Current Version
| Region | Namibia |
| Issue | Same-sex adoption |
| Status | Illegal |
| Start Date | (unknown) |
| End Date | (none) |
| Description | In Namibia, only married couples may adopt. In October 2021, the High Court Main Division ruled that the child of a same-sex couple born abroad through surrogacy had the right to Namibian citizenship. In March 2023, the Supreme Court overturned the 2021 decision because the child’s birth was not registered in accordance with the law. |
| Sources | https://www.lac.org.na/projects/grap/Pdf/17-Adoption.pdf https://76crimes.com/2021/10/21/namibia-court-bans-anti-gay-discrimination-in-child-citizenship-case/ https://www.africanews.com/2023/03/20/namibia-court-cancels-nationality-of-child-of-same-sex-couple// https://namiblii.org/akn/na/act/2024/14/eng@2024-12-30 |
Revision History (9)
edited by Unknownmiles. Reverting to revision #44247: my bad
Helpful?
0 | Old Value | New Value (Current) | |
|---|---|---|
| Value | Legal | Illegal |
| Start Date | May 16, 2023 | (unknown) |
| Description | In Namibia, only married couples may adopt. While gay marriage is not legal, gay marriages performed in other countries are recognized in Namibia. Since gay marriages are recognized, gay people who are married and their marriage is recognized by Namibia may adopt. Although in March of 2023, a Namibian court overturned the decision that made a child the son of a gay couple, this was because they had broken a law. The law they broke was failing to register the birth with Namibian authorities within a year. | In Namibia, only married couples may adopt. In October 2021, the High Court Main Division ruled that the child of a same-sex couple born abroad through surrogacy had the right to Namibian citizenship. In March 2023, the Supreme Court overturned the 2021 decision because the child’s birth was not registered in accordance with the law. |
Show Difference | ||
| Sources | https://www.lac.org.na/projects/grap/Pdf/17-Adoption.pdf https://www.africanews.com/2023/03/20/namibia-court-cancels-nationality-of-child-of-same-sex-couple// | https://www.lac.org.na/projects/grap/Pdf/17-Adoption.pdf https://76crimes.com/2021/10/21/namibia-court-bans-anti-gay-discrimination-in-child-citizenship-case/ https://www.africanews.com/2023/03/20/namibia-court-cancels-nationality-of-child-of-same-sex-couple// https://namiblii.org/akn/na/act/2024/14/eng@2024-12-30 |
Show Difference | ||
edited by Unknownmiles. Reverting to revision #44246: not sure why this was changed
Helpful?
0 | Old Value | New Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Value | Illegal | Legal |
| Start Date | (unknown) | May 16, 2023 |
| Description | In Namibia, only married couples may adopt. In October 2021, the High Court Main Division ruled that the child of a same-sex couple born abroad through surrogacy had the right to Namibian citizenship. In March 2023, the Supreme Court overturned the 2021 decision because the child’s birth was not registered in accordance with the law. | In Namibia, only married couples may adopt. While gay marriage is not legal, gay marriages performed in other countries are recognized in Namibia. Since gay marriages are recognized, gay people who are married and their marriage is recognized by Namibia may adopt. Although in March of 2023, a Namibian court overturned the decision that made a child the son of a gay couple, this was because they had broken a law. The law they broke was failing to register the birth with Namibian authorities within a year. |
Show Difference | ||
| Sources | https://www.lac.org.na/projects/grap/Pdf/17-Adoption.pdf https://76crimes.com/2021/10/21/namibia-court-bans-anti-gay-discrimination-in-child-citizenship-case/ https://www.africanews.com/2023/03/20/namibia-court-cancels-nationality-of-child-of-same-sex-couple// https://namiblii.org/akn/na/act/2024/14/eng@2024-12-30 | https://www.lac.org.na/projects/grap/Pdf/17-Adoption.pdf https://www.africanews.com/2023/03/20/namibia-court-cancels-nationality-of-child-of-same-sex-couple// |
Show Difference | ||
| Old Value | New Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Value | Legal | Illegal |
| Start Date | May 16, 2023 | (unknown) |
| Description | In Namibia, only married couples may adopt. While gay marriage is not legal, gay marriages performed in other countries are recognized in Namibia. Since gay marriages are recognized, gay people who are married and their marriage is recognized by Namibia may adopt. Although in March of 2023, a Namibian court overturned the decision that made a child the son of a gay couple, this was because they had broken a law. The law they broke was failing to register the birth with Namibian authorities within a year. | In Namibia, only married couples may adopt. In October 2021, the High Court Main Division ruled that the child of a same-sex couple born abroad through surrogacy had the right to Namibian citizenship. In March 2023, the Supreme Court overturned the 2021 decision because the child’s birth was not registered in accordance with the law. |
Show Difference | ||
| Sources | https://www.lac.org.na/projects/grap/Pdf/17-Adoption.pdf https://www.africanews.com/2023/03/20/namibia-court-cancels-nationality-of-child-of-same-sex-couple// | https://www.lac.org.na/projects/grap/Pdf/17-Adoption.pdf https://76crimes.com/2021/10/21/namibia-court-bans-anti-gay-discrimination-in-child-citizenship-case/ https://www.africanews.com/2023/03/20/namibia-court-cancels-nationality-of-child-of-same-sex-couple// https://namiblii.org/akn/na/act/2024/14/eng@2024-12-30 |
Show Difference | ||
edited by Unknownmiles. Since in Namibia, only married couples can adopt and namibia recognizes gay marriages from other countries, I set the status to married couples only. I set the date to the day Namibia ruled to recognize same sex marriages.
Helpful?
0 | Old Value | New Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Value | (REMOVED) | Legal |
| Special Status | Ambiguous | Legal |
| Start Date | (unknown) | May 16, 2023 |
| Description | No laws in place for same sex couples, however recently the Namibian government allowed a same-sex couple legal custody over their child. | In Namibia, only married couples may adopt. While gay marriage is not legal, gay marriages performed in other countries are recognized in Namibia. Since gay marriages are recognized, gay people who are married and their marriage is recognized by Namibia may adopt. Although in March of 2023, a Namibian court overturned the decision that made a child the son of a gay couple, this was because they had broken a law. The law they broke was failing to register the birth with Namibian authorities within a year. |
Show Difference | ||
| Sources | https://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00080030.html | https://www.lac.org.na/projects/grap/Pdf/17-Adoption.pdf https://www.africanews.com/2023/03/20/namibia-court-cancels-nationality-of-child-of-same-sex-couple// |
Show Difference | ||
edited by DuffdeNecker
Helpful?
0 | Old Value | New Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Value | Single only | (REMOVED) |
| Special Status | Single only | Ambiguous |
| Start Date | Oct 12, 2017 | (unknown) |
| Description | No laws in place for same sex couples. | No laws in place for same sex couples, however recently the Namibian government allowed a same-sex couple legal custody over their child. |
Show Difference | ||
| Sources | https://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00080030.html | |
| Old Value | New Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | nambians are trying to legalize it. | No laws in place for same sex couples. |
| Sources | No |
| Old Value (Original) | New Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Value | Illegal | Single only |
| Description | it is still illegal to be homosexual. | nambians are trying to legalize it. |