Sabinet | Volume 2019 Number 4
Volume 2019 Number 4, 2019
Journal of South African Law / Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg - Volume 2019 Number 4, October 2019
Volume 2019 Number 4, October 2019
The South African human rights commission : a last lifebuoy or pulling the plug?
Source: Journal of South African Law / Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2019, pp 1 –27 (2019)
Fundamental procedural rights of civil litigants in Australia and South Africa : is there cause for concern? (part 2)
Authors: Wouter Le R De Vos and Theo Broodryk
Source: Journal of South African Law / Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2019, pp 627 –639 (2019)
Die artikel oorweeg die verskillende wyses waarop fundamentele prosedurele regte van siviele litigante in beide Australië en Suid-Afrika erken word. Die artikel oorweeg verder die mate waartoe moderne hervormings wat tot die siviele prosesregsisteme van voorafgaande jurisdiksies aangebring is hierdie regte beïnvloed. Die moderne hervormings wat in die artikel bespreek word hou primêr verband met die toenemende behoefte in hedendaagse gemeenregtelike sisteme aan prosedures wat daarop gemik is om siviele dispute op ’n goedkoper, vinniger en meer effektiewe wyse op te los. Die artikel oorweeg gevolglik of die Australiese- en Suid-Afrikaanse prosesregtelike sisteme op die regte pad is betreffende die beskerming van partye se fundamentele regte en of daar rede tot kommer behoort te wees.
In beide Australië en Suid-Afrika speel geregtelike saakbestuur ’n toenemende belangrike rol gedurende litigasie, met die gevolg dat geregtelike saakbestuurders se magte voortdurend aan die uitbrei is. Daar bestaan ook voortdurende meedoënlose druk om weg te beweeg van verhore en om van alternatiewe geskilbeslegting, veral bemiddeling, gebruik te maak om siviele dispute op te los. In die artikel argumenteer die outeurs dat hierdie hervormings om verskeie redes ’n ontkenning van siviele litigante se fundamentele regte tot gevolg kan hê.
Die breë spektrum van magte wat aan geregtelike saakbestuurders verleen word om prosedurele beslissings te maak kan ’n nadelige effek hê op die wyse waarop ’n party sy of haar saak pleit en voorlê vir geskilbeslegting. In die artikel argumenteer die outeurs dat dit ’n onregverdigbare beperking op ’n party se reg om gehoor te word tot gevolg kan hê. Die outeurs argumenteer verder dat die toenemende beweging weg van verhore en meer na alternatiewe geskilbeslegting die belangrike grondwetlike rol van die howe in siviele geskilbeslegting en die ontwikkeling van die reg kan benadeel. Dit maak verder ook inbreuk op ’n persoon se reg op toegang tot die howe.
Onterwing van ’n bloedverwant en tog ’n regterlike diskresie om die testateur se laaste wilsuiting te minag?
Source: Journal of South African Law / Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2019, pp 667 –687 (2019)
The protection of fictional characters with specific reference to the Rapid Phase case
Authors: S. Karjiker and L. Mc Loud
Source: Journal of South African Law / Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2019, pp 688 –712 (2019)
Die outeurs bespreek die beskerming van fiktiewe karakters binne die konteks van die Suid-Afrikaanse kopiereg. Die enigste Suid-Afrikaanse saak wat handel oor die beskerming van fiktiewe karakters is Rapid Phase Entertainment CC v SABC. In hierdie saak het die eiser (die skeppers van die strokiesprent “Madam and Eve”) ’n saak vir kopieregskending teen die verweerder, die SAUK, ingestel. Die eiser het beweer dat die verweerder die karakters van sy strokiesprent onregmatig in een van die verweerder se televisie advertensies gebruik het. Hierdie uitspraak het heelwat kritiek ontlok en derhalwe is die Suid-Afrikaanse posisie rakende die beskerming van fiktiewe karakters onseker en onderontwikkeld.
In hierdie artikel formuleer die outeurs ’n benadering wat deur die Suid-Afrikaanse howe in die toekoms toegepas kan word wanneer hulle gekonfronteer word met ’n saak wat handel oor die kopieregskending van ’n fiktiewe karakter. Omdat die Suid-Afrikaanse howe tot op datum nog nie die kwessie voldoende aangespreek het nie, is die Amerikaanse reg geraadpleeg om die benadering te formuleer. Die Amerikaanse standpunt was oorspronklik dat fiktiewe karakters nie onafhanklik van die werk waarin hulle oorspronklik voorgekom het, beskerm kon word nie. Hierdie benadering was egter aangepas in Walt Disney Productions v Air Pirates waarin die hof bevind het dat dit wel moontlik is vir ’n fiktiewe karakter om onafhanklik van die oorspronklike werk beskerm te word. Die vraag wat egter ontstaan is: Wanneer word hierdie onafhanklike beskerming deur die karakters geniet? Hierdie vraag vorm die sentrale ondersoek van die artikel.
Hierdie artikel bevat ’n omvattende ontleding van die Rapid Phase-saak. Die outeurs verwys na ’n alternatiewe gevolgtrekking waartoe die hof moontlik kon kom indien dit die korrekte benadering in die konteks van die Suid-Afrikaanse reg toegepas het. Die outeurs stel voor dat hierdie nuut geformuleerde benadering in die toekoms deur die Suid-Afrikaanse howe toegepas word om ’n uitspraak soos dié in die Rapid Phase-saak te vermy en te verseker dat die hof ’n moderne benadering toepas wanneer dit kom by die beskerming van fiktiewe karakters.
Testamentêre trusts en die Nederlandse testamentair bewind – ’n regsvergelykende ondersoek
Author Eben Nel
Source: Journal of South African Law / Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2019, pp 713 –727 (2019)
An update of recent labour law developments from The South African Courts - 2019
Source: Journal of South African Law / Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2019, pp 728 –748 (2019)
This contribution summarises recent developments from June 2018 to May 2019 in the field of labour law in South Africa. It focuses on a selection of interesting judgments delivered by South African courts on the labour law issues listed above. The judgments discussed herein have been selected because they establish new principles, significantly elaborate on established ones or establish new tests in law. They all profoundly influence legal science and it is foreseen that these judgments will have a significant impact on future labour law cases.
Highlighting flaws in the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004
Source: Journal of South African Law / Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2019, pp 749 –756 (2019)
The devastating effect of the crime of corruption on various levels of society has been widely reported. Burchell mentions that this crime phenomenon is punished in respect of officials as it is subversive of the democratic principles of public administration and destroys public confidence and trust in the administration whilst Kemp links corruption to the wider fight against transnational organised crime (Burchell Principles of Criminal Law (2016) 804; Kemp et al Criminal Law in South Africa (2015) 443). Snyman warns that corruption inter alia “endangers the free market economy, creates a breeding ground for organized crime, results in some people becoming rich at the expense of others, increases levels of poverty, impedes economic development, [and] destroys the pillars of democracy…” (Criminal Law (2014) 401). These sentiments are also echoed from elsewhere in the world. Kaiafa- Gbandi declares that “[c]orruption is indeed a phenomenon whose consequences are associated with major predicaments afflicting contemporary societies: poverty, immigration, environmental degradation, and especially the corrosion of democracy and the rule of law” (“Punishing corruption in the public and the private sector: key issues on current EU policy and the rule-of-law challenges” in Mitsilegas, Bergström and Konstadinides Research Handbook on EU Criminal Law (2016) 377; also see Hualing “The upward and downward spirals in China’s anti-corruption enforcement” in McConville and Pils Comparative Perspectives on Criminal Justice in China (2013) 390-410; Gardner and Anderson Criminal Law (2015) 415-424 reflect on the position in the United States of America). The following lamentation by Bande on corruption in Malawi illustrates the extent and far-reaching effects of this crime when it is allowed to flourish unabated (Criminal Law in Malawi (2017)):
Does the misapplication of a legal rule raise a constitutional matter ? a fifty-fifty encounter with common-purpose criminal liability
Source: Journal of South African Law / Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2019, pp 757 –773 (2019)
Section 167(3)(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, provides that the constitutional court is the highest court of the Republic of South Africa and section 167(3)(b) provides that the constitutional court may decide (i) constitutional matters; and (ii) any other matter, if the constitutional court grants leave to appeal on the grounds that the matter raises an arguable point of law of general public importance which ought to be considered by the court. The jurisdiction of the court in respect of “any other matter” was inserted by the Constitution Seventeenth Amendment Act of 2012.
Liability of the state for psychiatric injury of parents caused by death of baby at day-care centre
Source: Journal of South African Law / Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2019, pp 773 –781 (2019)
Barley v Moore 2017 3 All SA 799 (WCC); Western Cape Department of Social Development v Barley 2019 3 SA 235 (SCA)
The parents of a 22-week-old daughter entrusted her to a day-care centre. It appeared that the child rolled off a bed on which she was sleeping, was asphyxiated and died. The parents instituted a delictual claim for damages against the owner of the day-care centre (first defendant), as well as the provincial department of social development (second defendant) (see also for a discussion of the decision in the trial court Neethling and Potgieter “Delict” 2017 ASSAL 401-404). The plaintiffs succeeded against both defendants in the trial court. However, the department’s appeal against its liability was upheld by the supreme court of appeal.
Oproep van verband vir vreemde skuld
Source: Journal of South African Law / Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2019, pp 782 –798 (2019)
NPGS Protection and Security Services CC v FirstRand Bank Ltd (314/2018) 2019 ZASCA 94 (6 Junie 2019)
In die Suid-Afrikaanse reg soos in die gemenereg kan ’n skuldeiser die risiko’s verbonde aan kredietverskaffing aan sy teenparty verminder deur van een van meerdere vorme van kredietsekerheid gebruik te maak. Van oudsher bekend en beproef is saaklike sekerheid in die vorm van byvoorbeeld ’n verbandreg oor ’n bepaalde onroerende saak of ’n pandreg oor ’n bepaalde roerende saak. As reghebbende van ’n beperkte saaklike sekerheidsreg geniet die verbandreghebbende ’n versekerde verhaalsreg op die objek van sy beperkte saaklike reg en in die geval van ’n sameloop van skuldeisers ook ’n voorkeurreg. As saaklike reg is die vestiging van die sekerheidsreg afhanklik van nakoming van al die toepaslike vereistes vir die vestiging van ’n saaklike reg op hetsy ’n onroerende of ’n roerende saak. In die geval van ’n verbandreg beteken dit nakoming van al die vereistes vir die afgeleide wyse van vestiging van ’n saaklike reg op ’n onroerende saak met inbegrip van die saaklike ooreenkoms en behoorlike registrasie in die aktekantoor. Saaklike sekerheidsregte ontstaan nooit langs ’n oorspronklike wyse van regsverkryging nie en behoef dus altyd ’n saaklike ooreenkoms tussen die skuldeiser as potensiële reghebbende van die beperkte saaklike reg waartoe ooreengekom is en die beskikkingsbevoegde teenparty ten aansien van die objek van die saaklike reg – gewoonlik die eienaar of sy gemagtigde verteenwoordiger. (Sien Sonnekus en Schlemmer Beginsels van Saaklike- en Persoonlike Sekerheidsregte in die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg (2019) 1-87 en 165-210.)
The Boni Mores take a strange turn
Source: Journal of South African Law / Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2019, pp 798 –814 (2019)
South African law recognises the action for damages of a dependant who suffered loss as a result of the death of his or her breadwinner against a wrongdoer who caused such breadwinner’s death in a wrongful and culpable way (Neethling and Potgieter Neethling-Potgieter-Visser Law of Delict (2015) 292-299; Loubser and Midgley (eds) The Law of Delict in South Africa (2012) 288-292; Van der Merwe and Olivier Die Onregmatige Daad in die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg (1989) 332 ff; Burchell Principles of Delict (1993) 233-239; McKerron The Law of Delict (1971) 149-153; generally Davel Skadevergoeding aan Afhanklikes (1987)). Notwithstanding the anomalous character of such a claim – our courts regard its basis as a delict committed against the late breadwinner, and not the dependant, in spite of the fact that it is instituted in the latter’s name – application of its basic requirements normally presents no difficulties and judgments recognising it abound, especially in the sphere of liability of the Road Accident Fund (Fund) for breadwinner deaths. (In terms of the “theoretically correct view” (Neethling and Potgieter 293) the claim is in fact based on the wrongful, culpable causing of (pure economic) damage to the dependant, which view is implicitly ratified by the Apportionment of Damages Act 34 of 1956, as well as certain judgments of the supreme court of appeal, eg Santam Bpk v Henery 1999 3 SA 421 (SCA) 430C; Amod v Multilateral Motor Vehicle Accidents Fund (Commission for Gender Equality Intervening) 1999 4 SA 1319 (SCA) 1326C-D; Brooks v Minister of Safety and Security 2008 2 SA 397 (C) 407BF.) The case under discussion is unaffected by this controversy between the different approaches followed in practice and academia.
Critiquing the Komape decision
Author Emile Zitzke
Source: Journal of South African Law / Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2019, pp 814 –829 (2019)
The Komape case tells the story about a malfeasant government, the tragic death of a child, a grieving family, and an unresponsive law of delict that was left undeveloped, devoid of constitutional spirit. Michael Komape was five years old when he went to school one morning, never to return. He went to the pit latrine at school, fell into the hole, and endured a slow and painful death by drowning. His mother later discovered Michael’s dead body in the pit, with only his little arm sticking out of the sewage into the air (par 17-23). It was as if he was reaching for help. Indeed, reaching for hope. However, as will be seen in this discussion, the law does not respond to his outstretched hand.
Fuggle and Rabie’s environmental management in South Africa, N.D. King, H.A. Strydom & F.P. Retief (Eds.)
Source: Journal of South African Law / Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2019, pp 830 –831 (2019)
Over the past 25 years, the field of environmental management in South Africa has been dominated by one textbook, namely Fuggle and Rabie’s Environmental Management in South Africa. This dominance is set to continue with the publication of the third edition in 2018 (the second edition was published in 2006 and the first edition in 1996), edited by Nicholas King, Hennie Strydom and Francoise Retief. As any South African who works in the field of environmental management knows, this is a formidable editorial team. Nicholas King is an environmental management consultant and extraordinary professor at North West University, Hennie Strydom is professor of international law at the University of Johannesburg and holder of the National Research Foundation Chair in International Law and Francoise Retief is professor of environmental management also at the North West University.