ABSTRACT

The research is majorly made to critically analyze the law relating to adoption of children in Uganda. Adoption refers to the vesting of parental rights and duties related to a child in the adopter on their application to the court vested with jurisdiction to grant an adoption order.

The major reasons for analyzing the law relating to adoption of children in Uganda are, the laws allow adoption to be made by those that are twenty-five years older than the children to be adopted but does not prescribe the maximum age of when a

person should not adopt, equally. the law s:.ould provide for mechanisms of monitoring and supervising the adopted children so as to ensure that they are safe and that they are adequately catered for because some of the adopted children finally

suffer after being adopted. The law is also to the effect that a child is only legally entitled to be shown his or her biological parents if at all he or she makes eighteen years old. Equally, the law does not put in place measures to follow up the adopted

children among many others as shall be examined in the chapters of this thesis. It's my humble submission therefore that the law relating to adoption leaves a lot to be desired, the provisions of the children Act are highly demanding and thus the law falls short of the current family life, social and economic aspects of Uganda and therefore there is need for amendment.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION .................................................................................................................... i

MUGISA PATRICK APPROVAL ....................................................................................... i

APPROVAL ........................................................................................................................ ii

DEDICATION ...................................................................................................................... iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................................... iv

LIST OF CASES ................................................................................................................... v

LIST OF STATUTES .......................................................................................................... vi

ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... X

CHAPTER ONE .................................................................................................................... 1

1.0 Introduction and Bacl

1.1 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................... 3

1.2 Rationale of the research/general objective .................................................................. 4

1.3 Specific Objectives ........................................................................................................... 4

1.4 Scope of the Study ........................................................................................................... 4

1.5 Significance of the Study ................................................................................................. 5

1.6 Hypothesis ........................................................................................................................ 5

1. 7 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 5

1.8 Literature Review ............................................................................................................ 6

CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................................. 18

THE CONSTITUTION OF REPUBLIC OF UGANDA ................................................. 18

2.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 18

2.1 Children Act.. ................................................................................................................. 18

If in the view of the court a child is able to understand the adoption proceedings. then his or

her views must be taken into consideration In Re Ethan Acaled (an infant) Court

interviewed the infant who affectionately referred to Zane Mccourtney (who was the

adopter) as 'daddy'. He told cotu1 he goes to Horizon School. When asked if he wished to

live with his uncle he gave an emphatic 'no' and asserted he wanted to live with 'daddy' .. 24

The registrar of births and deaths has to maintain adopted children register in which he has

to register particulars of adoptions. Re:ln The Matter Of Salem Mukiibi And Asafu

Semal

2.1.1 The Adoption Rules in Uganda ................................................................................ 28

VII

2.1.2 Domestic Violence Act ............................................................................................... 32

2.1.3 The Prevention of Trafficking in Person Act ......................................................... 32

2.1.4 The Penal Code Act Cap 120 ..................................................................................... 34

2.1.5 The Local Governments Act Chapter 243 ................................................................ 34

CHAPTER THREE ............................................................................................................ 35

3.0 Ministry of gender labour and social development.. ................................................. 35

The children act provides the minister with a task to establish a National Rehabilitation

Centre for Children and such other centres as he or she may deem necessary which each

have to be a place for the detention. rehabilitation and retraining of children committed

there ....................................................................................................................................... 35

3.1 National Council for Children ...................................................................................... 35

This is governed by the National council for children act of I 996. the Act sets the objectiws

of the council which include, ................................................................................................ 35

3.1.1 The children approved homes ................................................................................... 37

3.1.2 Uganda children centre .............................................................................................. 38

3.1.3 The National Social Protection Policy ...................................................................... 38

3.1.4 Local authorities ......................................................................................................... 39

3.1.5 Family and children court. ........................................................................................ 42

3.1.6 Probation and social welfare officer ......................................................................... 43

CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................................... 49

THE INTERNATIONAL LAWS GOVERNING ADOPTION ...................................... 49

4.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 49

4.1 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) ............................................................ 50

4.2 Additional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Children ..................... 51

4.2.1 Hague Convention on Adoption OF 1993 ................................................................ 52

4.2.2 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights Charter ......................... 55

4.2.3 The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of a Child ................................... 55

4.2.4 European Convention on the Adoption of Children ............................................... 55

4.2.5 Hague Convention on the Protection of a Child, 1996 ............................................ 57

CHAPTER FIVE ................................................................................................................. 60

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................. 60

5.1 Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 60

Vill

5.2 Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 61

REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 65