THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD IN INTERNATIONAL AND SLOVAK LAW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v23.5252Palabras clave:
Best Interests of the Child, Children's Rights, Family Law, International Law, LegislationResumen
This study examines the principle of the best interests of the child as a key element in the protection of children's rights. It explores the theoretical framework of this principle and traces its historical development: from the first declarations (the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1924) and the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959)) up to its enshrinement in contemporary international and Slovak law. It analyzes key international instruments (in particular the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child) and Slovak legal sources (e.g. Act No. 36/2005 Coll. on the Family) which establish that the best interests of the child must be a primary consideration. At the same time, it highlights the main challenges in applying this principle, including the interpretive difference between understanding the principle as a “primary” versus “paramount” consideration, terminological ambiguities in the Slovak translation, as well as the lack of impact studies in this area. The study also offers de lege ferenda suggestions – from clarifying legal terminology to introducing systematic child impact assessments in lawmaking and strengthening institutional mechanisms - with the aim of ensuring more consistent application of the principle of the best interests of the child in everyday practice.
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