<p>This thesis will examine the effects of divorce on the benefit payable to a member of a retirement fund, where divorce has occurred before the member has reached retirement age. In&nbsp / particular, parametric (that is, piecemeal) amendments to the relevant legislation will be analysed in order to outline the development of the legislation relating to divorce and the consequent distribution of&nbsp / assets (including retirement savings). The previous and current legal position in South Africa relating to divorce and retirement savings will be set out and critically analysed to determine whether the current position can be regarded as an improvement upon the previous legal position, or whether other and/or new problems in this area have been created. Parametric amendments to&nbsp / relevant legislation have thus far been the subject of many cases in our courts and adjudicative tribunals. A systemic overhaul of a particular area of law is a useful tool in providing legal certainty&nbsp / and clarifying the laws applicable to that area. This thesis will therefore argue in favour of a systemic overhaul of the legislation applicable to the allocation of retirement benefits at divorce, as opposed to the ineffectual parametric (i.e. piecemeal) amendments that have been implemented thus far. An essential aspect of this study is a comparative study of South African legal principles&nbsp / relating to retirement benefits and divorce with the legal principles of this subject in the United Kingdom (UK).</p>

La tesi doctoral "Ruptura del projecte parental i disposició dels preembrions" analitza els efectes del consentiment a les tècniques de reproducció assistida prestat en el marc d'un projecte parental. La tesi ofereix una resposta als conflictes que enfronten exesposos o exconvivents en relació al destí dels preembrions sobrants d'un cicle de fecundació "in vitro" iniciat durant la relació. Aquests conflictes constitueixen un grup de casos al voltant del qual no hi ha solucions legislatives que permetin als tribunals integrar el buit normatiu existent, o les que hi ha són incompletes, com posa de relleu a Espanya la Ley 14/2006, de 26 de mayo, sobre técnicas de reproducción humana asistida. En els països del nostre entorn, el manteniment de les taxes de divorci en nivells elevats, unit a l'augment que any rere any experimenta el nombre de preembrions crioconservats, fan necessària una resposta jurídica per a aquests conflictes. / The PhD thesis "Parental's project break-up and pre-embryo disposition" analyses the effects of consent to assisted reproductive technologies (ART) granted in the scope of a parental project. The thesis offers an answer to conflicts between exespouses or ex-partners regarding the destiny of spare preembryos resulting from an "in vitro" fecundation cycle commenced during the relationship. These conflicts conform a group of cases with no legal solutions that allow the courts to fill the existing legal gap, or existing solutions are incomplete, as in Spain proves the Act 14/2006, May 26th, on ART. Maintenance of divorce rates at high levels in our closer countries, as well as the increase of spare frozen pre-embryos per year, calls for a legal answer to these conflicts.

Dans une actualité où l’institution matrimoniale est devenue l’expression d’une liberté individuelle, s’élevant au niveau du droit constitutionnel et du droit international, on se demande d’abord si un nouveau droit commun à cet égard est né à la base des traditions européenne et chinoise, et puis dans quelle mesure. Ces réponses dépendent étroitement d’un regard sur le passé de cette institution à la lumière du droit comparé. Fondé sur le droit romano-canonique, le ius commune europaeum avait laissé une grande liberté comme le consensualisme romain à la conclusion du mariage mais exclu le divorce, ce qui avait été suivi par les droits français, allemand et anglais jusqu’au XVIème siècle. C’est la Réforme protestante au XVIème siècle et les codifications nationales au XVIIIème et XIXème siècle qui ont fait l’éclatement de ce vieux droit commun. Toutefois, la notion de liberté individuelle et la réclamation d’égalité juridique ont jeté des bases d’un nouveau droit commun de la liberté matrimoniale qui évoque non seulement la liberté de se marier mais celle de divorcer. C’est depuis le XXème siècle que la notion européenne de liberté matrimoniale, du moins en tant qu’« état d’esprit », a pénétré dans l’ordre juridique chinois, aboutissant à la rupture chinoise avec son héritage traditionnel qui avait rendu défavorisée et inégalitaire la liberté individuelle des époux, et à la naissance d’un nouveau droit commun qui traverse les deux traditions. Néanmoins, une telle convergence, en raison de la contrainte culturelle étant le fruit d’évolutions historiques distinctes, n’est encore qu’un rapprochement conceptuel et idéologique. / In the current situation where the matrimonial institution has become the expression of an individual freedom, rising to the level of constitutional law and international law, questions may arise as to, first, whether a new ius commune in this respect has been born on the basis of Chinese and European legal traditions, and then, to what extent. The answers closely depend on a glance at the past of this institution in the light of comparative law. Based on Romano-Canon law, the ius commune europaeum had left a considerable freedom as Roman consensus to the conclusion of marriage, but excluded the divorce, which had been followed by French, German and English laws until the 16th century. It is the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century and national codifications of the 18th and 19th century that maked this old ius commune burst. Nevertheless, the notion of individual freedom and the claim of legal equality provided the basis for a new ius commune of matrimonial freedom that evokes not only the freedom to marry but also the freedom to divorce. It is since the 20th century that the European notion of matrimonial freedom, at least as a “state of spirit”, penetrated into the Chinese legal order, leading to China’s break with its traditional heritage that had made the individual freedom of the spouses disadvantaged and unequal, and to the birth of a new ius commune crossing the two traditions. However, such a convergence, due to the cultural constraint being the fruit of distinct historical evolutions, is still only a conceptual and ideological rapprochement. / In der gegenwärtigen Situation, wo die Institution der Ehe zum Ausdruck der individuellen Freiheit geworden ist, die sich auf dem Niveau des Verfassungs- und Völkerrechts erhoben hat, ist zunächst zu hinterfragen, ob ein neues gemeines Recht in dieser Hinsicht entstanden ist, das sich aus der europäischen und chinesischen Rechtstraditionen ergibt, und dann inwieweit. Die Antworten auf diese Fragen hängen in hohem Maße von einem Blick zurück in die Vergangenheit dieser Institution im Lichte der Rechtsvergleichung. Das römisch-kanonische Ius commune, das bis zum 16. Jahrhundert von der französischen, deutschen, englischen Rechte gefolgt worden war, hatte der Eheschließung eine grosse Freiheit wie römische Konsensvereinbarung gelassen, aber die Ehescheidung ausgeschlossen. Die protestantische Reformation im 16. Jahrhundert und die Nationalkodifikationen im 18. und 19. Jahrhundert zersplitterten dieses alte gemeine Recht. Allerdings schufen der Gedanke der individuellen Freiheit und die Einforderung der Rechtsgleichheit wichtige Grundlagen für einen neuen gemeinen Recht von Ehefreiheit, das sich nicht nur auf die Eheschließungsfreiheit sondern auch auf die Ehescheidungsfreiheit beruft. Seit 20. Jahrhundert ist der europäische Begriff von Ehefreiheit zumindest als eine „Geisteshaltung“ in die chinesische Rechtsordnung eingeführt worden. Dies hat dazu geführt, dass China mit dem traditionellen Erbe gebrochen hat, das die individuelle Freiheit der Ehegatten benachteiligt hatte, und dass ein neues gemeines Recht quer durch diese zwei Rechtstraditionen entstanden ist. Aufgrund der kulturellen Einschränkung, die auf unterschiedliche historische Entwicklungen zurückzuführen sind, ist dennoch eine solche Angleichung noch immer eine konzeptionelle und ideologische Annäherung. / 当前，婚姻制度已经演进成为个人自由的表达，并且上升到了宪法与国际法的层面，于是人们不禁要问，在这一方面基于中欧两大法律传统的新的“共同法”是否已经形成？如果有，在多大的范围内呢？这些答案紧紧地取决于从比较法的角度对这个制度既往史的考察。根植于中世纪罗马教会法的“欧洲共同法”对婚姻的缔结赋予了极大的自由，如罗马式意思一致，但却排除了离婚自由，并在十六世纪以前被法国法、德国法以及英格兰法所共同遵循。正是欧洲十六世纪的宗教改革以及十八和十九世纪的民族国家法典化运动打碎了旧的“共同法”秩序。尽管如此，个人自由的观念和法律平等的诉求为婚姻自由新一轮的“共同法”奠定了基础，不仅涉及结婚自由，还扩大到离婚自由。正是二十世纪以来，婚姻自由的欧洲观念，起码作为一种“精神状态”，被引入中国法律秩序，使中国与其传统遗产（夫妻个人自由的不尊重和不平等）相决裂，横跨两大法律传统的新一轮“共同法” 也相应诞生。然而，由于不同历史演进所带来的文化束缚，这样的一种趋同，目前还只是处于一种概念上和观念形态上的接近。

Magister Legum - LLM / This thesis will examine the effects of divorce on the benefit payable to a member of a retirement fund, where divorce has occurred before the member has reached retirement age. In particular, parametric (that is, piecemeal) amendments to the relevant legislation will be analysed in order to outline the development of the legislation relating to divorce and the consequent distribution of assets (including retirement savings). The previous and current legal position in South Africa relating to divorce and retirement savings will be set out and critically analysed to determine whether the current position can be regarded as an improvement upon the previous legal position, or whether other and/or new problems in this area have been created. Parametric amendments to relevant legislation have thus far been the subject of many cases in our courts and adjudicative tribunals. A systemic overhaul of a particular area of law is a useful tool in providing legal certainty and clarifying the laws applicable to that area. This thesis will therefore argue in favour of a systemic overhaul of the legislation applicable to the allocation of retirement benefits at divorce, as opposed to the ineffectual parametric (i.e. piecemeal) amendments that have been implemented thus far. An essential aspect of this study is a comparative study of South African legal principles relating to retirement benefits and divorce with the legal principles of this subject in the United Kingdom (UK). / South Africa

Addictological causes of declaration of nullity of marriage in contemporary canon law of the Roman Catholic Church Abstract This thesis presents in detail the addictological causes of marriage nullity in canon law of the Roman Catholic Church. According to the Canon Law (Codex iuris canonici, 1983) a marriage may be declared null because of psychological inability under certain conditions. The addiction (and addictive behavior) is one of the most serious mental illnesses. Pope Francis pointed out the addiction as a "new form of slavery" and a "wound in our society" which should be combated with education and rehabilitation. In many cases the legal proceedings are very difficult and the canonical lawyers need the expert report from the field of addictology, psychology and psychiatry. The aim of this thesis is to give the essential addictological and psychological knowledge connected with the regulations listed in canon 1095 of the actual canonlaw code.

This thesis aims to explore a historical development of legal rules (according to CIC 1983, as well as non-codex cannons ) with respect to the Privileges of the Faith, i.e. the ancient Privilegium Paulinum and the more recent Privilegium Petrinum. The thesis provides a comparison of the common elements and differences between both legal institutes, and furthermore an identification of the major causes leading to changes in the canonical regulations. Based on practical examples of the application of these legal institutes, it concludes by discussing a potential future development of their application (de lege ferenda).

No description available.

Family is the basic unit of society, and is grounded upon social, legal, religious and economic constructs. Depending on cultures and societies, and the often differential treatment they apply to men and women, entering into marriage may deteriorate women’s economic situation. The gender-based division of labor within family, which disproportionally burden women, notably through childcare responsibilities, causes a substantial decline in women’s income and interrupts their education and employment. This makes it difficult for women to have a career for themselves after a separation or divorce. Therefore, there is a general belief that legal principles and laws governing the marital relationship and property rights should be structured to protect women’s economic interests. To establish an equitable economic framework between spouses, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) opts for an egalitarian regime which asks for equal rights and responsibilities for both men and women, during and after the marriage. It rules in favor of a partial community of property between spouses according to which all economic advantages and disadvantages arising from a marriage and its dissolution should be borne equally by both parties. However, legal regimes differ in outlining the method of contribution each spouse must commit to the household, financial maintenance, and the division of property after a separation or divorce. Some legal regimes, following the CEDAW, emphasize formal equality and grant similar rights and responsibilities to both parties, while establishing a partial community of property. Another group of legal regimes establish the separation of property as the guiding principle for marital economic relationships, wherein the expenses should be borne by men as the heads of the household, whereas women should be compensated for their unpaid contributions to the household. As a country with a Sharia-based Civil law system and a specific cultural background, Iran has its own special matrimonial regime and does not follow the CEDAW’s approach to women and men’s rights and responsibilities. Iran’s matrimonial regime bases itself on Sharia’s approach to men and women, and is anchored in Iranian culture. This accounts for a legal matrimonial system that is different from laws existing in Western countries. Under this system, the husband and wife have different economic responsibilities. This thesis examines Iran’s matrimonial regime and compares it to the Quebec matrimonial regime. While Quebec family law espouses a contributory approach for both spouses in marital life, all economic institutions under Iranian family law are designed to enforce a compensatory approach toward the spouses’ economic relation. The compensatory approach of Iranian law to the financial aspects of marital life causes some difficulty for the wife, which is exacerbated at the time of the termination of the marriage. Such a comparative study hopes to bring some novel suggestions aiming at correcting certain deficiencies in the current Iranian matrimonial regime. Besides assessing the issues with Iran’s marital regime, this research seeks to propose legal solutions for enhancing the economic rights of women. A holistic approach will therefore be adopted, which will lead us to take into consideration certain cultural and religious specificities which have become mandatory rights in Iran. The reform proposals put forward in this thesis will thus seek to respond to Iran’s current social context. This study will examine women’s economic situations in marriage, separation, divorce and upon the death of their spouse. It will argue that the cultural specificities of Iranian society and Islamic law must be examined and assessed. It will also analyze women’s economic situation in marital relationships in Iran and Quebec. The study of these two different civil law jurisdictions will focus on the principle of equality and examine related arguments and ideologies regarding women’s rights and responsibilities. / La famille est l'unité de base de la société et est fondée sur des constructions sociales, juridiques, religieuses et économiques. En fonction des cultures et des sociétés et du traitement souvent différencié qu’ils appliquent aux hommes et aux femmes, le mariage peut détériorer la situation économique des femmes. La division du travail fondée sur le sexe au sein de la famille, qui pèse de manière disproportionnée sur les femmes, notamment en raison de leurs responsabilités en matière de garde d'enfants, entraîne une baisse substantielle du revenu des femmes et interrompt leur éducation et leur emploi. Cela rend difficile pour les femmes d'avoir une carrière pour elles-mêmes après une séparation ou un divorce. Par conséquent, il est généralement admis que les principes juridiques et les lois régissant la relation conjugale et les droits de propriété devraient être structurés de manière à protéger les intérêts économiques des femmes. Pour établir un cadre économique équitable entre les époux, la Convention sur l'élimination de toutes les formes de discrimination à l'égard des femmes (CEDAW) opte pour un régime égalitaire qui exige l'égalité des droits et des responsabilités pour les hommes et les femmes, pendant et après le mariage. Elle se prononce en faveur d'une communauté partielle de biens entre époux selon laquelle tous les avantages et inconvénients économiques résultant d'un mariage et de sa dissolution devraient être assumés également par les deux parties. Cependant, les régimes juridiques diffèrent en définissant le mode de contribution que chaque conjoint doit engager pour le ménage, l'entretien financier et le partage des biens après une séparation ou un divorce. Certains régimes juridiques, à la suite de la CEDAW, mettent l'accent sur l'égalité formelle et accordent des droits et des responsabilités similaires aux deux parties, tout en établissant une communauté partielle de biens. Un autre groupe de régimes juridiques établit la séparation des biens comme principe directeur des relations économiques conjugales, où les dépenses devraient être supportées par les hommes en tant que chefs de famille, tandis que les femmes devraient être indemnisées pour leurs contributions impayées au ménage. En tant que pays doté d'un système de droit civil fondé sur la charia et ayant une culture particulière, l'Iran a son propre régime matrimonial spécial et ne suit pas l'approche de la CEDAW concernant les droits et les responsabilités des femmes et des hommes. Le régime matrimonial Iranien se fonde sur l'approche de la charia à l'égard des hommes et des femmes et est ancré dans la culture Iranienne. Cela explique un système matrimonial légal différent des lois existant dans les pays occidentaux. Dans ce système, le mari et la femme ont des responsabilités économiques différentes. Cette thèse examine le régime matrimonial de l’Iran et le compare au régime matrimonial du Québec. Alors que le droit de la famille du Québec adopte une approche contributive pour les deux conjoints dans la vie conjugale, toutes les institutions économiques en vertu du droit de la famille Iranien sont conçues pour appliquer une approche compensatoire à l'égard de la relation économique des conjoints. L'approche compensatoire de la loi Iranienne concernant les aspects financiers de la vie conjugale cause certaines difficultés à l'épouse, qui sont exacerbées au moment de la fin du mariage. Une telle étude comparative espère apporter de nouvelles suggestions visant à corriger certaines lacunes du régime matrimonial Iranien actuel. Outre l’évaluation des problèmes liés au régime matrimonial de l’Iran, cette recherche cherche à proposer des solutions juridiques pour améliorer les droits économiques des femmes. Une approche holistique sera donc adoptée, ce qui nous amènera à prendre en considération certaines spécificités culturelles et religieuses devenues des droits obligatoires en Iran. Les propositions de réforme présentées dans cette thèse chercheront donc à répondre au contexte social actuel de l’Iran. Cette étude examinera la situation économique des femmes dans le mariage, la séparation, le divorce et le décès de leur conjoint. Il soutiendra que les spécificités culturelles de la société Iranienne et du droit Islamique doivent être examinées et évaluées. Il analysera également la situation économique des femmes dans les relations conjugales en Iran et au Québec. L’étude de ces deux juridictions de droit civil se concentrera sur le principe de l’égalité et examinera les arguments et les idéologies connexes concernant les droits et les responsabilités des femmes.

The study commences with a brief overview of the history of marriage and specifically of marriage in community of property with reference to marital power. The unique ex lege consequences of marriage in community of property is comprehensively discussed. The Constitutional Court decision in Harksen v Lane determined the test for unconstitutionality. The test for unconstitutionality is discussed with specific reference to the Bill of Rights. The Constitutional Court's decision in Volks v Robinson is critically evaluated as the Court propounded the so-called "choice argument" in terms of which people purposefully decide to marry instead of cohabiting and therefore the law may accord certain benefits to married people which are not available to unmarried life partners. The Constitutional Court decisions in Van der Merwe v RAF as well as its consequences are discussed. It concluded that section 18(b) of the Matrimonial Property Act constituted unjustifiable discrimination between spouses married in community of property and those married out of community of property and the said section was therefore declared unconstitutional. The law of insolvency in respect of the joint estate of spouses married in community of property is investigated. Freedom of testation and case law relating thereto is considered briefly. The study concludes with the submission that the common law provision that separate assets of a spouse in a marriage in community of property form part of the joint insolvent estate even if a testator expressly determined in his will that a bequest will not form part of the joint estate of a beneficiary, amounts to unfair discrimination and is unconstitutional. t is submitted that the principle unfairly discriminates between spouses married in community of property and those married out of community of property on the ground of marital status. / LLM (Estate Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The study commences with a brief overview of the history of marriage and specifically of marriage in community of property with reference to marital power. The unique ex lege consequences of marriage in community of property is comprehensively discussed. The Constitutional Court decision in Harksen v Lane determined the test for unconstitutionality. The test for unconstitutionality is discussed with specific reference to the Bill of Rights. The Constitutional Court's decision in Volks v Robinson is critically evaluated as the Court propounded the so-called "choice argument" in terms of which people purposefully decide to marry instead of cohabiting and therefore the law may accord certain benefits to married people which are not available to unmarried life partners. The Constitutional Court decisions in Van der Merwe v RAF as well as its consequences are discussed. It concluded that section 18(b) of the Matrimonial Property Act constituted unjustifiable discrimination between spouses married in community of property and those married out of community of property and the said section was therefore declared unconstitutional. The law of insolvency in respect of the joint estate of spouses married in community of property is investigated. Freedom of testation and case law relating thereto is considered briefly. The study concludes with the submission that the common law provision that separate assets of a spouse in a marriage in community of property form part of the joint insolvent estate even if a testator expressly determined in his will that a bequest will not form part of the joint estate of a beneficiary, amounts to unfair discrimination and is unconstitutional. t is submitted that the principle unfairly discriminates between spouses married in community of property and those married out of community of property on the ground of marital status. / LLM (Estate Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015