Submissions to the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs and the Portfolio Committee on Social Development regarding various developments in the laws related to birth registration as a result of four recent judgments
Published: 14/Fév/2023
Source: Centre for Child Law (University of Pretoria)
Following the recent decisions in Centre for Child Law v The Director-General and Others in High Court a quo, on appeal before a Full Bench, and ultimately at the Constitutional Court, the Births and Deaths Registration Act (BDRA) has undergone significant changes that will need to be effectively implemented. J & Anoher v The Minister of Home Affairs (Case no. 1986/2021) also altered the BDRA. This submission was drafted by CCL to inform the Parliamentary Portfolio Committees on Home Affairs and Social Development of these changes and to provide recommendations on how to address persisting challenges to birth registration including expensive DNA requirements and alternatives for proving paternity.