The Rights of the Child at Risk
Abstract
Mainly thanks to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, its philosophy, ideas and principles, the Czech legal order was changed in early ´90 and later on, in connection with the Civil Code in 2012. The child is no longer conceived as a passive object of his or her parents´ activities, their parental responsibility, but as an active subject with legally guaranteed rights. However, not only ‘law in books’ is relevant. There is still ‘bad practice’ connected with anonymous or hidden child delivery, abandoning new born children in ‘baby-boxes’ and older children in institutional care, although the state has attempted remedies. Besides, the number of divorces has increased in the Czech Republic over the last couple of decades, while in the last few years there are more marriages, and the divorce rate is no longer so alarming. However, the statistics reveal that minor children have not been an ‘obstacle’ to a ‘radical termination’ of the matrimonial bond.
The article aims at finding an answer to the question whether abandoning an unregistered child or applying for hidden identity by his or her mother makes the ‘way’ of the child to a substitute family by adoption easier. Further, an attention is paid to surrogate motherhood. These topics are linked to the right of the child to know his or her origin. As the harmony between biological, social and legal parentage and the model of ‘continuing’ parenting are values, the well-balanced rights and duties of both the child parents and the best interest of the child are stressed. The final words are focused on alternative measures and interdisciplinary collaboration, besides public law instruments.
References
Eliáš, K., Zuklínová, M. (2001) Principy a východiska nového kodexu soukromého práva (Principles and Starting Points of the New Code of Private Law). Praha: Linde.
Hrušáková, M. (1993) Dítě, rodina, stát (The Child, Family, State). Brno: Masarykova univerzita.
Hrušáková, M., Králíčková, Z. (2005) ‘Anonymní a utajené mateřství v České republice – utopie nebo realita? (Anonymous and Hidden Motherhood in the Czech Republic – Utopia or Reality?)’, Právní rozhledy, 2005/2, pp. 53–57.
Hrušáková, M., Westphalová, L. (2011) Czech Republic. Family and succession law. Blainpain, R. (gen. ed.) The International Encyclopaedia of Laws. 2nd edn. The Hague/London/New York: Kluwer Law International.
Králíčková, Z. (2003) ‘Adoption in the Czech Republic: Reform in the Light of the Child Welfare Laws’ in Bainham, A. (ed.) The International Survey of Family Law. Bristol: Jordan Publishing Limit, pp. 125–142.
Králíčková, Z. (2008) ‘Tension between Legal, Biological and Social Parentage in the Light of the Best Interest of the Child’, Legal Studies and Practice Journal, 2008/3, pp. 275–282.
Králíčková, Z. (2009) ‘Czech Family Law: The Right Time for Re-Codification’ in: Atkin, B. (ed.) The International Survey of Family Law 2009 Edition. Bristol: Jordan Publishing, pp. 157–173.
Králíčková, Z. (2010) Lidskoprávní dimenze českého rodinného práva (Human Rights Dimension of Czech Family Law). Brno: Masarykova univerzita.
Králíčková, Z. (2011) ‘Parentage, Parental Responsibility and Rights of the Child in the Czech Republic’ in Essays in Honour of Penelope Agallopoulou. Athens: Ant. N. Sakkoulas Publishers, pp. 829–840.
Králíčková, Z. (2014a) ‘New Family Law in the Czech Republic: Back to Traditions and Towards Modern Trends’ in: Atkin, B. (ed.) The International Survey of Family Law 2014 Edition. Bristol: Jordan Publishing, pp. 71–95.
Králíčková, Z. (2014b) ‘A Child at Risk. The Czech Republic Experience’, International and Comparative Law Review, 2014/2, pp. 81–94.
Králíčková, Z. (2021a) ‘On the Family and Family Law in the Czech Republic’ in Barzó, T., Lenkovics, B. (eds.) Family Protection from a Legal Perspective. Budapest–Miskolc: Central European Academic Publishing, pp. 77–109; https:// doi.org/10.54237/profnet.2021.tbblfl_3.
Králíčková, Z. (2021b) ‘Changes in Czech Family Law in Light of the Principles of European Family Law’, Law, Identity and Values, pp. 85–98; https://doi.org/10.55073/2021.1.85-98.
Králíčková, Z. (2022) ‘Czech Republic: The Content of the Right to Parental Responsibility’ in Pawel Sobczyk (ed.) Content of the Right to Parental Responsibility. Experiences – Analyses – Postulates. Budapest–Miskolc: Central European Academic Publishing, pp. 73–104; https://doi.org/10.54237/profnet.2022.pscrpr_4.
Králíčková, Z., Hrušáková, M., Westphalová, L. et al. (2020) Občanský zákoník II. Rodinné právo: Section 655-975. Komentář (Civil Code II. Family Law: Sections 655-975.Commentary). 2nd edn. Praha: C. H. Beck.
Králíčková, Z., Hrušáková, M., Westphalová, L. et al. (2022) Rodinné právo. Učebnice (Family Law. Textbook). 3rd edn. Praha: C. H. Beck.
Krausová, L., Novotná, V. (2006) Sociálně-právní ochrana dětí (Social-Legal Protection of Children). Praha: ASPI.
Pavelková, B. (2001) Zákon o rodine. Komentár (The Act on the Family. A Commentary). Praha: C. H. Beck.
Radvanová, S. at al. (2015) Rodina a dítě v novém občanském zákoníku (Family and the Child in the New Civil Code). Praha: C. H. Beck.
Šínová, R., Westphalová, L., Králíčková, Z. at al. (2016) Rodičovská odpovědnost (Parental Responsibility). Praha: Leges.
Trávníček, M. (2015) Střídavá péče (Alternating Custody). Praha: C. H. Beck.
Zuklínová, M. (2005) ‘Několik poznámek k právním otázkám okolo tzv. babyschránek (A Few Notes on Legal Aspects of the so-called Baby-Boxes)’, Právní rozhledy, 2005/7, pp. 250–253.
