Natural person insolvency in South Africa has primarily been governed by the Insolvency Act 24 of 1936, which is almost a century old. Despite a major jurisprudential shift that transpired in 1996, the Insolvency Act remains rigid to holistic transformation to align with the spirit of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 and international best practices regarding the treatment of the insolvency of natural persons. The South African insolvency system is still premised on the archaic policy of “advantage for creditors” as opposed to a fresh-start policy, the latter of which is widely commendable. International trends and guidelines promote the discharge of all pre-sequestration debts, with some exceptions. These exceptions, among others, include the exclusion of maintenance debt from the discharge to ensure that the human rights of maintenance creditors are maintained and sustained. International trends and guidelines advocate for a balanced approach, which seeks to balance the competing interest of both insolvent debtors and maintenance creditors. However, the South African approach, falls-short of the international best practices, because it does not exclude maintenance debt from the discharge. This approach is dangerous and problematic, because it potentially compromises certain human rights guaranteed in the Constitution. Furthermore, maintenance claims do not enjoy any preference when the insolvent debtor’s estate is being distributed. The maintenance creditors only have a concurrent claim against the insolvent estate. The implication of this, among others, is that maintenance creditors are burdened with liability for contribution, as envisaged in section 106(c) of the Insolvency Act, should there be insufficient funds in the free residue account to cover the costs of sequestration. International trends and guidelines are leaning towards affording maintenance creditors’ claims preference, with an aim to promote the public policy of family support and human rights. The study argues that the South African position on the ranking of maintenance creditors’ claims compromises the constitutional rights of maintenance creditors and this necessitate urgent legislative attention. The violation of constitutional rights of maintenance creditors through the legal position of the discharge of maintenance obligations, and the ranking of maintenance claims, does not comply with the proportionality test, that is applied when assessing whether a violation of a right guaranteed in the Bill of Rights is justifiable and reasonable in an open and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom, taking into account all relevant factors. / Mini Dissertation (LLM (Banking Law))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Mercantile Law / LLM (Banking Law) / Unrestricted

Text in Afrikaans, abstract in Afrikaans and English / Die nie-nakoming van onderhoudsbevele is 'n universele problem. Wereldwyd word daar gedurig pogings aangewend om by wyse van wetgewing effektiewer afdwinging van onderhoudsbevele te bewerkstellig. Op 1 Maart 1992 het die wetgewer hier te lande 'n aantal nuwe maatreels vir hierdie doel beliggaam in die Wysigingswet op Onderhoud, 2 van 1991, wat op genoemde datum in werking getree het. 'n Ondersoek is gedoen by die Johannesburgse Landdroshof waar 'n studie gemaak is van 2,248 afgehandelde sake en strek oor die periode 1Maart 1992 tot 31Augustus1995. Die ondersoek bring aan die lig dat die bepalings van genoemde Wysigingswet op Onderhoud, wat gerig is op effektiewer afdwinging van onderhoudsbevele, nie 'n noemenswaardige verbetering in effektiewer afdwinging van hierdie bevele in die praktyk tot gevolg gehad het nie. Dit blyk dat die meeste howe geneig is om belangrike afdwingingsmeganismes soos besoldigingsbeslag bevele en lasbriewe vir eksekusie oor die hoof sien. Kritiek word uitgespreek op sommige van hierdie bepalings en voorstelle word gemaak hoe relatiewe geringe wysigings daaraan effektiewer afdwinging van onderhoudsbevele kan bewerkstellig. Daar word kortliks verwys na die afdwinging van onderhoudsbevele in antler regstelsels en hoe hulle poog om effektiewer afdwinging van onderhoudsbevele te bewerkstellig. / The ineffective enforcement of maintenance orders appears to be a world wide phenomenon. Legislators here and aboard are always attempting to improve the effectiveness of maintenance collection and enforcement methods. Research done at the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court involving 2,248 cases covering the period 1 March 1992 to 31 August 1995 reveals that the Maintenance Amendment Act, 2 of 1991, which is aimed at improving the enforcement of maintenance orders had a negligible effect on enforcement mechanisms used by the courts. It appears that most courts are inclined to overlook important collection methods such as garnishee and attachment orders. Criticism is levelled at certain provisions contained in the Maintenance Act, 23 of 1963, as amended. Suggestions are made how relatively simple amendments would contribute to more effective enforcement of maintenance orders. A brief survey is made of attempts by some Western countries to improve the manner of maintenance collection. / Private Law / LL. M. (Law)

Text in Afrikaans, abstract in Afrikaans and English / Die nie-nakoming van onderhoudsbevele is 'n universele problem. Wereldwyd word daar gedurig pogings aangewend om by wyse van wetgewing effektiewer afdwinging van onderhoudsbevele te bewerkstellig. Op 1 Maart 1992 het die wetgewer hier te lande 'n aantal nuwe maatreels vir hierdie doel beliggaam in die Wysigingswet op Onderhoud, 2 van 1991, wat op genoemde datum in werking getree het. 'n Ondersoek is gedoen by die Johannesburgse Landdroshof waar 'n studie gemaak is van 2,248 afgehandelde sake en strek oor die periode 1Maart 1992 tot 31Augustus1995. Die ondersoek bring aan die lig dat die bepalings van genoemde Wysigingswet op Onderhoud, wat gerig is op effektiewer afdwinging van onderhoudsbevele, nie 'n noemenswaardige verbetering in effektiewer afdwinging van hierdie bevele in die praktyk tot gevolg gehad het nie. Dit blyk dat die meeste howe geneig is om belangrike afdwingingsmeganismes soos besoldigingsbeslag bevele en lasbriewe vir eksekusie oor die hoof sien. Kritiek word uitgespreek op sommige van hierdie bepalings en voorstelle word gemaak hoe relatiewe geringe wysigings daaraan effektiewer afdwinging van onderhoudsbevele kan bewerkstellig. Daar word kortliks verwys na die afdwinging van onderhoudsbevele in antler regstelsels en hoe hulle poog om effektiewer afdwinging van onderhoudsbevele te bewerkstellig. / The ineffective enforcement of maintenance orders appears to be a world wide phenomenon. Legislators here and aboard are always attempting to improve the effectiveness of maintenance collection and enforcement methods. Research done at the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court involving 2,248 cases covering the period 1 March 1992 to 31 August 1995 reveals that the Maintenance Amendment Act, 2 of 1991, which is aimed at improving the enforcement of maintenance orders had a negligible effect on enforcement mechanisms used by the courts. It appears that most courts are inclined to overlook important collection methods such as garnishee and attachment orders. Criticism is levelled at certain provisions contained in the Maintenance Act, 23 of 1963, as amended. Suggestions are made how relatively simple amendments would contribute to more effective enforcement of maintenance orders. A brief survey is made of attempts by some Western countries to improve the manner of maintenance collection. / Private Law / LL. M. (Law)

Magister Legum - LLM