Changing the Surname of Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Changing the Surname of Children - Essay Example Families believed that changing a child's surname is important to obtain proper financial support for the child from the father and as a confirmation to the child that he or she is genuinely and securely part of a family therefore can demand vested rights from his or her parents. Relevantly important is that in knowing the father of the child, it can help provide medical information which can help answer questions about the health of the child and his or her characteristics as he or she grows up. Proper medical information about a child is important so that she will be given the proper medical treatment in a hospital in cases she got sick or suffered a disease, or a clear explanation about the traits he or she possesses. An example of a disease or trait where medical information about the child is important is the sickle cell disease and the sickle cell trait. Under the British laws, changing the surname of a child should be in consonance with the provisions of the Children Act 1989 and the Family Law Reform Act 1987. These laws, particularly the Children Act, provide that in order to win this case, the Court should be persuaded that the change of surname is in the "best interest of the child", that is, for the welfare of the subject. Any person who may seek the change of a child's surname should seek a leave of Court is so doing. The persons who can seek the change of a child's surname are those having parental responsibility including the biological father. "Parental responsibility" shall mean all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by law a parent of a child have in relation to the child and his property (Children Act 1989, sec. 3, par. 1). In this case, since Mr. Smith was granted parental responsibility over his children, he has the right to ask the Court to change the surname of his children to his surna me. When confronted with a petition to change a child's surname, the Court is reminded that any delay in determining the questions is likely to prejudice the welfare of the child (Children Act 1989, sec. 1, par.2). In determining whether to grant the said petition, the Court should consider the following: a) the ascertainable wishes and feelings of the child concerned (considered in the light of his age and understanding); b) his physical, emotional, and educational needs; c) the likely effect on him of any change in his circumstances; d) his age, sex, background, and any characteristics of which the court considers relevant; e) any harm which he has suffered or is at risk of suffering; f) how capable each of his parents and any other person in relation to whom the court considers the question to be relevant is of meeting his needs; g) the range of powers available to the court under this Act in the proceedings in question. The Court should also consider the welfare report or contact reports of the parent involved. In the case of Mr. Smith's, considering the requirements set by law and of the evidences at hand of the petitioner, the petition of Mr. Smith to change the surname of his children should be granted by the court for the following reasons: 1) The result of the paternity test revealed that Mr. Smith is the father of the children. 2) Mr. Smith is in the better position to take care of the children. He can best provide for the needs of the children. Contact

Arguments That Are in Favour of the Release of Genetically Modified Essay

Arguments That Are in Favour of the Release of Genetically Modified (GM) Crops - Essay Example With this concern, the discussion henceforth will aim at highlighting the various advantageous aspects of producing GM crops along with their impact on the environment and the human well-being at large, taking into account the major ideas of consequentialism. Favourable Aspects of GM Crops Better Quality and Higher Productivity Through genetic modifications, the GM crops are produced with better quality, scientifically maintaining a balance between the nutritional requirements. Stating precisely, an effective form of GM crop tends to yield a higher nutrition accumulated with the exact amount of dietetic ingredients of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and carbohydrates among others (Mogilna and Magufwa, n.d.). Moreover, GM crops also possess the benefits of producing greater quantities of crops in comparison to the traditional method for a given proportion of farmland. According to the rapid development of global economies, the number of farmlands is continually reducing, and this causes a negative impact on the traditional method for harvesting crops, which has often turned out to be insufficient to satisfy the increasing world population and industrialisation demands. Therefore, increasing agricultural productivity within the specified farmland area can be considered as a major advantage for the agricultural farms in the modern day context (The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2010). Herbicide Tolerance In the context of farming, the agricultural farms used to spend a large amount of wealth and physical efforts to remove weeds from the crops in the traditional method. However, the process of applying harmful chemicals to weeds was also identified to have an adverse affect on the production of the crops. With this concern, herbicide tolerance crops developed by the genetic modifications are regarded as highly advantageous to prevent the harmful effects of weeds, thus assisting the farmers to save production expenditures and simultaneously raise their profit margin (Sehnal a nd Drobnik, 2009). Insect Resistance The assault of insects in the crops has often been learned to severely affect the production quality and quantity, causing financial losses to the farmers. In order to cope up with the challenge, farmers use huge quantities of pesticides and chemicals to protect their crops from the insects, which can also have an adverse affect on the quality and productivity of the crops. However, it can also be harmful for the customers to regularly consume such food products. With this concern, GM crops can be considered as quite effective to prevent such hazards through the inclusion of â€Å"insect resistance genes.† Moreover, the process also assists the farmers in reducing the financial costs for other chemicals during production (Whitman, 2000). Consequences of GM Crops Human Health Risks The GM crops have been accused of carrying a possibility of causing allergies due to the amalgamation of different genes within the food items that are often uni ntentionally produced during the