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Private Law

Prof Jacqueline Heaton

Professor in Private Law

Qualifications

  • BLC, Pretoria (1983)
  • LLB, Pretoria (cum laude) (1985)
  • LLM (A curriculum - cum laude), Unisa (1988) (“The meaning of the concept ‘best interests of the child’ as applied in adoption applications in South Africa” 315pp)

 

Publications

Accredited scientific journals

  • Heaton J “Aspekte rakende lyfstraf wat in skole toegedien word in stryd met die opdrag van ’n ouer” (“Aspects of corporal punishment administered in schools in contravention of a parent’s wishes”) (1987) 11 South African Journal for Criminal Law and Criminology 52-56
  • Heaton J “Die oordrag van bates ingevolge artikel 7(3)-(6) van die Egskeidingswet: MacGregor v MacGregor 1986 3 SA 644 K” (“The redistribution of assets in terms of section 7(3)-(6) of the Divorce Act: MacGregor v MacGregor”) (1987) 50 Journal for Contemporary Roman-Dutch Law 103-105
  • Heaton J “Die tugbevoegdheid ten opsigte van kinders” (“The power to discipline children”) (1987) 50 Journal for Contemporary Roman-Dutch Law 398-411
  • Heaton J “The relevance of race and classification in terms of the Population Registration Act 30 of 1950 for adoption in South Africa” (1989) 106 South African Law Journal 713-717
  • Heaton J “Should the consent of the father of an illegitimate child be required for the child’s adoption? A suggestion for the reform of South African Law” (1989) 22 Comparative and International Law Journal of Southern Africa 346-354
  • Heaton J “Some general remarks on the concept ‘best interests of the child’” (1990) 53 Journal for Contemporary Roman-Dutch Law 95-99
  • Heaton J and Davie E “Children’s rights” (1991) 2 South African Human Rights and Labour Law Yearbook 19-35
  • Heaton J and Jacobs S “Terugwerkendheid van ’n verandering van huweliksgoederebedeling ingevolge artikel 21(1) van die Wet op Huweliksgoedere: Ex parte Burger 1995 1 SA 140 (D)” (“Retroactivity of a change of matrimonial property system in terms of section 21(1) of the Matrimonial Property Act: Ex parte Burger 1995 1 SA 140 (D)”) (1995) 58 Journal for Contemporary Roman-Dutch Law 513-517
  • Heaton J and Schoeman E “Foreign marriages and section 7(3) of the Divorce Act” (2000) 63 Journal for Contemporary Roman-Dutch Law 141-149
  • Heaton J “An overview of the current legal position regarding heterosexual life partnerships” (2005) 68 Journal for Contemporary Roman-Dutch Law 662-670
  • Heaton J “Striving for substantive gender equality in family law: Selected issues” (2005) 21 South African Journal on Human Rights 547-574
  • Heaton J and Pretorius JT “Minors as the payees of cheques” (2007) 124 South African Law Journal 112-127
  • Heaton J “Termination of post-divorce maintenance for a spouse or civil union partner in terms of a settlement agreement” (2007) 70 Journal for Contemporary Roman-Dutch Law 641-652
  • Heaton J “The Law of Persons and Family Law” 2007 Annual Survey of South African Law 885-960 (published in 2008)
  • Heaton J “The Marriage Act 25 of 1961, the Divorce Act 70 of 1979, and the dissolution of a Hindu marriage [Discussion of Singh v Ramparsad and Others 2007 3 SA 445 (D)]” (2008) 19 Stellenbosch Law Review 452-465
  • Heaton J “The Law of Persons and Family Law” 2008 Annual Survey of South African Law 908-964 (published in 2009)
  • Heaton J “An individualised, contextualised and child-centred determination of the child’s best interests, and the implications of such an approach in the South African context” (2009) 34 Journal for Juridical Science 1-18
  • Heaton J “Family Law” 2009 Annual Survey of South African Law 440-486 (published in 2010)
  • Heaton J “The Law of Persons” 2009 Annual Survey of South African Law 883-896 (published in 2010)
  • De Jong M and Heaton J “A missed opportunity to achieve justice in respect of maintenance for divorced spouses whose former spouses die: Kruger NO V Goss” (2011) 128 South African Law Journal 211-223
  • Heaton J “Family Law” 2010 Annual Survey of South African Law 435-496 (published in 2011)
  • Heaton J “The Law of Persons” 2010 Annual Survey of South African Law 990-1000 (published in 2011)
  • Bakker P and Heaton J ‘The co-existence of customary and civil marriages under the Black Administration Act 38 of 1927 and the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act 120 of 1998 — The Supreme Court of Appeal introduces polygyny into Some Civil Marriages: Netshituka v Netshituka 2011 5 SA 453 (SCA)’ 2012 Journal of South African Law 586-593
  • Smith B and Heaton J “Extension of the dependant’s action to heterosexual life partners after Volks NO v Robinson and the coming into operation of the Civil Union Act – Thus far and no further?” (2012) 75 Journal for Contemporary Roman-Dutch Law 472-484
  • Heaton J “Family Law” 2011 Annual Survey of South African Law (accepted for publication: 2012)
  • Heaton J “The Law of Persons” 2011 Annual Survey of South African Law (accepted for publication: 2012)

Monographs

  • Heaton J and Roos A. Family and Succession Law in South Africa (2012) Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, Alphen aan den Rijn 272pp

Books

  • Cronjé DSP and Heaton J Casebook on the Law of Persons and Family Law (1990) Butterworths, Durban; 2 ed (1994)
  • Sinclair JD assisted by Heaton J The Law of Marriage Volume 1 (1996) Juta, Kenwyn
  • Cronjé DSP and Heaton J Die Suid-Afrikaanse Familiereg (1999) Butterworths, Durban; 2 ed (2004)
  • Cronjé DSP and Heaton J South African Family Law (1999) Butterworths, Durban; 2 ed (2004)
  • Cronjé DSP and Heaton J Casebook on South African Family Law (1999) LexisNexis Butterworths, Durban; 2 ed (2004)
  • Cronjé DSP and Heaton J Casebook on the South African Law of Persons (1999) Butterworths, Durban; 2 ed (2003)
  • Cronjé DSP and Heaton J The South African Law of Persons (1999) Butterworths, Durban; 2 ed (2003)
  • Cronjé DSP and Heaton J Die Suid-Afrikaanse Personereg (1999) Butterworths, Durban; 2 ed (2003)
  • Heaton J Casebook on the South African Law of Persons 3 ed (2008) LexisNexis, Durban; 4 ed (2012)
  • Heaton J The South African Law of Persons 3 ed (2008) LexisNexis, Durban; 4 ed (2012)
  • Heaton J Die Suid-Afrikaanse Personereg 3 ed (2008) LexisNexis, Durban; 4 ed (2012)
  • Heaton J Casebook on South African Family Law 3 ed (2010) LexisNexis, Durban
  • Heaton J South African Family Law 3 ed (2010) LexisNexis, Durban

Chapters in books

  • Heaton J “Family Law and the Bill of Rights” in Bill of Rights Compendium (1998) LexisNexis Butterworths, Durban (loose-leaf) 3C-1 to 3C-67
  • Heaton J “Family Law” in Unit for Gender Research in Law Women and the Law in South Africa: Empowerment through Enlightenment (1998) Juta, Kenwyn 9-90
  • Heaton J “The concepts of status and capacity: A jurisprudential excursus”, in Cockrell A, Heaton J, Keightley R, Mosikatsana T, Sinclair J and Van Heerden B (Cockrell A, Van Heerden B and Keightley R (eds)) Boberg’s The Law of Persons and Family Law 2 ed (1999) Juta, Kenwyn 65-75
  • Heaton J “Mental and physical disability; prodigality” in Cockrell A, Heaton J, Keightley R, Mosikatsana T, Sinclair J and Van Heerden B (Cockrell A, Van Heerden B and Keightley R (eds)) Boberg’s The Law of Persons and Family Law 2 ed (1999) Juta, Kenwyn p 105-160
  • Heaton J “Miscellaneous factors” in Cockrell A, Heaton J, Keightley R, Mosikatsana T, Sinclair J and Van Heerden B (Cockrell A, Van Heerden B and Keightley R (eds)) Boberg’s The Law of Persons and Family Law 2 ed (1999) Juta, Kenwyn 206-230
  • Heaton J “The concept of capacity” in Cockrell A, Heaton J, Keightley R, Mosikatsana T, Sinclair J and Van Heerden B (Cockrell A, Van Heerden B and Keightley R (eds)) Boberg’s The Law of Persons and Family Law 2 ed (1999) Juta, Kenwyn 745-755
  • Heaton J “Capacity to perform juristic acts: Marriage and other acts” in Cockrell A, Heaton J, Keightley R, Mosikatsana T, Sinclair J and Van Heerden B (Cockrell A, Van Heerden B and Keightley R (eds)) Boberg’s The Law of Persons and Family Law 2 ed (1999) Juta, Kenwyn 835-854
  • Heaton J “Parental responsibilities and rights” in Davel CJ and Skelton AM (eds) Commentary on the Children’s Act (2007) Juta & Co, Kenwyn 3-1 to 3-45
  • Heaton J “Family Law and the Bill of Rights” in Bill of Rights Compendium (1998) LexisNexis Butterworths, Durban (loose-leaf) (2005) 3C-1 to 3C-86
  • Heaton J “The right to same-sex marriage in South Africa” in Gerber P and Sifris A (eds) Current Trends in the Regulation of Same-Sex Relationships (2010) Federation Press, Sydney 108-122
  • Heaton J “Parental responsibilities and rights” in Davel CJ and Skelton AM (eds) Commentary on the Children's Act 4th revision service (2012) 3-1 to 3-51
  • Heaton J “South Africa: Changing the contours of Child and Family Law” in Sutherland EE (ed) The Future of Child and Family Law: International Predictions (2012) Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 398-428

Journal editorships

  • Guest editor: Speculum Juris – Special Issue on Family Law: 2009 (2), published  2010.
  • Editor Annual Survey of South African Law: as from 2010 volume (published in 2011).
  • Editor South African Law Journal: as from 2012.

Papers presented at conferences

  • “An overview of recent developments in family law which affect women” 1999-05-31 Rand Afrikaans University (now University of Johannesburg), Johannesburg (International conference: “Women and the Law”)
  • “Re-consideration of the concept of ‘the best interests of the child’ in South African Family Law in light of the Bill of Rights”, 2009-09-07, Monash University, Prato, Italy (International conference: “Children and the Law. International Approaches to Children and their Vulnerabilities”)
  • “The breadwinner concept” 1989-09-25, Unisa, Pretoria (National conference of the Unisa Centre for Women’s Studies entitled “Women and the Law – The Good News and the Bad News”)
  • “The present adversarial system” 1989-10-20, Rand Afrikaans University (now University of Johannesburg), Johan¬nesburg (National seminar of the Women’s Bureau of South Africa: “In the Interest of the Child”)
  • “Family Law and the Bill of Rights” 1997-10-11, Unisa, Pretoria (National seminar: “Update on Family Law”)
  • “The post-Constitutional developments of the law of marriage and relationships” 2008-07-30, Women’s Legal Centre, Cape Town (National launch: “Relationship Law”)
  • “Inheritance, deceased estates; proprietary consequences of marriage out of community of property and customary marriages; divorce settlements”, 2011-08-13, South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges, Potchefstroom, South Africa (National conference: “Gender Equality with Emphasis on Education and Training: Driving an Inclusive Culture”)

Postgraduate supervision: completed

Doctoral

  • EK Quansah Determining matrimonial property rights on divorce: An appraisal of the legal regimes in Botswana (Unisa): 2001
  • S Ferreira Interracial and intercultural adoption: A South African legal  Perspective (Unisa): 2009

Master's

  • HGJ Beukes Lewensverhoudings – Enkele juridiese aspekte (Unisa): Research LLM (A curriculum), 2006
  • H de Ru The recognition of same-sex unions in South Africa (Unisa): Research LLM (A curriculum), 2010
  • AM Louw ’n Familieregtelike ondersoek na die regte van die vader by  vrugafdrywing (Unisa): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 1990
  • MC O’Gorman “The role of the family advocate” (Unisa): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 1991
  • RV Kirby Die waarde van die vrou se dienste in die huishouding (Unisa): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 1994
  • CS Human Die rol van die staat in die beskerming van kinderregte (Unisa): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 1994
  • FJ Erasmus Implikasies van die beëindiging van ’n saamwoonverhouding (Unisa): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 1995
  • B Strijdom Beginsels by herverdeling van bates by huwelike buite gemeenskap van goed – met spesifieke verwysing na die begrippe “bydrae” en “skuld” (Unisa): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 1996
  • JH Singer The clean break principle (Unisa): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 1996
  • UA Jivan A gender equality perspective on the non-recognition of Muslim marriages (Unisa): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 1997
  • EJJ Dercksen De facto huwelike – Tyd vir ’n nuwe benadering in die SA reg? (Unisa): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 1997
  • A Chaitram The time is ripe for the full recognition and protection by the law of same-sex marriages. Blasphemy or benediction? (Unisa): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 1998
  • SAV Welsh The law giveth and the law taketh away: Marriages out of community of property excluding accrual post 1984/88 (Unisa): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 2000
  • S Jacobs Enkele regsaspekte rakende gesinsgeweld: Spreek die Wet op  Gesinsgeweld, 1998 die leemtes in die Wet op die Voorkoming van  Gesinsgeweld, 1993 sinvol aan? (Unisa) (Prof E Hurter joint supervisor): LLM (B  curriculum) short dissertation, 2000
  • OM Engelbrecht Die finansiële posisie van gades na egskeiding met spesifieke verwysing na die “clean break” beginsel (Unisa) (Prof M de Jong joint supervisor): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 2001
  • NE Ndlokovane Problems relating to the effective enforcement of child maintenance (Unisa) (Prof MN Slabbert joint supervisor): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 2007
  • PJF Pretorius Die mate van erkenning en beskerming wat die Suid-Afrikaanse reg verleen aan die grondwetlike regte van partye in heteroseksuele saamleefverhoudings (Unisa): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 2010
  • NN Kithuka A comparative analysis of the law regarding parental responsibility in respect of extra-marital children in Kenya and South Africa (Unisa): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 2010
  • N van Wyk Die reg van ouers om toestemming tot mediese behandeling van hulle kinders te weier in terme van die nuwe Kinderwet 38 van 2005 (Unisa): LLM (B curriculum) short dissertation, 2010

Selected other contributions to research in general

  • Member of Advisory Committee of South African Law Reform Commission for  Project 25 Statutory Law Revision: Revision of Legislation administered by  Department of Home Affairs: 2008
  • Expert input into review of Ghanaian matrimonial property law at request of  Ghanaian law reform delegation and Ghanaian-German GTZ (Good Governance  Programme Ghana): 2008
  • Referee of contributions submitted to accredited law journals, including South African Journal on Human Rights, South African Law Journal, Stellenbosch Law Review, Journal for Contemporary Roman-Dutch Law, Comparative and International
  • Law Journal of Southern Africa, SA Mercantile Law Journal, Journal for Legal Science, De Jure, Fundamina, SA Public Law; South African Yearbook of International Law
  • Peer reviewer of five SA scholarly journals: Law and Related Legal Fields for Academy of Science of South Africa
  • Referee for NRF rating applications
  • Referee for Von Humboldt Stiftung applications

Significant ratings, prizes and awards

C2 NRF rating: 2010-2015
University of South Africa Apex Award 2011-
University of South Africa Award for Excellence in Tuition (awarded for Law of  Persons (PVL101-Q); team members: J Heaton, JM Kruger, S Ferreira and DT  Mailula): 2005
Butterworth award for best first contribution to Journal for Contemporary Roman-Dutch Law: 1987

Membership of professional bodies

International Society of Family Law
Society of University Teachers of Law
International Law Association, South African Branch