6.3 Natural Guardian

Who: the parents — both mother and father equally, during their lifetime and capacity. The old rule's father-primacy (the mother's guardianship only on the father's death/consent) is superseded by the Code 2074's equal-parenting design and Article 38(6)'s equal family-affairs command; The scope: custody, nurture, education, health decisions, consent to the child's marriage (at 20 — the child's own consent plus parental), management of the child's property (as curator too, under court supervision for major acts); Survivorship: on one parent's death, the survivor continues as natural guardian alone; Loss of the office: the abusive, neglectful, absent or incapacitated parent — the court may displace the natural guardian for the child's welfare (the Children's Act 2075's protection machinery; the best-interest principle, Unit 5).