Popular use of the phrase best interests of the child has led many to believe that the meaning and definition of best interests has been thoroughly investigated in the respective sectors working with children. However, research in this area tends to be superficial and generalized and the concept remains inconsistently defined. Article 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states the best interests of the child is to be a primary consideration in all actions concerning children. There is no straightforward way for the best interests of the child to be systematically studied, understood, or applied if there is not a commonly held or accepted conception of what is in the child’s best interests or measurable standards for those human service executives working with children. The purpose of the study was to identify Saskatchewan human service executives’ insights with respect to the best interests of the child principle as these inform practice, policy, and research in human services and, secondly, to examine their perceptions of moral purpose, agency, and efficacy in the application of the BIC principle, as delineated by the UN Committee in the Concluding Observations on the Combined Third and Fourth Periodic Report of Canada, (United Nations, 2012). A qualitative approach, comprised of general interviews with 11 Saskatchewan human service executives, was used to collect data for this study. Using Hood (2007) and Thomas’ (2006) Generic Inductive Qualitative Method (GIQM) approach for coding, data were categorized from interviews using an inductive approach to developing categories and sub-categories to answer the research questions. Reduced data were interpreted and synthesized by the researcher using extant public documents and literature to triangulate results. Exploration of human service executives’ perceptions in this study revealed a number of insights. Human service executives’ conceptions of the best interests of the child were described in detail and a description of the contemporary Childscape of Saskatchewan emerged. The data revealed that many conceptions of the BIC principle existed and although similarities appeared within sectors, the similarities were mainly due to the sector-specific policies and legislation informing human service. Furthermore, human service executives provided descriptions that add to existing theory about decision making on behalf of the BIC and moral purpose, moral agency, and moral efficacy. Implications for future research entail the adoption of intentional planning, collaboration, and incorporating children’s voice into the processes surrounding the BIC in Saskatchewan in an effort to ensure the future Childscape of Saskatchewan is better than the realities described at the time of this study.

This research seeks to contribute to the debate on the state infringing upon the responsibilities and rights of parents with regards to the reproductive health of their children. The qualitative method of research is used. The researcher analysed the right of the child to participate in conjunction with best interests of the child, as well as the reproductive rights of children. Furthermore, the argument is based on the provisions of the South African legislation that deals with the reproductive rights of children. This legislation includes the Children's Act 38 of 2005 and the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act 92 of 1996. The crux of the discussion is on access to contraceptives provided to children without parental consent, as it is provided for in section 134 of the Children's Act 38 of 2005, as well as the lack of consent needed in the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act 92 of 1996 for a girl with no specification of age. The debate is on the fact that the responsibilities and rights that parents have towards their children are not considered. They are not involved in the major decisions that the children who are under their care and guidance have to make. Due to this finding, it has been recommended that it is very imperative to allow the parents to be involved in matters that pertain to their children's reproductive rights. This means that as children are informed about their reproductive rights, the parents must be involved as well, so as to make informed decisions relevant to the issues that their children encounter. / LLM (Comparative Child Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

This research seeks to contribute to the debate on the state infringing upon the responsibilities and rights of parents with regards to the reproductive health of their children. The qualitative method of research is used. The researcher analysed the right of the child to participate in conjunction with best interests of the child, as well as the reproductive rights of children. Furthermore, the argument is based on the provisions of the South African legislation that deals with the reproductive rights of children. This legislation includes the Children's Act 38 of 2005 and the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act 92 of 1996. The crux of the discussion is on access to contraceptives provided to children without parental consent, as it is provided for in section 134 of the Children's Act 38 of 2005, as well as the lack of consent needed in the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act 92 of 1996 for a girl with no specification of age. The debate is on the fact that the responsibilities and rights that parents have towards their children are not considered. They are not involved in the major decisions that the children who are under their care and guidance have to make. Due to this finding, it has been recommended that it is very imperative to allow the parents to be involved in matters that pertain to their children's reproductive rights. This means that as children are informed about their reproductive rights, the parents must be involved as well, so as to make informed decisions relevant to the issues that their children encounter. / LLM (Comparative Child Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Cochem model in the application practice of Czech courts Abstract The presented diploma thesis titled "The Cochemic Model in the Application Practice of the Czech Courts" deals with the main principles of the Cochem model, which is based on the cooperation of the professions involved in the divorce proceedings, and which is currently being gradually introduced by some of the Czech courts. The aim of the thesis is to find out the results of the first application approaches, on the basis of which it would be possible to determine the possibilities of further application of the presented model within the framework of Czech guardianship procedures. The second goal of the diploma thesis is the complex elaboration of the topic in terms of substantive and procedural law and further clarification of the current legislative situation, including the reflection over de lege ferenda. First of all, the diploma thesis introduces the origin of the Cochem model, moreover, it also presents its first application in Germany in the first chapter. The second chapter focuses on the importance of application of the presented model and its benefits for the participants in the proceedings. Within the chapter there are also presented the possibilities of applying a different substantive basis of parental responsibility within the...

The purpose of this study is to describe and understand how the principle of the child’s best interest in the asylum process for families with children is interpreted and implemented in practice by the asylum bureaucrats at the Swedish Migration Agency. Our questions are: “How is the best interest of the child in families with children interpreted by the asylum bureaucrats at the Swedish Migration Agency?” "How are asylum bureaucrats at the Swedish Migration Agency reasoning about the implementation in practice of the child's best interest in families with children? The essay rests upon semi-structured interviews with eight asylum bureaucrats at three different asylum units. The interviews are based on an interview guide together with a vignette, which purpose was to see how the interviewees are implementing the best interest of the child in a specific case of a potential application. We are analyzing our results by using Lipsky’s theory of street-level bureaucrats and their professional discretion. We are also using Roine Johansson’s (2007) interpretation of Lipsky and Svensson et al., (2008) and their perspectives about professional discretion. Our main findings and conclusions in the study are showing that the asylum bureaucrats interpretations of the best interest of the child are statutory. According to the asylum bureaucrats, the main definition of the principle is related to the importance of talking with the children. These statements in the interviews also reflects how they look upon the implementation in practice of the child's best interest. The asylum bureaucrats felt they have a wide discretion in their everyday work.

Šiandien vaikas turi visas universalių žmogaus teisių dokumentų nuostatose įtvirtintas teises kaip suaugęs asmuo, tačiau to nepakanka. Nors vaikas yra kiekvienos visuomenės pagrindas bei ateitis, tačiau kartu jis yra kiekvienos visuomenės silpnoji dalis, priklausoma nuo aplinkos, dažniausiai nesugebanti apginti savo interesų, jo teises galima įgyvendinti tik per kitų asmenų – visų pirma, tėvų, teises ir pareigas. Tačiau daugeliu atvejų vaikų teisių ir teisėtų interesų pažeidimams atsirasti sąlygas sudaro būtent suaugusiųjų asmenų, tarpusavyje nesutariančių tėvų konfliktai. Vaikų, atsidūrusių tėvų konfliktų centre, padėtis yra reikalinga apmąstymų. Oficiali civilinių bylų statistika patvirtina, jog šiandien ginčų dėl vaikų gyvenamosios vietos nustatymo sprendimas teismine tvarka itin aktualus. Šių ginčų gausa įpareigoja valstybę bei visuomenę nebūti abejingais, kadangi adekvatus šių ginčų teisinis reglamentavimas gali kokybiškai užtikrinti vaiko teisių apsaugą. Darbe siekiama įvertinti, kaip įgyvendinami geriausi vaiko interesai sprendžiant ginčus dėl vaikų gyvenamosios vietos nustatymo, siekiama atskleisti šių ginčų probleminius aspektus, pasiūlyti galimus jų sprendimo būdus. Aptariamas teismo vaidmuo šio pobūdžio ginčuose, valstybinės vaiko teisių apsaugos institucijos dalyvavimas, siekiama įvertinti šių institucijų dalyvavimą geriausių vaiko interesų požiūriu. Analizuojamas pagrindinių principų, kuriais vadovaujantis sprendžiami ginčai dėl vaiko gyvenamosios vietos... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Today a child is entitled with the same rights enshrined in the provisions of the universal human rights documents as an adult, but it is not enough. Though the child is the foundation and the future of each society, at the same time it is the weakest part of every society, dependent on the environment, often unable to defend its interests; its rights can only be realized through the other personsʼ, in particular, parental rights and responsibilities. However, in many cases, the conditions for infringement of the childrenʼs rights and legitimate interests occur due to the conflicts arising between the adults, arguing parents. The situation of children, who find themselves in the centre of conflict of their parents, is to be considered properly. The official statistics of the civil cases proves that today the question of judicial judgment of the disputes on establishment of the residence place of the child is of particular interest. Multiplicity of such disputes obligates the state and society not to be indifferent, because the adequate legal regulation of these disputes can ensure the quality of protection of the childrenʼs rights. Masterʼs thesis aims to access realization of the best interests of the child in resolution of disputes regarding establishment of the residence place of the child, to determine the problematic aspects of these disputes, to offer possible solutions. Masterʼs thesis discusses the role of the court in such disputes, participation of the state child... [to full text]

Legal rules regarding unaccompanied refugee children in the European Union (EU) are closely related to the refugee crisis and the community’s asylum policy. This study aims to investigate how the best interests of the unaccompanied refugee child is being ensured under EU law. Dworkin’s theory and various methods are used to answer the research question. Firstly, the focus is, with the use of the chosen theoretical framework and international legal method, on the interpretation of the principle of “the best interests of the child”. Secondly, the thesis studies how this principle is reflected in the EU law in relation to unaccompanied refugee children, by applying EU legal method. This study shows, on the one hand, that there are a few anomalies in the EU legislation in the area of asylum that arise with regard to the best interests of the unaccompanied refugee child. It is argued that the European Union’s restrictive asylum legislation leads to conflicts between the international law and the EU law. On the other hand, the thesis demonstrates that the EU law has continuously improved, and the international child rights principle was adopted in it. It will be shown in this study that despite the common asylum policy and the community acquis, the EU Member States’ domestic law enables different assessments of the best interests of the unaccompanied child. The solution of normative conflicts is also in the hands of the EU countries, since the status determination of refugees and the assessment of the child’s best interests are carried out by the EU Member States. This will be confirmed by analysing the most important applicable EU laws, particularly the Proposal for a Regulation establishing a Union Resettlement Framework. The Proposal is chosen for discussion, because this is an essential part of the Common European Asylum System and is consistent with two packages of legislative proposals to reform it. The conclusion of this thesis is that the best interests principle is guaranteed in the EU law, but it is not guaranteed in the spirit of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and further improvements are needed in the EU legal framework.

Syftet med denna kvalitativa dokumentstudie har varit att analysera rättsliga konstruktioner av barnrättsdiskursen i umgängesmål när föräldern utövat fysiskt eller sexuellt våld mot barnet eller den andre föräldern. Studiens frågeställningar bestod av att besvara hur diskursen kring barnets bästa samt föräldrarätten framställs och konstrueras i tingsrättens bedömningar. För att uppfylla studiens syfte har en tematisk analys av 14 domar om umgänge från en tingsrätt i Sverige 2022 genomförts. Studien har en socialkonstruktionistisk ansats och det teoretiska ramverket består av begreppet diskurs samt ett rättsligt perspektiv. Författarna har undersökt två huvudteman bestående av de två aktuella diskurserna samt flera underkategorier kopplat till tecken som lyfte fram olika aspekter av diskurserna. Under huvudtemat kring barnets bästa hittade författarna tre aspekter som tingsrättens använde för att konstruera begreppet i sina bedömningar. Dessa aspekter bildade underkategorierna; barnets åsikter - barnet som subjekt eller objekt, barnets behov av skydd och barnets behov av en god kontakt med båda föräldrarna. Under huvudtemat diskursen kring föräldrarätten fann författarna två underkategorier, den synliga föräldrarätten och det diskursiva förhållandet mellan barnet och föräldern. Studiens analys visade att de två huvudsakliga spåren tingsrätten gick på i skapandet av diskursen kring barnets bästa var behovet av god kontakt med föräldrar alternativt behovet av att skydda barnet. Vidare visade analysen på brister vad gäller att låta barnen komma till tals i tingsrättens bedömning då beskrivningar av barnets vilja helt saknades i 12 av 23 fall. I 10 av 23 fall beviljades umgänge trots att barnets inte fått komma till tals alternativt att tingsrätten inte tillmätt barnets åsikter betydelse. Vad gäller föräldrarätten hittade författarna tre fall där förälderns behov uttalat påverkade bedömningen. Angående det diskursiva förhållandet mellan barnet och föräldern fann författarna att barnets bästa premieras i 12 fall utifrån att barnets behov av skydd ledde till avslag alternativt att barnets vilja att träffa föräldern var grund för besluetet att asvlå eller bevilja umgänge. I 10 fall ansåg författarna att föräldrarättsdiskursen indirekt premierades framför barnets bästa då behovet av god kontakt med föräldern ledde till beviljat umgänge trots att barnets åsikter inte tillmätts betydelse. Med det sagt, kan det konstateras att tingsrätten i samtliga av sina bedömningar hänvisar till barnets bästa.

Abstract, key words Title of the thesis: Shared residence in Czech and German law The aim of this thesis is to compare the approach to shared residence in the legal order of the Czech Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany, i.e. to find out to what extent the approaches of these countries to shared residence differ. This is examined in relation to selected issues which courts had to deal with when deciding on the shared residence, i.e. the influence of the child's wishes, the parents' will, their ability to communicate and long distance between the parents' households on the suitability of shared residence. Special attention is paid to the presumption of shared residence, or shared residence as a rule. The thesis focuses on the effective regulations. The thesis is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the Czech regulation of the shared residence. The individual chapters explain basic terminology, sources of law, legal regulation of shared residence, case law on the selected issues, including the presumption of shared residence, and some of the specifics of maintenance obligation. The second part of the thesis follows the same structure as the first part. However, there is a special chapter regarding drafts on shared residence as a rule. The third part compares the findings made in the...

This diploma thesis deals with contemporary family, in particular by ensuring the best interests of the child during the parents' divorce and post-divorce in care. The theoretical part introduces the characteristics of the contemporary family, as a result of socio-cultural development of society, and then attempts to put forward the concept of the current healthy family, as the possibility of a positive direction. It deals with the causes and manifestations of families at risk to stability, the question of divorce of parents in relation to a child after divorce and child care. It introduces the possibility of using supportive and protective services social and legal protection of children under current legislation. The subject of the practical work is still continuing casuistry's growing conflict divorce of parents, which resulted in threatening condition child's healthy development. The research focuses primarily on the way to fulfilling the practice of social and legal protection. Analyzes processes work, looking for the main obstacles to ensure the best interests of the child and trying to find possible solutions support and child protection. KEY WORDS
 The best interests of the child, a healthy family, divorce, social and legal protection, system connection