Academic Programmes: LLB Elective

(KID 410) CHILD LAW 410

KID 410 is presented by the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria

In 2009 a final year elective in Child Law was introduced. The Centre co-ordinates this course which falls under Private Law, although it includes lectures on a wide range of topics and – as is always the case with child law – it does not fit neatly into any of the divisions of law. The course attracted about 40 students in its first year. In 2009 the Centre, partnered by CE@UP, offered several certificate courses in Child Law.

Amount of lectures per week: 2 (10 credits)
Course: LLB

Topics covered:

The status of children in South African law
The constitutional protection of children
General principles of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005
Parental responsibilities and rights
Children courts
Adoption and alternative care
International instruments pertaining to children’s rights
Inter-country adoption and international abduction
Children and the criminal justice system

View all the undergraduate modules at the Deaprtment of Private Law, University of Pretoria

Search the Centre for Child Law

Latest News

Mud schools to get millions rand revamp
6 February 2011

It has taken all of 17 years, but the pupils and staff at Tembeni Senior Primary School have finally been guaranteed a proper school. On Friday afternoon the Eastern Cape department of education reached an R8-billion out-of-court settlement with seven schools, of which Tembeni is one. The schools had taken the department to court to force it to provide adequate resources. Most of the schools were built from mud and lacked the most basic resources.

Ann Skelton, director of the Centre for Child Law who took up the schools case, said yesterday although only seven schools had brought a case against the department, they were fighting on behalf of all inadequate schools. “It means that finally when the process is completed the children will be taught in decent schools. It is what they should have had all along. We were simply getting their basic rights for them. “There have been promises before, but now I have more faith that it will happen,” Skelton said.

Sarah Shepton from the Legal Resources Centre in Grahamstown, acting on behalf of the Centre for Child Law, said: “Our clients are relieved and delighted with the outcome of the litigation and intend to keep a close eye on the developments, so that promises are not broken.”
Granville Whittle, director of communications in the department of basic education, said the national department would take over the responsibility of providing infrastructure to schools in dire need, as part of its accelerated school infrastructural development initiative.