Abstract
The Netherlands do not belong to the first countries that have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). On the contrary, it took until the 8th of March 1995 before the CRC entered into force for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, after ratification by the Dutch Parliament on the 24th of November 1994. The CRC did not have the ‘game changing’ impact on the Netherlands as it did have on other countries. This is probably one of the reasons why the ratification of the CRC has not resulted in major adjustments of statutory law, including the Dutch Constitution. Nor has the CRC led to a critical and holistic assessment of the Dutch legal system as far as the position of children is concerned. This seems particularly true for the area of family law, in which notions such as the best interests of the child were already common good, significantly influenced by the increasing amount of case law of the European Court of Human Rights. This chapter analyses a number of issues related to family law and some related areas, such as labour law, in light of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It will start by addressing some relevant general principles, such as the definition of the child, the best interests of the child principle and the right to be heard. Subsequently, a number of family law issues will be analysed, including (inter country) adoption, parental responsibilities and medical decision making.
The research for this chapter was concluded on the 1st of January 2014.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands currently consists of four States (the Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten), which are all bound by the CRC. The three Caribbean islands, Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius are part of the Netherlands as special municipalities.
- 2.
Kingdom Act of 24 November 1994, Bulletin of Acts and Decrees 1994, 862; Treaty Series 1995, 92 (Act sanctioning the CRC).
- 3.
M. Blaak e.a (eds.), Handboek Internationaal Jeugdrecht, Leiden: Defence for Children 2012, p. 49.
- 4.
J. Doek, ‘De ratificatie van het Verdrag voor de Rechten van het Kind. Enige beschouwingen over de mogelijke gevolgen voor de Nederlandse rechtspraktijk’, NJCM-Bulletin 1995, pp. 10–21.
- 5.
J.H. de Graaf et al. De Toepassing van het Internationaal Verdrag inzake de Rechten van het Kind in de Nederlandse Rechtspraak. Deel II, Amsterdam: Centre for Children’s Rights Amsterdam 2015. M.M.C. Limbeek & M.R. Bruning, ‘The Netherlands’, in: T. Liefaard & J.E. Doek (eds.), Litigating the Rights of the Child. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Domestic and International Jurisprudence, Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media 2015, pp. 89–104.
- 6.
T. Liefaard & J.E. Doek (eds.), Litigating the Rights of the Child. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Domestic and International Jurisprudence, Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media 2015.
- 7.
The main focus in this contribution lies at the CRC. In addition, some reference will be made to other relevant international legal instruments, such as the European Convention on Human Right s .
- 8.
For a translation of the Dutch Civil Code in English, see H.C.S. Warendorf, R. Thomas and I. Curry Sumner, The Civil Code of The Netherlands, Kluwer Law International, May 2013.
- 9.
There is currently a bill in the Dutch parliament that would abolish the possibility for a pregnant 16–17-year-old minor to marry and thus acquire majority. The reason for this amendment is to protect children from forced marriage. Parliamentary Documents II 2012/13, 33 488, nr. 2 (Wet tegengaan huwelijksdwang).
- 10.
See also General Comment No. 14 (2013) on the right of the child to have his or her best interests taken as a primary consideration (art. 3, para. 1), UN Doc. CRC/C/GC/14.
- 11.
In the Dutch juvenile justice system the best interests of the child principle can be considered part of the pedagogical approach towards children in conflict with the law.
- 12.
Asser/De Boer 1* 2010/813 & 814.
- 13.
See, e.g. Asser/De Boer 1* 2010/842.
- 14.
Asser/De Boer 1* 2010/814a with reference to many examples.
- 15.
Asser/De Boer 1* 2010/814a with reference to many examples.
- 16.
Asser/De Boer 1* 2010/814a.
- 17.
It should be noted that the Dutch translation refers to ‘the primary consideration ’ (translated and emphasized by authors).
- 18.
The Netherlands Supreme Court , 25 April 2008, NJ 2008, 414.
- 19.
M. Limbeek, De bijzondere curator: een volwaardig sluitstuk van rechtsbescherming?, in: J.H. de Graaf e.a. (eds.), Rechten van het Kind en Waardigheid, Nijmegen: Ars Aequi Libri 2013, p. 199.
- 20.
This age limit corresponds with the minimum age of criminal responsibility , which is a deliberate decision of the legislator; J.H. de Graaf, ‘De paradox van de toegenomen kinderrechten’, in: J.H. de Graaf e.a. (eds.), Rechten van het Kind en Waardigheid, Nijmegen: Ars Aequi Libri 2013, p. 19.
- 21.
The Netherlands Supreme Court , 1 November 2013, ECLI:NL:GHSGR;2012:5085, para. 3.3.5.
- 22.
The Netherlands Supreme Court , 1 November 2013, ECLI:NL:GHSGR;2012:5085, para. 3.3.6.
- 23.
J.E. Doek & P. Vlaardingerbroek, Jeugdrecht en jeugdzorg, Amsterdam: Elsevier 2009, p. 110–111.
- 24.
Procesreglement civiel jeugdrecht, 12e druk, April 2013, para 7.
- 25.
M.R. Bruning, ‘Equality of arms bij jeugdbescherming’, FJR 2007, 1. Zie ook J.H. de Graaf, ‘De paradox van de toegenomen kinderrechten’, in: J.H. de Graaf e.a. (red.), Rechten van het Kind en Waardigheid, Nijmegen: Ars Aequi Libri 2013, p. 21–23.
- 26.
General Comment No. 12, The right of the child to be heard, UN Doc. CRC/C/GC/12, para. 21.
- 27.
T. Liefaard, The Rights of the Child to Be Taken Seriously, Inaugural lecture, 19 November 2013 (unpublished).
- 28.
The right to nationality under Dutch law falls outside the scope of this paper.
- 29.
Under Dutch law a child can have a legal mother or a legal mother and a legal father at birth or (as of 1 April 2014) two legal mothers (s. 1:198 and 1:199 DCC).
- 30.
Section 1:234(1) and 1:245(4) DCC).
- 31.
Section 1:4(4) DCC. Examples of successful applications for name changes are for instance names that have a religious connotation that no longer complies with the applicants life choices.
- 32.
M.J. Vonk, Weten, kennen en erkennen: kinderen van ouders die niet samen zijn, NTM-NJCM Bulletin 2013 jaargang 38, nr. 4. http://machteldvonk.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/02-art-njcm-2013-nr-4_vonk.pdf
- 33.
M. J. Vonk, Same-sex parents in the Netherlands, Homoparentalite? Approche Comparative, Société de legislation comparée Français, Paris 2012, p. 13–39.
- 34.
For extensive information on Dutch legal parenthood see M.J. Vonk, Children and their parents: A comparative study of the legal position of children with regard to their intentional and biological parents in English and Dutch law, Intersentia – Antwerp, 2007. http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/dissertations/2007-1219-220809/index.htm
- 35.
Wet donorgegevens kunstmatige bevruchting Stb. (Donor Data Artificial Reproduction Act hereafter referred to as DDARA). For information in English on this Act, see: P.M. Janssens, A.H. Simons, R.J. van Kooij, E. Blokzijl and G.A. Dunselman, A new Dutch Law regulating provision of identifying information of donors to offspring: background, content and impact, Human Reproduction, 2006, Apr. 21 (4): 852–6.
- 36.
For more information on the issue, see R. Blauwhof, Foundational Facts, Relative Truths: A Comparative Law Study on Children’s Right to Know Their Genetic Origins, Antwerp: Intersentia 2009.
- 37.
Dutch Supreme Court , 15 April 1994, NJ 1994, 608.
- 38.
For instance, District Court Leeuwarden 10 May 2000, ECLI: RBLEE:2000: AA5749.
- 39.
This Act will be discussed in more detail later on.
- 40.
H.B. Winter et al. Evaluatie embryowet en wet donorgegevens kunstmatige bevruchting, Den Haag, ZonMw, 2012, Reeks evaluatie regelgeving http://www.zonmw.nl/uploads/tx_vipublicaties/embryowet-wdkb_webversie.pdf
- 41.
Letter of the staatssecretaris of 11 July 2013 concerning his reaction the evaluation of the aforementioned Act Standpunt op evaluatie Embryowet en Wet donorgegevens kunstmatige bevruchting kenmerk 124775-105375-PG
- 42.
Court of Appeal Arnhem, 13 September 2012, ECLI:NL:GHARN:2012:BX7942
- 43.
These data were obtained from Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (Dutch Statistical Agency) on 6 January 2014 http://statline.cbs.nl/StatWeb/publication/?VW=T&DM=SLNL&PA=80496NED&D1=a&D2=a&D3=a&HD=110809-1444&HDR=G1,T&STB=G2
- 44.
Wet van 8 December 1988, houdende regelen inzake de opneming in Nederland van buitenlandse pleegkinderen met het oog op adoptie.
- 45.
Section 2 Wobka.
- 46.
Section 3(1) and section 5(7) Wobka.
- 47.
Section 8(a) Wobka.
- 48.
Section 5 Wobka.
- 49.
Section 1:227(3) DCC.
- 50.
Parental responsibility can be invested in legal parents, but also the legal parents’ partner who is not a legal parent upon their joint request. However, there is a maximum of two persons who can hold parental responsibility with regard to a child (s. 1:245(3). For more information on Dutch parental responsibility, see C.G. Jeppesen de Boer, Joint parental authority: a comparative legal study on the continuation of joint parental authority after divorce and the breakup of a relationship in Dutch and Danish Law and the CEFL principles, Antwerp: Intersentia, 2008.
- 51.
- 52.
See in this context paragraph 41 of General Comment 13, which requires States to combat physical or humiliating forms of discipline at schools.
- 53.
- 54.
If the parent who is deprived of parental responsibility held it with a person who is not a legal parent, for instance, a new partner, the other parent may ask the court to invest him with sole parental responsibility to the detriment of the partner s. 1:253v (6) DCC. In this text, the term parent with parental responsibility includes the partner who is not a legal parent unless explicitly excluded.
- 55.
Section 1:275 DCC.
- 56.
Sections 1:377a, 377c DCC and section 42(2) Uitvoeringsbesluit Wet op de Jeugdzorg (Additional regulations pertaining to the Youth Care Act ).
- 57.
Section 1:2 jo. 3:2 Working Hours Act (Arbeidstijdenwet).
- 58.
Section 7:162(1) DCC.
- 59.
Section 1:234 DCC.
- 60.
Section 7:162(1) DCC.
- 61.
Nadere regeling kinderarbeid (Additional Regulation Child Labour).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Liefaard, T., Vonk, M. (2016). The Rights of the Child in the Netherlands: A Family Law Perspective. In: Cvejić Jančić, O. (eds) The Rights of the Child in a Changing World. Ius Comparatum - Global Studies in Comparative Law, vol 13. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23189-1_18
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23189-1_18
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-23188-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-23189-1
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)