Sabinet | Aantekeninge : die reg op kennis van die eie afstamming : regte
oa Litnet Akademies : &apos;n Joernaal vir die Geesteswetenskappe, Natuurwetenskappe, Regte en Godsdienswetenskappe - Aantekeninge : die reg op kennis van die eie afstamming : regte
Source : Litnet Akademies : &apos;n Joernaal vir die Geesteswetenskappe, Natuurwetenskappe, Regte en Godsdienswetenskappe, Volume 9, Issue 2, Aug 2012, p. 100 - 116
Daar word algemeen aanvaar dat dit vir kinders wat nie hulle biologiese ouers ken nie, van kardinale belang is om hulle te kan identifiseer. Die lewensbelangrike aard van hierdie belang het internasionaal en nasionaal onvermydelik gelei tot die erkenning van die reg op kennis van die eie afstamming. Die beskouing is mettertyd gevestig dat die reg om die eie afstamming te ken, &apos;n aspek is van die reg van kinders om hulle identiteit te bepaal en in stand te hou. Op nasionale vlak wissel die mate van erkenning van land tot land. Wat Suid-Afrika betref, is daar nog geen blyke van &apos;n uitdruklike erkenning nie, alhoewel die reg wel by implikasie by byvoorbeeld aanneming erken word.
Die belangrikheid van die reg op kennis van die eie afstamming beteken nie dat dié reg absoluut geld nie, aangesien dit in botsing kan kom met byvoorbeeld die reg op privaatheid van die biologiese ouers. In sodanige gevalle is &apos;n noukeurige afweging van die teenoorstaande belange in die lig van die betrokke omstandighede en met inagneming van alle relevante faktore nodig.
Daar is verskillende kontekste waarin die belangrikheid van die kennis van die eie afstamming op die voorgrond tree, te wete by kunsmatige inseminasie, die aanneming, abandonnering en vervreemding van kinders, en by betwiste vaderskap. Dogmaties kom die betrokke reg op die gebied van die persoonlikheidsreg te pas, en wel as &apos;n aspek van die regte op privaatheid en identiteit. Weens die kardinale belangrikheid van die reg op kennis van die eie afstamming, behoort dit as &apos;n mensereg onder menswaardigheid in die Handves van Regte erken te word.
The right to knowledge of a person&apos;s own origins
It is generally accepted that children who have no knowledge of their biological parents may have a vital interest in identifying them. The vital nature of this interest inevitably led to the international and national recognition of the right to knowledge of one&apos;s own origins. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child made an influential contribution in this regard and established the view that the right to know one&apos;s origins is an aspect of the right of children to ascertain and preserve their identity. However, on a national level the extent of recognition varies from country to country. As far as South Africa is concerned, there is as yet no sign of an express recognition, although the right has been recognised by implication with regard to, for instance, adoption.
The vital nature of the right to knowledge of one&apos;s own origins does not mean that this right applies absolutely and is therefore not subject to any restrictions. It may indeed be in conflict with, for example, the right to privacy of the biological parents. In such cases a careful weighing-up of the opposing interests is naturally required in the light of the circumstances involved and taking all relevant factors into account.
There are different contexts in which the importance of the right to knowledge of one&apos;s own origins comes to the fore, namely with regard to artificial insemination, the adoption, abandoning and alienation of children, and disputed paternity. Dogmatically the relevant right belongs to the field of the law of personality, and can be regarded as an aspect of the rights to privacy and identity. Because of the vital importance of the right to know one&apos;s own origins it should be recognised as a fundamental right under human dignity in the Bill of Rights.
Persistent Link : http://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC125904