UB academic underpins rights of children borne out of wedlock

Senior lecturer in the Department of Law, Obonye Jonas, wrote this in his article titled: “Extra-marital children and their right to inherit from their fathers in Botswana: a critical appraisal”, published by the European Law Reform Journal.

The article analyses the rule that excludes non-marital children from inheriting from and through their fathers under the two systems of laws. “Its central claim is that this rule is antithetical to extra-marital children’s rights to equality, non-discrimination and dignity. The article argues that the rule is devoid of social currency, has no place in a democratic society, and must be abolished. In Botswana, children born out of wedlock have been suffering serious legal and societal discrimination from time immemorial,” explained Jonas.