Family Conferencing: Responsibility at Grassroots Level – A Comparative Analysis between the Netherlands and South Africa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2021/v24i0a9325Keywords:
Family group conference, family group plan, children's court proceedings, child justice system, child protection, care of the elderly; family problems, divorce, domestic violence, bullying, addiction, ; neighbourhood problems, social network, problem-solving, mediation, restorative justice, independent coordinator/facilitator, mediatorAbstract
As family group conferencing is gaining world-wide recognition as an alternative dispute resolution process, this article aims to outline the origin and relevance of this process, which promotes solution-finding to family problems by the family themselves and/or the social network and usually results in a plan or agreement that will be implemented collaboratively by the people involved. Although it was originally used in child protection matters, the process is now used for a wide range of problems pertaining to families and individual family members, including divorce matters, the illness or death of a family member, the care of the elderly, family financial problems, bullying, addiction cases, domestic violence and child justice matters. The process is also suitable for application in problems concerning any group, neighbourhood or school. Next, the application of family group conferencing in both the Netherlands and South Africa is first examined and then briefly compared. It appears that family group conferencing through Eigen Kracht in the Netherlands is an established practice which consists of a relatively simple and quick process and yields positive results for families/communities experiencing problems. Recently the Dutch Youth Act of 2015 (Jeugdwet) made legislative provision inter alia for a family group plan to be drafted by parents, in conjunction with next-of-kin or others who are part of the social environment of a youth/juvenile person. On the other hand, although extensive legislative provision is made for family group conferencing by the Children's Act 38 of 2005 in children's court proceedings and by the Child Justice Act 75 of 2008 in the child justice system in South Africa, the process has not yet reached its potential in terms of the implementation of the concept. Lastly, some recommendations are made which mainly aim to contribute to the implementation of the concept in South Africa, in that the model will eventually be fully developed and utilised for the benefit of individuals, children, their families and/or social network.
Downloads
References
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Literature
Boniface AE "African-style Mediation and Western-style Divorce and Family Mediation: Reflections for the South African Context" 2012 PELJ 378-401
Bosma H Een Plan van Allemaal – Professionals over Eigen Kracht (Eigen Kracht Centrale Deventer 2009)
Burford G and Hudson J (eds) Family Group Conferencing: New Directions in Community-centered Child and Family Practice (Routledge London 2017)
Chandler SM and Giovannucci M "Family Group Conferences – Transforming Traditional Child Welfare Policy and Practice" 2004 Fam Ct Rev 216-231
Clarijs R and Malmberg T (eds) The Quiet Revolution – Aggrandising People Power by Family Group Conferences (SWP Publishers Amsterdam 2012)
De Jong G Family Group Conferencing in Public Mental Health Care – A Responsive Evaluation (PhD-thesis Vrije Universiteit 2014)
De Jong M "Opportunities for Mediation in the Children's Court" 2008 THRHR 630-641
De Jong M "A Pragmatic Look at Mediation as an Alternative to Divorce Litigation" 2010 TSAR 515-531
De Jong M "Mediation and Other Appropriate Forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution upon Divorce" in Heaton J (ed) The Law of Divorce and Dissolution of Life Partnerships in South Africa (Juta Cape Town 2014) 577-628
De Jong M "Mediation Legislation around the World – A Variety of Options for South Africa" 2019 CILSA 279-318
Dewdney M "The Partial Loss of Voluntariness and Confidentiality in Mediation" (2009) 20 ADRJ 17-23
Du Bois F (ed) Wille's Principles of South African Law 9th ed (Juta Cape Town 2007)
Giliomee H and Mbenga B New History of South Africa (Tafelberg Cape Town 2007)
Jackson 1998 Howard J Crim Justice
Jackson SE "Family Group Conferences in Youth Justice: The Issues for Implementation in England and Wales" 1998 Howard J Crim Justice 34-51
Leppan D and Gallinetti J "The Increased Jurisdiction of the Children' Courts and Implications for Family Law Practice in Light of the New Mechanisms that Promote Alternative Dispute Resolution" in Sloth-Nielsen J and Du Toit Z (eds) Trials and Tribulations, Trends and Triumphs: Developments in International, African and South African Child and Family Law (Juta Cape Town 2008) 164-174
Louw DJ and Spijker A "Family Conferencing" 2007 Obiter 101-110
Payne JD and Payne MA Canadian Family Law (Irwin Law Toronto 2001)
South African Law Reform Commission Discussion Paper 148, Project 100D: Alternative Dispute Resolution in Family Matters (SALRC Pretoria 2019)
Savoury GR, Beals HL and Parks JM "Mediation in Child Protection: Facilitating the Resolution of Disputes" 1995 Child Welfare 743-762
Schuurman M and Mulder C Eigen Kracht-conferenties bij Gezinnen in de Regio Amsterdam – Wat Levert Het op? Resultate van Onderzoek (Kalliope Consult/Antropol Nieuwegein/Ermelo 2010)
Skelton A "Family Group Conferencing in the Proposed Child Justice Bill: Implications for the Child Care System" in Sloth-Nielsen J and Du Toit Z (eds) Trials and Tribulations, Trends and Triumphs: Developments in International, African and South African Child and Family Law (Juta Cape Town 2008) 175-187
Van Beek F et al De Kleine Gids: Eigen Kracht-Conferentie 2013 – Moeilijke Zaken Makkelijk Uitgelegd (Kluwer Alphen aan den Rijn 2013)
Van der Weide-van der Helm M et al Krachten en Kansen – Initiatieven voor Vernieuwing in Zorg en Welzijn (Houten Bohn Stafleu van Loghum 2005)
Van Pagée R (ed) "De Eerste Ervaringen en Resultaten" in Van Pagée R Eigen Kracht: Family Group Conference in Nederland – Van Model naar Invoering (SWP Amsterdam 2003) 41-48
Wijnen-Lunenburg P et al De Familie Aan Zet – De Uitkomsten van Eigen Kracht-conferenties in de Jeugdbescherming met betrekking tot Veiligheid, Sociale Cohesive en Regie (PI Research/WESP Duivendrecht/Voorhout 2008)
Zaal FN "Children's Courts and Alternative Dispute Resolution in Care and Protection Cases: An Assessment of the Legislation" 2010 THRHR 353-367
Zaal N Court Services for the Child in Need of Alternative Care: A Critical Evaluation of Selected Aspects of the South African System (LLD-thesis University of the Witwatersrand 2008)
Case law
B v B 2012 ZASCA 151 (28 September 2012)
HG v CG 2010 3 SA 352 (ECP)
Legislation
Amendement Voordewind of the Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal, 2010-2011
Child Justice Act 75 of 2008
Children's Act 38 of 2005
Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act, 1989
Dutch Civil Code (Burgerlijk Wetboek)
Dutch Code of Civil Procedure (Wetboek van Burgerlijke Rechtsvordering)
Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000
Youth Act, 2015 (Jeugdwet)
Youth Care Act, 2004 (Wet op de Jeugdzorg)
Government publications
GN R250 in GG 33067 of 31 March 2010
GN 992 in GG 43709 of 11 September 2020
International instruments
Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
Internet sources
Eigen Kracht Centrale 2011 Werken met Eigen Kracht-conferenties – Eigen Kracht-coördinator: iets voor u? https://www.eigen-kracht.nl/assets/uploads/
/02/2011_Eigen-Kracht-coordinator-Iets-voor-U-digifolder.pdf accessed 12 September 2020
Eigen Kracht Centrale 2020 Wij gaan voor Samenredzaamheid https://www.eigen-kracht.nl/ accessed 6 November 2020
Nederlands Jeugdinstituut 2017 Factsheet: Het Familigroepsplan https://vng.nl/sites/default/files/201607_factsheet_familiegroepsplan_vng_nji_vws_venj2_0.pdf accessed 12 September 2020
Published
Issue
Section
License
.png){kind=spacer}