Issued by: Department of Justice
MEDIA RELEASE BY DR M E TSHABALALA-MSIMANG, DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE, REGARDING THE HAGUE CHILD ABDUCTION CONFERENCE
The Republic of South Africa has acceded to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and it came into effect on 1 October 1997. It is of utmost importance for South African practitioners in family and child law, court officials, social workers, psychologists, judges, law enforcement officials and other role players to avail themselves of the international experience as we are entering a very new area of international private law. Therefore, the Hague Child Abduction Conference, sponsored by the International Bar Association's Education Trust and Foundation and others, will take place on Thursday, 29th and Friday, 30th January 1998 at the Business School University of Cape Town, Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa.
The keynote address at the Conference will be delivered by the Honourable Justice Ms Kate O'Regan, of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. The list os speakers includes various International as well as local experts in this field, including the Honourable Mr Justice Peter Singer of the High Court of Justice, London, Anne-Marie Hutchinson, Chair of REUNITE and Member of Lord Chancellor's Panel of Child Abduction Solicitors and the Honourable Mr Justice Hlope, Judge of the High Court, Cape Provincial Division.
The Hague Child Abduction Convention has now been signed, acceded to or ratified in more than 45 countries. It is working effectively to return children to the country of their habitual residence from which they were abducted.
This important conference is also essential to role players in other African countries. The incidence of children being taken across international frontiers within Africa as well as between Africa and other continents is increasing at an alarming rate. The Hague Child Abduction Convention has proved to be an effective weapon against wrongful and illegal abductions.
The speakers who are specialists and authorities on the subject of child abduction will consider the law and procedure in Hague Convention countries and will comment on how to deal with non-convention cases. The speakers will deal with the setting up of a Central Authority under the Convention and of a panel of specialist practising lawyers on child abduction cases, as well as the administration system, handling files on Hague cases and instructing lawyers. Also to be covered will be the basic concepts of The Hague Convention including habitual residence, rights of custody, consent, acquiescence, grave risk and a child's objections.
This conference id a unique opportunity for participants to have first hand accounts of the workings of the Hague Convention and to network with the experts in this growing area of the law.
ISSUED BY THE CHIEF DIRECTORATE: COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PRETORIA 28 JANUARY 1998
ENQUIRIES: Amanda Haasbroek Tel: (012) 323 9302 x2184 Fax: (012) 321 8291