South Africa’s highest courtroom has dominated that husbands can take the surname of their wives, overturning a legislation that barred them from doing so.
In a victory for 2 {couples} who introduced the case, the Constitutional Court docket dominated that the legislation amounted to gender-based discrimination.
Henry van der Merwe was denied the suitable to take the surname of his spouse Jana Jordaan, whereas Andreas Nicolas Bornman couldn’t hyphenate his surname to incorporate Donnelly, the surname of his spouse, Jess Donnelly-Bornman, experiences the general public broadcaster, SABC.
Parliament will now must amend the Births and Deaths Registration Act, together with its laws, for the ruling to take impact.
The 2 {couples} had argued that the legislation was archaic and patriarchal, and violated equality rights enshrined within the structure that South Africa adopted on the finish of white-minority rule.
They efficiently challenged the legislation in a decrease courtroom, however requested the best courtroom to verify its ruling.
