The Plurality of Marriage Laws: Exploring the Viability of a Single Marriage Code for South Africa in a Comparative Context | 8.12.2020

In South Africa ‘unity in diversity’ is a recurring theme in public texts such as the supreme Constitution and the government’s coat of arms. At the same time, the South African Constitution promises to protect cultural rights and entitles individuals to practise and participate in the cultural life of their choice.

Date: 8.12..2020

Time: 6pm

Eventtitle: The Plurality of Marriage Laws: Exploring the Viability of a Single Marriage Code for South Africa in a Comparative Context

Eventtype: Other

Eventcategory: funded project KHK

Organisor: Käthe Hamburger Kolleg, Recht als Kultur

Place: Online (Livestream)

More about the event:

„In South Africa ‘unity in diversity’ is a recurring theme in public texts such as the supreme Constitution and the government’s coat of arms. At the same time, the South African Constitution promises to protect cultural rights and entitles individuals to practise and participate in the cultural life of their choice. Also, it specifically allows for the recognition of other types of ‘marriages concluded under any tradition, or a system of religious, personal or family law’. To make good on this promise of accommodation, the government enacted a plurality of laws recognising different types of relationships, and more are in the pipeline. Managing this diversity is, however, challenging, and the tension between equality and cultural rights is often visible in family law. The modest aim of this presentation is to provide a background on the plurality of marriage laws in South Africa, and the reasons why it should explore the viability of a single marriage code. In doing so, I will briefly consider the approach of a few other countries to the same question.“
(Prof. Dr. Christa Rautenbach)

We look forward to welcoming you to the event. Please note that the event will be recorded for public relations purposes.

Zoom Link: https://uni-bonn.zoom.us/j/91972817840?pwd=ejJXY012L1ErcW8zWmdEVHBiZmxiZz09
Meeting-ID: 919 7281 7840
Password: 934745

Sincerely,
Werner Gephart, Nina Dethloff, and Clemens Albrecht

Prof. Dr. jur. Dr. h.c. Werner Gephart
Director at the Käte Hamburger Center “Law as Culture”

Prof. Dr. jur. Nina Dethloff
Director at the Käte Hamburger Center “Law as Culture”

Prof. Dr. Clemens Albrecht
Director at the Käte Hamburger Center “Law as Culture”

The “Forum Law as Culture” offers a space for interdisciplinary and intercultural exchange with international guests and fellows at the Center. The Forum regards itself as a place where the Center’s focal topics can be critically examined. Such topics, which consider the dimensions of law as a cultural fact, include symbolic cultures, ritual dynamics, normativity and normative pluralism, and issues of the force of law and of organizational culture.

Future Forum events can be found here. The events will take place online.