskapsooreenkoms om as geldig beskou te word. Hierdie tesis analiseer die genetiese skakel vereiste, welke vereiste 'n genetiese verband tussen die kind gebore in terme van die surrogaatmoederskapsooreenkoms en ten minste een lasgewende ouer vereis. In wese oorweeg hierdie proefskrif die redenasie agter die insluiting van hierdie vereiste, wat in AB (CC) 2016 ZACC 43 grondwetlik verklaar is, in die Kinderwet. Dit oorweeg verder die proses om surrogaatskap in Suid-Afrika te reguleer, spesifiek die oorsprong van die genetiese skakel vereiste en die besluit van die wetgewer om die vereiste in die Kinderwet in te sluit. Ten einde konteks te verskaf, word die regsposisie in Suid-Afrika rakende hierdie vereiste kortliks met dié van Indië en Griekeland vergelyk; die eersgenoemde vereis ook 'n genetiese skakel waar die laasgenoemde regstelsel nie sodanige vereiste bevat nie. Aangesien die genetiese skakel vereiste 'n omstrede onderwerp in Suid-Afrika is, word die teenstrydige regspraak wat handel oor die vereiste in detail oorweeg. Deur die beweegredes vir die genetiese skakel vereiste in die voorbereidende dokumentasie wat deur die wetgewer gebruik is in die uitvaardiging van artikel 294 van die Kinderwet sowel as dié in regspraak uit te lig, word dit voorgestel dat twee primêre beweegredes vir die insluiting van die genetiese skakel vereiste in die Kinderwet bestaan, naamlik die genetiese oorsprong rasionaal en die aannemingsrasionaal. Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek beide rasionale breedvoerig, met inagneming daarvan dat die beste belang van kinders van kardinale belang is, en dat Suid-Afrika 'n unieke agtergrond van armoede en rasse-ongelykheid as gevolg van die apartheidsregime – die voorganger van 'n demokratiese Suid-Afrika – het. | af_ZA |
| dc.description.version | Masters | en_ZA |
| dc.embargo.terms | 2021-03-31 | |
| dc.format.extent | 207 pages | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/103948 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Surrogacy | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Surrogate motherhood agreement | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Children's rights | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Children's Act 17 of 2005 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Genetic link requirement | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | UCTD | en_ZA |
| dc.title | An analysis of the rationale behind the inclusion of the genetic link requirement in surrogate motherhood agreements in the Children's Act 17 of 2005 | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |