Indigenous African marriage and same-sex partnerships: Conflicts and controversies

ABSTRACT

In 2006 the Constitutional Court of South Africa ruled the common law definition of marriage to be unconstitutional because it did not accord same-sex couples the same benefits and responsibilities as heterosexual couples. This defect was corrected by the legislature with the enactment of the Civil unions Act. The recognition of same-sex partnerships or marriages by the Act reflects and acknowledges the diverse nature of a changing South African society. A question triggered by this legal development is the impact that same-sex partnerships will have on the country's customary law on marriage. This article presents a critical analysis of a possible co-existence between same-sex partnerships and customary laws on marriage. The author explores the customs upon which customary laws of marriage are founded, and assesses their flexibility in accommodating same-sex partnerships.     

无效婚姻法律规范的冲突与协调——新《婚姻法》、《婚姻登记条例》以及最高法院相关解释的理解与适用

我国婚姻法修正后确立了无效婚姻制度,在此基础上,最高人民法院司法解释和民政部《婚姻登记条例》也相继出台,这是我国婚姻立法的一大进步。但在若干具体制度的设置上尚存在不完善之处。从理论和现实出发,探讨无效婚姻的模式、范围、程序和合法化等法律问题,分析无效婚姻法律规范的冲突,并就无效婚姻立法的协调提出自己的建议。     

提高婚检率对策探究

婚检涉及社会公共利益,并不纯粹是个人问题;婚检是落实婚姻法的有效手段,发现疾病隐患的重要途径,减少出生缺陷和残疾发生的有效措施;婚检给男女双方以知情权,是提高婚姻质量、促进家庭幸福的重要保证。然强制婚检取消后,婚检率急剧下降。免费婚检的实行,使婚检率有一定提高,但幅度并不大。应对＂医学上认为不应当结婚的疾病＂的种类、范围作出具体规定;加大宣传力度;打破垄断;明确收费标准;强化服务意识、提高服务质量;优化婚检环境、规范婚检过程;保护当事人的隐私;加强对婚检机构的管理和监督。     

关于我国结婚条件构成的法律思考

结婚条件是结婚制度的重要组成部分。在我国婚姻法中结婚条件更多地强调了社会利益的实现,个人权利保护不够充分。在个人权利保护日益受到重视的今天,我国结婚条件构成的不足愈加显现,主要表现为法律规定态度上的犹疑和贯彻实施过程中的障碍。关注婚姻的特殊性,从实质意义上实现对个人权利的充分保护,达到社会利益和个人权利充分实现的平衡,细化结婚条件,将是解决许多难以解决的婚姻家庭领域问题的关键。     

中国古代婚姻法律制度的变迁——法社会学视野下的考察

中国婚姻法律制度自原始社会时出现雏形,历经夏商,至西周时期发展成为一套有着严格礼法依据的制度。自此延续两千多年的封建社会基本遵循这一婚姻法律制度。清末沈家本主持修律,开启了中国婚姻法律制度的近代化之门。1931年5月《中华民国民法典》的施行,标志着始于清朝末年的中国婚姻法律制度近代化得以初步完成。新中国成立后,《婚姻法》成为立法工作的重心,我国婚姻法律制度迈向人类社会文明前列。     

Getting Caught and Getting Hitched: An Assessment of the Relationship Between Police Intervention,Life Chances,and Romantic Unions

Little research has assessed the link between formal police intervention, financial hardship, and the formation and quality of romantic relationships. Using data from the Rochester Youth Development Study, we contribute to this literature by examining effects of police intervention at two time points on marriage stability and romantic relationship quality. We find that police intervention during adolescence is associated with increases in financial hardship during young adulthood, which, in turn, decreases the odds of entering into a stable marriage by age 31 and the extent to which those who have a romantic relationship feel their partner is supportive. Early police intervention also is indirectly associated with a reduction in partner satisfaction and an increase in partner violence via young adult arrest. We conclude that even minimally invasive contact with the criminal justice system during adolescence has long-lasting collateral consequences in the family arena.     

MIS‐MATCHED: TAKING A STATE APPROACH TO ENFORCING THE GROWING INTERNATIONAL MATCHMAKING INDUSTRY

Each year, hundreds of U.S. men and foreign women find their future spouses through international matchmaking agencies. Foreign women are attracted to the opportunity for a life in America and men are offered money‐back guarantees to find the perfect wife. An alarming number of these unions however, have resulted in the abuse, exploitation and even death of foreign women at the hands of their U.S. citizen husbands. While the federal International Marriage Broker Regulation Act requires disclosure of a male client's criminal background history prior to communicating with a potential foreign bride, the Act does not impose any requirements for disclosure of information about the international marriage brokers themselves. Thus the peddlers behind the rapidly growing industry are largely unaccounted for, with no one really knowing who they are or where they are operating. This Note proposes that states fill the enforcement gap by adopting a statute requiring international marriage brokers to register and become certified to do business with state residents. This legislation will result in collecting much needed data on international marriage brokers, create more transparency in the international matchmaking industry and prevent potential violence and abuse of foreign women.     

清末民初民间订婚婚书习惯研究--基于东北地区与直隶省的比较

民间订婚婚书不同于官方婚书,在清代被称为“私约”。清末民初,民间往往不遵循官婚书,甚至将官婚书与私约相混淆,将清代律例规定的“务要两家明白通知”的关于身体、身份内容的官婚书,逐渐演变成不同地区、不同形式、内容各异的订婚婚书。这种以凭媒妁、交割财礼为主要内容的订婚婚书,在民间百姓眼中被视为婚姻成立的必要条件。媒证与婚书是双方发生纠纷,裁断财礼的退与还的主要证据。司法机关认定订婚婚书具有法律效力。对这一时期的订婚婚书深入研究,对当今订婚财礼纠纷返还机制的建立有启示意义。