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2019 | OriginalPaper | Buchkapitel

12. Tunisia

verfasst von : Souhayma Ben Achour

Erschienen in: Filiation and the Protection of Parentless Children

Verlag: T.M.C. Asser Press

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Abstract

This study seeks to analyze the Tunisian legal rules that govern filiation and the child’s relationship with his or her family, as well as the status and protection of parentless children. In line with Islamic doctrine, the Tunisian Personal Status Code of 1956 only recognized the general notion of nasab or legitimate filiation, and made no room for natural filiation. The recognition of out-of-wedlock filiation depended on the courts’ interpretation of the provisions of the Personal Status Code. It was only with the adoption of the law of October 28, 1998, that natural filiation was clearly introduced into Tunisian law. This law allowed for the establishment of natural filiation by various means, including DNA testing. Thus, Tunisian family law recognizes two distinct types of biological filiation today: legitimate filiation or filiation resulting from marriage, which is subject to the provisions of the Personal Status Code, and natural filiation or filiation outside marriage, which is governed by the law of October 28, 1998. Tunisian law also guarantees a substitute family to the child through two main institutions – kafala and adoption – which were introduced by the law of March 4, 1958. Kafala is an institution drawn from Islamic law. It does not break the child’s relationship with his or her family of origin and does not create a relationship of filiation between the child and the kafil, which is in line with the meaning of this concept in Islam. However, the admission of adoption makes Tunisia unique in the Arab Muslim world. The adopted child is fully equated with the legitimate child. In addition to kafala and adoption, Tunisian law ensures the child temporary protection through family placement, which was instituted by the law of November 21, 1967. Family placement occurs most often as a temporary solution pending the implementation of kafala or adoption.

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Decree of August 13, 1956, Promulgating the Personal Status Code, Official Gazette no. 104 of December 28, 1956, pp 1742–1751.

Ben Achour 1992; Colomer 1957, p 114.

Benoist-Méchin 1959.

Bostanji 2009, no. 1, p 11; Fregosi 2004, pp 78–99.

Law No. 57-3 of August 1, 1957, Regulating Civil Status, Official Gazette no. 2 and 3 of July 30 and August 2, 1957, pp 10–14.

Law No. 66-49 of June 3, 1966, Amending the Personal Status Code, Official Gazette no. 24 of June 3, 1966, p 880.

Law No. 81-7 of February 18, 1981, Amending Certain Articles of the Personal Status Code, Official Gazette no. 11 of February 20, 1981, pp 334–335.

Law No. 93-74 of July 12, 1993, Amending Certain Articles of the Personal Status Code, Official Gazette no. 53 of July 20, 1993, pp 1004–1005.

Ben Achour 2008, pp 279–311.

Law No. 58-27 of March 4, 1958, on Public Guardianship, Informal Guardianship (kafala) and Adoption, Official Gazette no. 19 of March 7, 1958, pp 236–237.

Law No. 98-75 of October 28, 1998, Concerning the Assigning of a Patronymic Name to Abandoned Children or Children of Unknown Paternity, Official Gazette no. 87 of October 30, 1998, p 2119.

Law No. 58-27 of March 4, 1958. In this regard, the present report will focus on informal guardianship (kafala) and adoption as means of alternative family care. Public guardianship as an institutional mode of alternative care will not be specifically addressed. In fact, Law No. 58-27 of March 4, 1958, does not give a definition of public guardianship, but it provides that the found or abandoned child will be placed under the guardianship of the state, and it designates the public guardian which can be, notably, the director of the hospital or the orphanage or the nursery, or the director of the rehabilitation center or the children’s home, in the event the child has been placed in such institutions, or the governor in other cases.

Law No. 67-47 of November 21, 1967, on Family Placement, Official Gazette no. 49 of November 21–24, 1967, p 1446.

Law No. 98-75 of October 28, 1998.

Law No. 91-92 of November 29, 1991, Ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Official Gazette no. 82 of December 3, 1991, p 1890. The Convention was published by Decree No. 91-1865 of December 10, 1991, Official Gazette no. 84 of December 10, 1991, pp 1946–1952.

Mezghani 1991, no. 170-205; Parisot 2013; Tobich 2008.

Article 40 Code of Civil and Commercial Procedure, Official Gazette no. 59 of November 27 and December 1, 1959, pp 1325–1336, and Official Gazette no. 60 of December 4, 1959, pp 1399–1411.

Article 13 Law No. 58-27 of March 4, 1958.

On the Tunisian law of filiation: Ben Halima 1976; Ben Halima 2001, pp 459–480; Ben Halima 2003, no. 16, pp 19–37; Ben Fadhel 2005, pp 683–716; Bouguerra 1977‐1978; Pruvost 1977.

Meziou 2013, no. 203.

On this issue, Meziou 2013, no. 206.

It will be seen that acknowledgment has also served, in case law, to establish natural filiation, irrespective of any marriage.

Cass. civ., May 15, 1984, no. 9976, Bulletin des arrêts de la Cour de cassation (Chambres civiles) (hereinafter: Bull.) 1984, I, p 198.

Cass. civ., May 7, 1996, no. 49-089, Bull. 1996, II, p 231.

Cass. civ., June 13, 1989, no. 21419, Bull. 1989, I, p 292.

Cour d’appel Tunis, June 2, 1992, no. 93630 (unpublished), reported by Meziou 2013, no. 291; Cass. civ., January 26, 1993, no. 27777, Bull. 1993, p 283.

Cass. civ., December 5, 1963, no. 2000, cited by Ben Attar 1963‐1965, p 28.

Cass. civ., May 15, 1984, no. 9976, Bull. 1984, I, p 198.

Cass. civ., June 13, 1989, no. 21419, Bull. 1989, I, p 292, stating that the procedures for establishing filiation provided for by the legislature are distinct from one another and that if the legislature had intended to tie the acknowledgment to the existence of a conjugal relationship, it would have mentioned cohabitation (or marriage), the presumption of paternity being sufficient to establish filiation.

Cass. civ., May 13, 1997, no. 56315, Revue tunisienne de droit 2001, p 141, with case note by Ben Halima.

Cass. civ., April 13, 2006, no. 7332, Bull. 2006, p 229.

See, in particular, Cass. civ., January 6, 1981, no. 4339, Revue de jurisprudence et de législation 1981, no. 2, p 61; Cass. civ., June 2, 1992, no. 26431, Bull. 1992, p 183; Cass. civ., November 18, 1996, no. 43-354, Bull. 1996, II, p 225; Cass. civ., November 26, 1996, no. 51-346, Bull. 1996, II, p 228; Cass. civ., May 7, 1996, no. 49-089, Bull. 1996, II, p 231.

Law No. 98-75 of October 28, 1998.

On this law, Ben Achour 2013b, pp 71–90; Ben Halima 2000, pp 245–269; Mezghani 2005, pp 651–682; Ben Tardaiet-Ghamersa 2004, pp 179–205.

In this sense, Ben Halima 2000, p 245; Mezghani 2005, p 658.

Mezghani 2005, p 658.

Tribunal de première instance (hereinafter: TPI) Tunis, May 10, 1999, no. 29308; TPI Tunis, November 22, 1999, no. 31846 (both unpublished).

In this sense, TPI Sfax, June 11, 1999, no. 41164; TPI Tunis, June 21, 1999, no. 29840; TPI Tunis, December 6, 1999, no. 31968; TPI Sousse, February 29, 2000, no. 40376 (all unpublished). On this issue, Abdelkader 2001.

Cass. civ., May 11, 2001, no. 6719, Bull. 2001, p 331. In the same sense, Cass. civ., November 16, 2000, no. 4182/2000, Revue tunisienne de droit 2001, p 169, with case note by Charfeddine.

Cass. civ., November 16, 2000, no. 4182/2000, Revue tunisienne de droit 2001, p 169, with case note by Charfeddine.

Article 429 of the Code of Obligations and Contracts states that ‘judicial acknowledgment may result from the silence of the party when, formally invited by the judge to provide explanations as to the question addressed to it, this party persists in not answering and does not request a deadline for doing so,’ Code of Obligations and Contracts of December 15, 1906, Official Gazette no. 100 of December 15, 1906.

Cass. civ., October 12, 2001, no. 2001-10020, Revue tunisienne de droit 2001, p 169, with case note by Charfeddine.

Law No. 2003-51 of July 7, 2003, Amending and Completing the Law No. 98-75 of October 28, 1998, Concerning the Assigning of a Patronymic Name to Abandoned Children or Children of Unknown Paternity, Official Gazette no. 54 of July 8, 2003, pp 2259–2260.

Cass. civ., October 8, 2004, no. 2494 (unpublished).

Cass. civ., March 2, 2006, no. 7799, Bull. 2006, p 279.

Mechri 2002, p 213.

On this question: Béjaoui 1994; Bel Hadj Yahia 1979, pp 83–104; Ben Halima 1996, p 171.

Article 75 of the Personal Status Code provides that ‘if the husband denies being the father of a child conceived or born during the marriage, the contested filiation shall be severed only by a court decision. All the modes of proof provided for in this matter by the law are admitted.’

Article 3 bis, paras 2 and 3 Law No. 98-75 of October 28, 1998.

Article 7 of the Convention provides that ‘the child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and, as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents.’

Even if Law No. 98-75 of October 28, 1998, does not expressly provide for it, the child whose parents are both unknown may be represented by the public guardian to exercise the action provided for by the law. According to Article 2 Law No. 58-27 of March 4, 1958, on Public Guardianship, Informal Guardianship (kafala) and Adoption, the public guardian has the same rights and obligations vis-à-vis the ward than as those of the father and mother.

Ben Tardaiet-Ghamersa 2004, p 179.

The ban is from the Confederates Sura 33, verse 4: ‘… nor has He [Allah] made your adopted sons your sons.’ Verse 5: ‘Call them [your adopted sons] by [the names of] their fathers: that is juster in the sight of Allah’ (The Holy Qur-ān: English translation of the meanings and Commentary (1990) (Translated by Ali Y) King Fahd Holy Qur-ān Printing Complex, Medina).

It is not sufficient to explain the prohibition of adoption through the factual circumstances surrounding the Prophet’s desire to marry the repudiated ex-wife of his adopted son Zeid. On this question, Pruvost 1977, p 402.

On this law, Pruvost 1973, pp 141–149. On the difference between adoption and kafala, Ben Achour 2013a, pp 19–32.

A recent judgment dated August 28, 2018 by the Cantonal Tribunal of Tunis (Journal La Presse, August 29, 2018) authorized, for the first time, the adoption of a child (disabled) by a single woman.

Béjaoui-Attar 2003, no. 16, pp 79–101.

Other laws have been much clearer on the issue. For example, Article 356 of the French Civil Code provides that full adoption ‘confers on the child a filiation which replaces his or her filiation of origin. The adoptee ceases to belong to the family by blood.’

Article 15, para 3 Law No. 58-27 of March 4, 1958.

Article 46 of the Personal Status Code provides that ‘children shall continue to be served until they reach the age of majority, or beyond that age, until the end of the age of majority or the end of their studies, provided that they do not exceed the age of 25 years. The girl continues to be entitled to maintenance as long as she has no resources or is not taken in charge by her husband.’

On the issue of the revocation of adoption, Barhoumi-Néji 2007‐2008, p 411; Béjaoui 1994; Bel Hadj Yahia 1979, pp 83–104.

TPI Tunis, April 17, 1978, no. 57554; TPI Monastir, February 1, 1985, no. 4064; TPI Monastir, May 19, 1989, no. 6126; Cour d’appel Monastir, December 21, 1991, no. 557 (all unpublished), cited by Béjaoui-Attar 2003, pp 98, 99.

Cour d’appel Monastir, December 9, 1987, no. 319; TPI Tunis, October 19, 1989, no. 5813; TPI Kairouan, March 6, 1989, no. 20973 (all unpublished), cited by Barhoumi-Néji 2007‐2008, p 411.

Cass. civ., April 2, 1991, no. 27008 (unpublished), cited by Barhoumi-Néji 2007‐2008, p 461.

Cass. civ., March 23, 1993, no. 295, Bull. 1993, p 290.

Ben Halima 1996, p 171.

TPI Monastir, October 21, 1999, no. 12574 (unpublished), reproduced by Barhoumi-Néji 2007‐2008, p 397.

TPI Monastir, February 10, 2000, no. 12824 (unpublished), reproduced by Barhoumi-Néji 2007‐2008, p 405.

Law No. 95-92 of November 9, 1995, Relative to the Publication of the Child Protection Code, Official Gazette no. 90 of 1995, p 2095.

Béjaoui-Attar 2003, pp 79–101.

Article 3 Law No. 58-27 of March 4, 1958.

See section “‎Patrimonial Effects”.

Such a possibility is clearly provided for by Moroccan Law No. 15-01 of June 13, 2002, on the Care of Abandoned Children, Official Gazette no. 5036 of September 5, 2002, pp 914–918. Article 23 of this law clearly allows the person providing kafala ‘to make the child cared for the beneficiary of a donation, a will, a tanzil or a charity.’

The public guardian is required to assign a patronymic name to the child of unknown parents. This obligation results today from the Law No. 98-75 of October 28, 1998.

This is the solution provided by Algerian law. Indeed, Decree-Law No. 92-24 of January 13, 1992, Completing the Decree No. 71-157 of June 3, 1971, on the Change of Name, Official Gazette no. 05 of January 22, 1992, p 113, provides that if the minor child admitted by kafala is of unknown paternity, he or she may change his or her name to match that of the kafil. The request for a change of name is made by the guardian of the makful. This possibility of assigning the name of the kafil to the makful brings kafala closer to adoption, and makes it practically ‘disguised adoption under kafala.’ The assimilation between kafala and adoption remains limited, however, as the possibility of assigning the kafil’s family name to the makful only applies to children born to an unknown father.

The solution is different in other legal systems. For instance, pursuant to Article 17 of the Moroccan Law No. 15-01 of June 13, 2002, the guardianship judge designates the person in charge of the kafala as a dative tutor, that is to say, judicial guardian of the child. Algerian law goes even further, since guardianship exercised over the makful child by the kafil is not judicial guardianship, but legal guardianship. This is clearly the result of Article 121 of the Algerian Family Code, according to which ‘the legal reception confers on the beneficiary legal guardianship,’ Law No. 84-11 of June 9, 1984, on the Family Code, Official Gazette no. 24 of June 12, 1984, pp 612–625. Kafala in Algerian and Moroccan legislation therefore grants the kafil more rights toward the makful than in Tunisian legislation.

Law No. 67-47 of November 21, 1967.

See Sects. ‎12.4.1 and ‎12.5.1.

Article 2 Law No. 67-47 of November 21, 1967.

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Titel: Tunisia
verfasst von: Souhayma Ben Achour
Verlag: T.M.C. Asser Press
Buch: Filiation and the Protection of Parentless Children
Print ISBN: 978-94-6265-310-8

Electronic ISBN: 978-94-6265-311-5

Copyright-Jahr: 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6265-311-5_12