Divorce Law Reform in Namibia divlawref PDF

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PROPOSALS FOR DIVORCE LAW REFORM IN NAMIBIA

Legal Assistance Centre 2000

SUMMARY TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................1 1. BACKGROUND................................................................................................................1 2. AN OVERVIEW OF THE REPORT ..................................................................................1 3. ACKNOWLEGEMENTS...................................................................................................2 CHAPTER 2: DIVORCE IN NAMIBIA .......................................................................3 1. INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................3 2. THE INCIDENCE OF DIVORCE IN NAMIBIA ...............................................................4 3. CUSTOMARY LAW ON DIVORCE.................................................................................9 4. CIVIL LAW ON DIVORCE.............................................................................................18 5. CIVIL DIVORCE CASES IN THE HIGH COURT ..........................................................39 6. HYBRID FORMS OF MARRIAGE .................................................................................69 7. PUBLIC ATTITUDES AND EXPERIENCES..................................................................74 8. CASE STUDIES ..............................................................................................................89 CHAPTER 3: COMPARATIVE DIVORCE LAW REFORM .............................. 95 1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................95 2. WESTERN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES .......................................................95 3. CANADA ......................................................................................................................105 4. SOUTH AFRICA ...........................................................................................................111 4. ZIMBABWE ..................................................................................................................129 5. OTHER COUNTRIES....................................................................................................137

CHAPTER 4: DIVORCE MEDIATION .................................................................. 141 1. THE THEORY OF DIVORCE MEDIATION.................................................................141 2. THE PROS AND CONS OF MEDIATION ....................................................................143 3. COMPARATIVE LAW ON DIVORCE MEDIATION...................................................147 4. MEDIATION AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ...............................................................152 5. ADDITIONAL ISSUES .................................................................................................154 6. ATTITUDES ABOUT MEDIATION IN NAMIBIA ......................................................157 7. MEDIATION AND DIVORCE LAW REFORM............................................................161

CHAPTER 5: RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................... 163 1. GENERAL.....................................................................................................................163 2. TERMINOLOGY...........................................................................................................163 3. JURISDICTION.............................................................................................................164 4. GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE ..........................................................................................167 5. CONSEQUENCES OF DIVORCE.................................................................................171 6. PROCEDURE ................................................................................................................183 7. DIVORCES IN CUSTOMARY MARRIAGE ................................................................187 8. PRIVACY ......................................................................................................................189 9. DIVORCE MEDIATION ...............................................................................................190 10. TECHNICAL ISSUES..................................................................................................191 DRAFT DIVORCE ACT ............................................................................................ 1-13 BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDICES England; Canada; South Africa; Zimbabwe; Sample Simplified Notice and Affidavit Forms

DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1

1. BACKGROUND ..............................................................................................1 2. AN OVERVIEW OF THE REPORT ........................................................1 3. ACKNOWLEGEMENTS .............................................................................2

CHAPTER 2: DIVORCE IN NAMIBIA

3

1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................3 2. THE INCIDENCE OF DIVORCE IN NAMIBIA .................................4 3. CUSTOMARY LAW ON DIVORCE........................................................9 GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE..................................................................9 CONSEQUENCES OF DIVORCE ......................................................10 Division of property ......................................................................10 Custody and access........................................................................11 Maintenance .................................................................................12 Return of lobolo ............................................................................13 PROCEDURE .......................................................................................14 Traditional approach ....................................................................14 Civil courts ....................................................................................15

4. CIVIL LAW ON DIVORCE ......................................................................18 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS...............................................................18 History of marriage and divorce legislation in Namibia ...............18 Historical jurisdiction over civil divorce cases ..............................19 THE CURRENT POSITION.........................................................................21 JURISDICTION ...................................................................................22 The current law.............................................................................22 The theory behind the law.............................................................22 CHOICE OF LAW ...............................................................................23 GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE................................................................24 The current law.............................................................................24 The theory behind the law.............................................................25 Divorce grounds in practice ..........................................................26 CONSEQUENCES OF DIVORCE ......................................................26 Division of property.......................................................................26 Guardianship, custody and access ................................................28 Child maintenance ........................................................................31 Spousal maintenance ....................................................................32 Other consequences of divorce......................................................32 Special rules for cases of incurable insanity .................................33

PROCEDURE .......................................................................................33 Judicial separation........................................................................33 Private separation .........................................................................33 Interim relief .................................................................................34 Divorce..........................................................................................34 Options for persons who cannot afford a lawyer...........................36 Legal aid...............................................................................36 In forma pauperis .................................................................38 Self-representation................................................................38 PRIVACY..............................................................................................39

5. CIVIL DIVORCE CASES IN THE HIGH COURT ...........................39 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .........................................................39 RESEARCH FINDINGS ......................................................................40 Sex and age of plaintiffs and defendants ......................................40 Length of marriage .......................................................................41 Place of marriage..........................................................................41 Apparent home language of plaintiffs and defendants .................42 Regional distribution of plaintiffs and defendants ........................43 Urban/rural distribution of divorce cases......................................45 Employment status of plaintiffs and defendants ...........................46 Marital property regimes...............................................................47 Grounds for divorce ......................................................................52 Division of property.......................................................................53 Children and divorce.....................................................................54 Custody.................................................................................55 Guardianship........................................................................58 Access...................................................................................58 Child maintenance ........................................................................59 Spousal maintenance ....................................................................61 Total maintenance for spouse and children ..................................63 Time frame....................................................................................64 SUMMARY OF STATISTICAL FINDINGS ......................................65

6. HYBRID FORMS OF MARRIAGE ........................................................69 7. PUBLIC ATTITUDES AND EXPERIENCES .....................................74 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .........................................................74 REASONS FOR DIVORCE .................................................................78 GENERAL PROCEDURE FOR DIVORCE.......................................80 Civil marriage ...............................................................................80 Jurisdiction over civil divorces......................................................82 Informal advice and assistance .....................................................83 Customary marriage......................................................................84 CONSEQUENCES OF DIVORCE ......................................................85 Division of property.......................................................................85 Custody, access and maintenance .................................................87 Custody.................................................................................87 Access...................................................................................88 Maintenance .........................................................................88

8. CASE STUDIES .............................................................................................89

CHAPTER 3: COMPARATIVE DIVORCE LAW REFORM

95

1. INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................95 2. WESTERN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES ........................95 GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE................................................................96 Mixed ground jurisdictions ...........................................................96 Divorce on demand .......................................................................99 CONSEQUENCES OF DIVORCE ....................................................100 Division of property, spousal support and child maintenance.....100 The Romano-Germanic model.............................................100 The Nordic model ...............................................................101 The Anglo-American model.................................................102 Custody and access......................................................................104

3. CANADA........................................................................................................105 GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE..............................................................106 CONSEQUENCES OF DIVORCE ....................................................107 Division of property.....................................................................107 Custody and access......................................................................107 Child maintenance ......................................................................109 Spousal maintenance ..................................................................110 PROCEDURE .....................................................................................110 Affidavit evidence in uncontested cases ......................................110

4. SOUTH AFRICA .........................................................................................111 GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE..............................................................112 Irretrievable breakdown..............................................................112 Mental illness or unconsciousness..............................................115 CONSEQUENCES OF DIVORCE ....................................................116 Division of property.....................................................................117 Marital property regimes in South Africa............................117 Forfeiture of benefits...........................................................118 Redistribution of property ...................................................119 Guardianship, custody and access ..............................................120 Family Advocates................................................................122 Child maintenance ......................................................................125 Spousal maintenance ..................................................................126 PROCEDURE .....................................................................................127 Jurisdiction .................................................................................127 Family Courts .............................................................................127 PRIVACY............................................................................................128

5. ZIMBABWE .................................................................................................129 GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE..............................................................129 CONSEQUENCES OF DIVORCE ....................................................131 Division of property.....................................................................131 Guardianship, custody and access ..............................................133 Guardianship......................................................................133 Custody...............................................................................134 Access.................................................................................135 Child maintenance ......................................................................135 Spousal maintenance ..................................................................136

6. OTHER COUNTRIES ...............................................................................137 CHILE .................................................................................................137 CHINA.................................................................................................137 IRELAND............................................................................................137 EGYPT ................................................................................................138 ETHIOPIA ..........................................................................................138 “Family arbitration” ...................................................................138 Grounds for divorce ....................................................................139 Division of property.....................................................................140 Spousal maintenance ..................................................................140 Custody and maintenance of children.........................................140

CHAPTER 4: DIVORCE MEDIATION

141

1. THE THEORY OF DIVORCE MEDIATION ...................................141 Definition of divorce mediation...................................................141 Description of divorce mediation.................................................142

2. THE PROS AND CONS OF MEDIATION .........................................143 General .......................................................................................143 Voluntary versus mandatory mediation ......................................146 Power imbalances .......................................................................147

3. COMPARATIVE LAW ON DIVORCE MEDIATION...................147 South Africa................................................................................147 United States ...............................................................................148 California....................................................................................150 New Zealand ...............................................................................151

4. MEDIATION AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ...................................152 5. ADDITIONAL ISSUES .............................................................................154 Confidentiality.............................................................................154 Standards of conduct...................................................................155 Qualifications and training.........................................................156

6. ATTITUDES ABOUT MEDIATION IN NAMIBIA ........................157 Interviews....................................................................................157 Consultative workshop ................................................................160

7. MEDIATION AND DIVORCE LAW REFORM ..............................161

CHAPTER 5: RECOMMENDATIONS

163

1. GENERAL .....................................................................................................163 2. TERMINOLOGY ........................................................................................163 3. JURISDICTION ..........................................................................................164 What court?.................................................................................164 Jurisdiction over parties and applicable law ...............................166

4. GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE ....................................................................