Domestic violence and child participation: contemporary challenges for the 1980 hague child abduction convention

Abstract

This article addresses two contemporary challenges for the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention: (i) domestic violence and (ii) child participation. It also outlines three components of a global socio-legal policy and research initiative undertaken to address these issues and, where relevant, their intersection. The published literature on these topics, including the children's objections exception, is explored, as are the ways in which these challenges are addressed within some of the 101 Contracting States to the Convention and through the Guide to Good Practice on Article 13(1)(b) of the Convention. Regard is paid to the data provided by the statistical analysis of applications made under the Convention in 2015 by Lowe and Stephens, and the changes which will occur once the Recast of The European Brussels 11a Regulation comes into operation. The likely impact of the UK leaving the European Union, currently due to occur on 31 October 2019, for 1980 Hague Convention abduction proceedings is contemplated. Other current international initiatives are discussed, including the development of a child-friendly version of the Convention through The International Association of Child Law Researchers. Training is a key to changing attitudes and upskilling family justice professionals to ensure the Convention operates in a fully child-centric way. This will maintain and strengthen the Convention by keeping it 'fit for purpose'.

Contemporary Nurturing of the 1980 Hague Convention

“…For the purposes of this article, we have identified two specific areas of concern for which the marked changes in societal approach and understanding since the Convention's introduction require urgent consideration in the context of its operation: (i) The intersection between domestic/familial violence and the exception to return in cases of international child abduction in Article 13(1)(b); and (ii) the adoption of practices to enable abducted children and young people to receive information about, and be given effective opportunities to express their views and be heard in, Convention cases (Freeman and Taylor 2020). It is to these issues that we now turn.…”

“…It is questionable whether, and how far, the child objection exception in Article 13 can be said to fulfil the requirement in Article 12 of the UNCRC relating to the child's right to participate in decisions concerning them (Schuz 2013). Practice surrounding even this limited form of hearing the child in international child abduction proceedings varies dramatically among the 103 Contracting Parties to the Convention (Freeman and Taylor 2020;Schuz 2023;Taylor and Freeman 2018b). Thus, the question of whether, and to what extent, the Convention is, in fact, compatible with the UNCRC remains unclear (Skelton 2023) 7 notwithstanding pronouncements to the contrary by some courts.…”

Una reinterpretación del Convenio de La Haya sobre la sustracción de menores para proteger a los niños de la exposición al sexismo, la misoginia y la violencia contra las mujeres

“…Estos casos de sustracción son a menudo un intento desesperado del progenitor, principal figura de referencia, para que el niño experimente una nueva vida, ofreciéndole un marco de vida en el que pueda desarrollar su personalidad en un entorno más favorable, o al menos no tóxico. Resulta paradójico que ante situaciones de este tipo se dé preferencia al derecho del niño a tener contactos con ambos progenitores sobre el derecho del niño a ver satisfechas sus necesidades materiales y afectivas, y a que se le proporcionen los medios necesarios para su normal desarrollo físico y mental 103 . Cuadernos de Derecho Transnacional (Octubre 2022), Vol.…”