Full Text Available

Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.

Defining “sufficient maturity”: providing clarity on Section 129 of the Children’s Act

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2017.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Pieters, Christian Rudolph Dewet
Other Authors: Moodley, Keymanthri
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2018
Subjects:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1867614064614572032
access_status_str Open Access
author Pieters, Christian Rudolph Dewet
author2 Moodley, Keymanthri
author_browse Moodley, Keymanthri
Pieters, Christian Rudolph Dewet
author_facet Moodley, Keymanthri
Pieters, Christian Rudolph Dewet
author_sort Pieters, Christian Rudolph Dewet
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2017.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/103752
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:46:06.004Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2018
publishDateRange 2018
publishDateSort 2018
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
record_format dspace
source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/103752 Defining “sufficient maturity”: providing clarity on Section 129 of the Children’s Act Pieters, Christian Rudolph Dewet Moodley, Keymanthri Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Centre for Medical Ethics and Law. Bioethics Children's Act -- South Africa Child health services -- Ethical aspects Children -- Legal status, laws, etc. Maturation (Psychology) Sufficient maturity in children UCTD Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2017. ENGLISH SUMMARY: It becomes increasingly clear that when one deals with a child that one is not only dealing with the child but the entities that are responsible for the child as well. One, however, becomes aware that the intention of these entities, be they bona or mala fide, may not always translate into an outcome that is inherently beneficial to the child who is the subject of medical intervention. This concern was noted by the Legislature and was addressed as best they deemed fit with the inclusion of additional rights for children in section 129 of the Children’s Act. These rights allowed the child a certain level of participation in their health care needs. However, these rights were attached to “sufficient maturity“, a phrase that finds no clarity in the Children’s Act and has been seemingly left to the discretion of the Health Care Provider that finds him/herself in the position of treating a minor. This thesis aims to provide some certainty as what the content of sufficient maturity is and perhaps more importantly how Health Care Providers can give effect to the rights of children. Furthermore, the thesis provides the psychological backdrop for evaluating children and for making certain positive assumptions as to the agency of the child in need of health care. These assumptions are developed and used in tempering the ethical, be they western or ubuntu in nature, and legal landscapes in which Health Care Providers and children find themselves. The product of this thesis is a framework that aims to assist Health Care Providers in their interactions with the child, their parents, caregivers, guardians, or community in circumstances where the nature of the interactions is almost as crucial as the help sought by the child. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit word toenemend duidelik dat wanneer 'n mens te doen het met 'n kind, 'n mens nie net die hantering van die kind, maar ook die entiteite wat verantwoordelik is vir die kind in ag moet neem. Hierdie entiteite is onder andere die kind se ouers, voogde en of gemeenskap. Verder is dit soms duidelik dat die bedoelings van hierdie entiteite, of dit nou bona of mala fide is, nie altyd die inherent voordeligste uitkoms vir die kind onderworpe aan mediese ingryping weergee nie. Hierdie kommer is deur die Wetgewer opgemerk en so bes moontlik aangespreek met die insluiting van addisionele regte vir kinders soos vervat in artikel 129 van die Kinderwet. Hierdie regte besorg aan die kind 'n sekere vlak van deelname in hul gesondheidsorg behoeftes. Hierdie regte is egter gekoppel aan die begrip voldoende volwassenheid (“sufficient maturity”), 'n begrip wat geen duidelikheid in die Kinderwet vind nie. Die interpertasie van die begrip word skynbaar aan die diskresie van die gesondheidsorgverskaffer oorgelaat, wat hom of haarself in die posisie van die behandeling van ‘n minderjarige bevind. Hierdie tesis het ten doel om meer duidelikheid aan die inhoud van die begrip voldoende volwassenheid te verleen en dalk nog belangriker hoe gesondheidsorgverskaffers hierdie regte van kinders kan toepas. Verder bied die tesis ‘n sielkundige benadering tot die evaluering van kinders met die behoefte aan gesondheidsorg in die bepaling van voldoende volwassenheid. Hierdie benadering is tesame met die etiese ontwikkel, hetsy westers of ubuntu in benadering as ook die wetlike landskappe waarin gesondheidsorgverskaffers en kinders hulself bevind Die uitset van hierdie tesis is 'n raamwerk wat daarop gemik is om gesondheidsorgverskaffers in hul interaksie met die kind, hul ouers, hul voogde en of gemeenskap te help in hul interpretasie met begrip rakende die belangrikheid tussen die hulp soos deur die kind vereis asook die omstandighede en aard van die behandeling soos benodig deur die kind. 2018-03-06T08:14:55Z 2018-04-09T07:08:27Z 2018-03-06T08:14:55Z 2018-04-09T07:08:27Z 2018-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/103752 en_ZA Stellenbosch University vii, 138 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Bioethics
Children's Act -- South Africa
Child health services -- Ethical aspects
Children -- Legal status, laws, etc.
Maturation (Psychology)
Sufficient maturity in children
UCTD
Pieters, Christian Rudolph Dewet
Defining “sufficient maturity”: providing clarity on Section 129 of the Children’s Act
title Defining “sufficient maturity”: providing clarity on Section 129 of the Children’s Act
title_full Defining “sufficient maturity”: providing clarity on Section 129 of the Children’s Act
title_fullStr Defining “sufficient maturity”: providing clarity on Section 129 of the Children’s Act
title_full_unstemmed Defining “sufficient maturity”: providing clarity on Section 129 of the Children’s Act
title_short Defining “sufficient maturity”: providing clarity on Section 129 of the Children’s Act
title_sort defining sufficient maturity providing clarity on section 129 of the children s act
topic Bioethics
Children's Act -- South Africa
Child health services -- Ethical aspects
Children -- Legal status, laws, etc.
Maturation (Psychology)
Sufficient maturity in children
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/103752
work_keys_str_mv AT pieterschristianrudolphdewet definingsufficientmaturityprovidingclarityonsection129ofthechildrensact