Institut posvojenja prema Općem građanskom zakoniku na hrvatsko-slavonskom pravnom području

Adoption is an institute of a very dynamic nature, evident by the fact that it inevitably carried a label of time and features of social system in which existed. Historically, it was used to achieve different goals, such as the preservation of fighting and working strength of a tribe, extension of the family, providing a successor, improving the status of illegitimate children and even releasing from slavery. After a certain lull during the medieval period, adoption regained its prominence within the framework of the great civil codes of the 19th and early 20th Century. However, in the early stage of capitalism it`s only purpose was extension of the family, like in Austrian General Civil Code (Allgemeines Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch = ABGB), and not taking care of parentless children. Unlike other civil codifications, ABGB is characterised by the patriarchal elements within family relationships (i.e. underprivileged positions of a woman), noticeable also in the adoption provisions. For example, father`s consent to the adoption is primary, while mother`s is only subsidiary. According to the ABGB the adoption was regulated as an incomplete or reversible adoption (adoption minus plena). Relation parent – child as well as all legal consequences that derive from it existed only between adoptive parents, adoptee and adoptee`s descendants. Also, adoptee didn’t break connection with his/hers biological family. However, this regulation of adoption represented a considerable step forward compared to the previous state.
U radu se razmatraju pravila Općega građanskog zakonika o institutu posvojenja te se, radi kompletnije spoznaje, daje uvid i u povijesni razvoj instituta posvojenja na hrvatskom pravnom području od starog vijeka pa sve do polovice 20. stoljeća. Središnja misao je da, iako uređenje instituta posvojenja prema OGZ-u predstavlja popriličan korak naprijed u odnosu na prijašnje stanje, svrha posvojenja očituje se i dalje kao isključivo produženje obiteljske loze, a ne zbrinjavanje djece bez roditeljske skrbi. Posvojenje, prema tom Zakoniku, ima osnovne karakteristike privatnovlasničkog pravnog poretka i bilo je uređeno u duhu interesa plemstva, a u svrhu umjetnog produžavanja porodice (obitelji) i čuvanja njezinih interesa.