Etude comparée de l'établissement des filiations légitime et naturelle
Institution:
Rennes 1Disciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
Although consanguinity in lineal descent is a fact that is always identical, legitimate and natural children are not on an equal footing when it comes to establishing it. In fact there is a contradiction between two conceptions of establishing what filiation is : the individualistic conception and the social conception. The first privileges the child's individual interest which is that of having a family and therely having established filiation. The establishment of filiation represents a simple question of proof of procreation, an easy way of legally bending a child to its begetters. Therefore the conditions of establishment of legitimate and natural filiation shall be identical except when the difference between the matrimonial position of the child's begetters stands in the way. The second privileges the interest of society which consists in the forming of stable nuclear families where peace prevails. Pre-eminence and perenniality of the family pattern seeming to offer the strongest guarantees of stability the legitimate family - have to be assured. The establishment of filiation provides the means. To this end all one is re quired to do is to make the establishment of legitimate filiation easier while at the same time slowing down or prohibit ing that of natural filiation which implies putting the natural child in an unequal position with respect to the legitimate child in the matter. The first code of civil law practised the second conception ofr philosophical and political reasons. Afterwards with the changing ethos the legislator phased out several types of discrimination borne by the natural child, thus gradually turning towards the individualistic conception of the establishment of filiation recognized by former law.
Abstract FR:
Bien que la filiation soit un fait toujours identique, les enfants legitimes et naturels ne sont pas a egalite concernan t son etablissement. Effectivement, deux conceptions de l'etablissement de la filiation s'opposent : la conception "individualiste" et la conception "sociale". La premiere privilegie l'interet individuel de l'enfant qui est d'avoir une famille et donc d'avoir sa filiation etablie. L'etablissement de la filiation represente une pure question de preuve de la procreation, un simple moyen de rattacher juridiquement un enfant a ses auteurs. Aussi les conditions d'etablissements desfiliations legitime et naturelle doivent-elles etre identiques, excepte lorsque la difference entre la situation matrimoniale des auteurs de l'enfant y fait obstacle. La seconde privilegie l'interet de la societe qui rside dans la constitution de familles stables ou regnera la paix. La preeminence et la perennite du modele familial paraissant presenter les meilleures garanties de stabilite la famille legitime - doivent etre assurees. L'etablissement de la filiation en fournit le moyen. A cette fin il suffit en effet de faciliter l'etablissement de la filiation legitime tout en freinant, sinon interdisant, celui de la filiation naturelle, ce qui implique de palcer l'enfant naturel dans une situation d'inegalite par rapport a l'enfant legitime en la matiere. Le code civil initial pratiquait la seconde conception pour des raisons philosophiques et politiques. Par la suite, les mentalites evoluant, le legislateur supprima par etapes plusieurs discriminations supportees par l'enfant naturel, se tournant ainsi progressivement ver la conception individualiste de l'etablissement de la filiation que connaissait l'ancien droit.