Issue 3, 2011 Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg - Volume 2011,
Eiendomsverwerwing of -verlies onder &apos;n tydsbepaling of &apos;n voorwaarde en die privaatregtelike implikasies vir onteiening (deel 1)
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 409 –430 (2011)
Regskonstruksies kan ten beste verstaan en verder ontwikkel word deur &apos;n konsekwente toepassing van geykte en vertroude definisies. Die wesensverskil tussen &apos;n voorwaarde en &apos;n tydsbepaling behoort bekend te wees, maar lewer van tyd tot tyd ruimte vir verwarring. Terwyl &apos;n voorwaarde altyd betrekking het op &apos;n onsekere toekomstige gebeure, hou &apos;n tydsbepaling verband met &apos;n sekere toekomstige gebeure. In beide gevalle speel kennis van presies wanneer wat in die toekoms gaan gebeur, géén rol vir doeleindes van die onderskeid nie. Sowel &apos;n voorwaarde as &apos;n tydsbepaling kan opskortend of ontbindend formuleer word. In die geval van &apos;n opskortende voorwaarde word die intrede van die tersake regsgevolge uitgestel tot aanbreek van die onsekere toekomstige gebeure, terwyl by &apos;n ontbindende voorwaarde die beoogde regsgevolge sonder meer intree, maar die weeropheffing van die ingetrede gevolge afhanklik is van die plaasvind al dan nie van die onsekere toekomstige gebeure. Dieselfde onderskeiding kan gemaak word by tydsbepalings waar soms na die ontbindend werkende termynbepaling as &apos;n eindtermyn verwys word - die ingetrede gevolg eindig by afloop van die gestelde termyn.
Party autonomy and international sales contracts
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 431 –451 (2011)
Die Weense Koopverdrag stel &apos;n eenvormige regsraamwerk vir die internasionale verkoop van goedere daar en is &apos;n invloedryke internasionale instrument. Die verdrag het tans 74 lidlande. Die verdrag beheers kontraksluiting sowel as die regte en verpligtinge van die koper en verkoper tot &apos;n internasionale koopkontrak. Artikel 6 van die verdrag gee erkenning aan die beginsel van kontrakteervryheid. Ingevolge artikel 6 mag die partye die toepassing van die verdrag uitsluit of, onderhewig aan sekere beperkinge, die effek van enige bepalings van die verdrag wysig. Dit bly steeds &apos;n kontroversiële vraag of stilswyende uitsluiting van die verdrag onder artikel 6 moontlik is en of uitsluiting van die verdrag se toepassing uitdruklik moet geskied. Meeste skrywers ondersteun die standpunt dat uitsluiting onder artikel 6 sowel stilswyend as uitdruklik kan plaasvind, maar verskeie skrywers is ook die teenoorgestelde mening toegedaan. Daar bestaan regspraak vir beide standpunte. Indien stilswyende uitsluiting van die verdrag inderdaad toelaatbaar is, moet "stilswyende uitsluiting" juis omskryf word ten einde te kan bepaal wat as sodanig kwalifiseer. Meeste skrywers is dit eens dat &apos;n regskeuseklousule wat die reg van &apos;n nie-lidland as die reg van toepassing op die kontrak aandui, op stilswyende uitsluiting van die verdrag dui. Regspraak en bestaande literatuur getuig daarvan dat die korrekte interpretasie van &apos;n regskeuseklousule wat die reg van &apos;n lidland as die toepaslike reg aandui, steeds onseker is. Gesag bestaan vir die argument dat sodanige regskeuseklousule die toepassing van die verdrag uitsluit. Daarteenoor is die argument van sowel &apos;n hele aantal skrywers as in regspraak geopper dat hierdie regskeuseklousule geïnterpreteer moet word as sou die partye &apos;n keuse ten gunste van die reëls wat die betrokke regstelsel vir internasionale koopkontrakte daarstel, gemaak het. In die geval van &apos;n lidland, sal dit die Weense Koopverdrag wees. &apos;n Verdere aangeleentheid wat in hierdie artikel behandel word, is of artikel 6 die partye magtig om die Weense Koopverdrag as die reg van toepassing op hul kontrak te kies in gevalle waar dit nie andersins van toepassing sou wees nie. Al die gemelde vraagstukke word aan die hand van regspraak en die argumente van skrywers ontleed.
Corporate criminal liability in South Africa : time for change? (part 1)
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 452 –465 (2011)
South Africa experiences vast corporate activity and development. An adverse consequence of this is the proliferation of severe corporate criminality. There is rising consensus among corporate criminologists and academics that corporate crime inflicts more damage on society than all street crime combined. It is therefore crucial that adequate measures should be in place for the liability of corporate offenders. If legislation is inadequate, reform is of the utmost importance. Corporate criminal liability in South Africa is mainly regulated by section 332 of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977, which is headed "Prosecutions of corporations and members of associations". Although there may be various difficulties and questions regarding section 332 as a whole, the scope of this article is confined to matters arising from section 332(1). In short, section 332(1) allows for a corporate body to be held vicariously liable for crimes committed by directors or servants, acting within the scope of their employment or authority, or while furthering the interests of the corporate body. It has been argued that "in South Africa, the theory behind corporate responsibility and the translation of this theory into a realistic form of corporate responsibility is in desperate need of review."
Die reg op lewe, die waarde van menslike lewe en die eutanasie-vraagstuk
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 466 –495 (2011)
Euthanasia is a highly emotional and controversial subject - especially since almost everyone can identify with the ones who are most likely to ask for such assistance (namely the terminally ill and the elderly). But is it morally acceptable to give such persons the right to be killed or to receive assistance in taking their own lives? This article attempts to address this question and to formulate a principled perspective, which could be used as a moral framework to address the euthanasia issue. It is submitted that the principled perspective to the value of life is best described by the sanctity-of life school of thought, which states that each human life is intrinsically valuable and should be protected irrespective of the individual&apos;s age or any disease or physical or mental disability that the individual might suffer from. However, this does not mean that the value of human life is an absolute value - if there are other values and considerations that are more important in a particular situation then those values and considerations should prevail. It is often submitted that individuals&apos; right to self determination (embraced by s 10, 12 and 15 of our constitution) encompasses the so-called "right to choose". This argument, however, loses sight of the fact that individuals do not have a right to choose whatever they want - a right to self determination is only worthy of protection if that choice is morally acceptable and can contribute to the promotion of respect for human dignity and the intrinsic value of human life. This article also attempts to distinguish between the different instances of euthanasia and assisted suicide and indicates the South African legal position with regard to each instance - active euthanasia and assisted suicide are essentially acts of murder. The article further investigates the legal position on euthanasia in Canada, England, Oregon and the Netherlands. Finally the article examines whether active euthanasia, passive euthanasia and assisted suicide are reasonable and justifiable in terms of section 36 of the constitution if the principled perspective to the value of human life is accepted - and it is found that only passive euthanasia can be justified in terms of the constitution. In conclusion it is submitted that the current legal position should be confirmed and that more time and resources should be spent on the improvement and promotion of palliative care and emotional support for the terminally ill.
The constitutional justification and the ethical arguments for granting enhanced HIV treatment for selected priority groups in South Africa&apos;s antiretroviral treatment programme
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 496 –511 (2011)
Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering, met behulp van die konstitusionele hof, het deur middel van die omvattende hersiening van die nasionale HIV-beleid begin verseker dat alle Suid-Afrikaners wat HIV onder lede het, antiretrovirale behandeling (ARB) mag ontvang. Sommige Suid-Afrikaners sal egter die behandeling eerder as ander ontvang. Die implikasie hiervan is dat diegene wat sulke behandeling nie ontvang nie, mag siek word of selfs voortydig te sterwe kan kom. Daar bestaan stawende getuienis dat die lewensverwagting van pasiënte wat wel die behandeling ontvang in hul eerste jaar &apos;n verlaging van hul CD4 seltelling ervaar tot so laag as onder 200 selle/mm3. Die openbare én individuele gesondheidsvoordele wanneer die behandeling eerder kan begin, is ooglopend. Stawende getuienis dui daarop dat baie pasiënte wat behandeling uitstel tot nadat hul CD4-seltelling onder 200 selle / mm3 gedaal het, binne die eerste jaar van behandeling sterf. Die outeurs sou graag aanvaar dat die staat &apos;n belang sou hê om die behandeling beskikbaar te stel aan die totale bevolking wat met sodanige seltelling moet leef. Ongelukkig is die koste verbonde aan &apos;n algemene uitrol van die program oorweldigend en oorskry dit beide die kapasiteit van die openbare gesondheidsorg en die gesondheidsbegroting. Noukeurige onderskeiding, verdedigbare vorms van rantsoenering en optrede in goeie trou mag die regering se verspreiding van meerdere sosio-ekonomiese goedere aan spesifieke groepe van die bevolking, regverdig. In hierdie artikel behandel die outeurs die regverdiging van rantsoenering van uitgebreide behandeling aan identifiseerde voorkeurgroepe. Die grondwetlik-verantwoordbaarheid van hierdie hersiene beleid berus op die rasionalisering daarvan ingevolge artikel 9(1) van die grondwet, die billikheid daarvan ingevolge die diskriminasie-analise wat op grond van artikel 9(2) van die grondwet gedoen is, en die verantwoordbaarheid daarvan ingevolge artikel 27 van die grondwet. Die Khosa-, Soobramoney-, TAC- en Mazibuko-sake dien as raamwerk vir sodanige standpunt. Die grondwetlike hof hanteer fynere onderskeiding, rantsoenering en goeie trou as pogings (in sosio-ekonomiese regte-aangeleenthede) deur die nuwe beleid se grondwetlikheid te verdedig. &apos;n Streng formalistiese regsanalise mis egter &apos;n belangrike dimensie vir die regverdiging van &apos;n hersiene HIV-beleid, naamlik die fundamentele etiese argument wat prioritisering ondersteun. Die outeurs oorweeg argumente van billikheid en utiliteit. Die outeurs kom tot die slotsom dat deur die kernvraag van die artikel te sentraliseer, naamlik &apos;n ondersoek na die verduidelikings van die regering se onlangse hersiening van die HIV-riglyne aan die hand van &apos;n beoordeling van die konstitusionele regverdigbaarheid en etiese gronde daarvan, &apos;n antwoord moontlik is. Die gevolg hiervan is dat geen grondwetlike aanslag onder artikels 9 of 27 (of beide) van die grondwet behoort te slaag nie en dat geen politieke aanvegting van hierdie beleid in die nabye toekoms redes hoef te bied vir die regering om hierdie beleid te verander nie.
To what extent may the state regulate private property for environmental purposes? A comparative study
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 512 –526 (2011)
Die regulering van privaat eiendom vir omgewingsdoeleindes : hoe vêr mag die staat gaan? &apos;n vergelykende studie
Die omgewingsreg raak al hoe belangriker. Baie van die omgewingsbronne is egter in die hande van private individue. Dit dwing die staat om privaat eiendom te reguleer vir omgewingsdoeleindes. Die staat is gemagtig om dit te doen in soverre die vorm van regulering geoorloof, nodig en nie arbitrêr of onregverdig is nie. Regulering verwys na die gevalle waar die staat, deur middel van sy polisiëringsmagte, eiendomsreg beperk of &apos;n verlies van eiendomsreg veroorsaak, sonder dat die staat so &apos;n beperking of verlies hoef te vergoed. Die onderskeid is belangrik vir soverre dit die staat magtig om privaat eiendom te reguleer tot voordeel van die publiek, sonder om vergoeding te betaal. In party jurisdiksies sal &apos;n ontneming van eiendom wat eiendomsreg streng beperk of vernietig sonder &apos;n formele oordrag van eiendomsreg na die staat, gesien word as &apos;n vorm van onteiening. Daarna word verwys as "konstruktiewe onteiening". Die grondwet het die debat laat ontstaan: behoort so &apos;n vorm van onteiening in Suid-Afrika erken te word? Dit is &apos;n pertinente vraag ook in die konteks van regulering van privaat eiendom vir omgewingsbewaringsdoeleindes. Die outeur bespreek in die artikel in watter mate die staat eiendom mag reguleer vir omgewingsdoeleindes. Dit word gedoen deur twee onlangse sake uit die Verenigde State van Amerika en Duitsland te bespreek om vas te stel of dit &apos;n riglyn vir Suid-Afrika kan wees. Daar word geargumenteer dat die Duitse roete waarskynlik die beste roete is. Dit is omdat die Suid-Afrikaanse grondwet vereis dat onteiening van eiendom moet geskied in terme van algemeen geldende reg, en omdat die meeste onteieningswette vergoeding voorsien. Indien wetgewing eiendom reguleer en nie vergoeding voorsien nie maar die effek het om een eienaar onregverdig te belas, dan kan iets soortgelyk aan die "equalisation payments" van die Duitsers oorweeg word. Indien wetgewing eienaars oor die algemeen onregverdig belas, kan dit ongrondwetlik verklaar word. Wanneer die grondwetlikheid van so &apos;n bepaling oorweeg word, moet die sosiale plig wat op eienaars rus in ag geneem word. Hierdie sosiale plig moet buigsaam genoeg wees om die verandering in die samelewing in ag te neem, veral in die konteks van omgewingsbewaring.
The bill of rights and statutory interventions with common-law delictual remedies in compensation schemes for road accidents and work-related injuries and diseases : aantekeninge
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 527 –540 (2011)
Jooste v Score Supermarket Trading (Pty) Ltd was the first judgment in which the South African constitutional court considered the constitutionality of aspects of a scheme in which employees and employers are treated differently in respect of work-related injuries and diseases from other victims and tortfeasors of unlawful, culpable actions (1999 2 BCLR 139 (CC), 1999 2 SA 1 (CC) references to paragraphs will be to those in the BCLR because of different numbering in the SA version). The constitutional court confirmed the validity of section 35(1) of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993 (the compensation act) which excludes common-law liability for compensation on the part of employers for damages suffered by employees or their dependants in respect of any occupational injury or disease resulting in the disablement or death of the employees. It restricts liability to liability under the act.
Reflections on the bewind trust in light of the Dutch testamentary bewind : aantekeninge
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 540 –546 (2011)
In Schaumberg v Stark (1956 4 SA 462 (A)) the testator bequeathed his estate to his wife and directed that "my estate shall be managed as a whole for my heiress by [my] trustee." The court ruled that the testator bestowed a fiduciary interest in the trust property on his widow (468G); consequently, the testator&apos;s estate as well as a right to the revenue yielded by the estate vested in the widow (468C-).
The distinction between a credit facility and an incidental credit agreement in terms of the National Credit Act, and an afterthought on credit guarantees and registration : regspraak
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 547 –555 (2011)
The National Credit Act 34 of 2005 applies to "every credit agreement" concluded between parties "dealing at arm&apos;s length" (s 4(1)). (For the meaning of the unnecessary, confusing and vague expression "at arm&apos;s length," see the deeming provisions in s 4(2)(b); Van Zyl in Scholtz (ed) Guide to the National Credit Act (2008) par 4 2.) The central term in the act is "credit agreement", which may take one of four forms: (i) credit facility; (ii) credit transaction; (iii) credit guarantee; (iv) any combination of (i) to (iii) (s 8(1)).
Arrest, detention and the interdictum de homine libero exhibendo : regspraak
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 555 –562 (2011)
In Prinsloo v Nasionale Vervolgingsgesag application was made to the high court in terms of the interdictum de homine libero exhibendo for the release of the applicant. The court had to consider whether the applicant&apos;s arrest by the police without a warrant and his subsequent detention were lawful. Section 40 of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 (the act) provides the necessary authority to peace officers to arrest a person without a warrant, whilst section 50 regulates the procedure after arrest. Although arrest is an important tool available to especially the police in the execution of their duties, it impacts negatively on the right to freedom of the individual as protected in section 12 of the constitution.
Unopposed applications for eviction from land : section 4 of Act 19 of 1998 and the common law burden of proof : regspraak
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 562 –568 (2011)
According to its preamble, one of the objects of the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from Unlawful Occupation of Land Act 19 of 1998 is to give effect to the constitutional right to housing by regulating the eviction of unlawful occupiers. In order to achieve this object, the act provides that an unlawful occupier may be evicted by a private landowner or person in charge only if, inter alia, the substantive requirements set out in sections 4(6) and 4(7) of the act are satisfied.
How should rights be limited? : regspraak
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 568 –579 (2011)
The constitutional court has had the opportunity to pronounce on the right of access to courts on several occasions. In the recent past, several cases have dealt with the constitutionality of time-bar provisions which prevent the institution of an action upon failure to perform a particular action within a set period of time (see, for instance, Brümmer v Minister of Social Development 2009 6 SA 323 (CC) and Engelbrecht v Road Accident Fund 2007 6 SA 96 (CC)).
Restitution of expropriated property upon non-realisation of the public purpose : regspraak
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 579 –592 (2011)
In Harvey v Umhlatuze Municipality the court had the opportunity to decide whether an expropriated owner is entitled to reclaim the expropriated property, should the public purpose for the expropriation not be realised. This note starts with a few introductory remarks on the current expropriation law in South Africa, focusing on the public purpose requirement in particular, before summarising the facts of the case and the judgment. This is followed by a discussion of some of the contentious issues raised in the case.
Global features of constitutional law, Francois Venter : boekbespreking
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 593 –597 (2011)
Venter&apos;s own approach is tentative and exploratory. It focuses on global tendencies which challenge "the researcher&apos;s capacity to find the main arteries of the body of constitutional law" and "to provide readers with a choice of entry points to the field of comparative constitutional law". In adopting this approach, he allowed himself to "range freely, unfettered by European, North American, African or common law preferences" (preface).
Contract Law Casebook / Kontraktereg Vonnisbundel, Luanda Hawthorne and Chris-James Pretorius : boekbespreking
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 597 –598 (2011)
With the previous (second) edition of this bilingual work (authored by Hawthorne and Lotz) having been published in 1999, a review and update was certainly due. The third edition, reviewed here, does not disappoint. The authors are both highly respected academics in the field of the law of contract: both are professors of private law at the University of South Africa. Both authors have lectured the law of contract for several years at UNISA and both have published extensively in the field.
English for Law Students, C. Van der Walt and A.G. Nienaber : boekbespreking
Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg 2011, pp 599 –600 (2011)
Its impressive publication record marks this book as a winner: the first edition appeared in 1997, the second in 1999 - and then it caught on. The second edition went into nine impressions in as many years before being succeeded by the present one. The book was originally published, says Professor Vijay Bhatia (Dept of English, City University of Hong Kong) in his foreword to the first edition (reprinted here), to address the scant attention given to English for law, which is particularly problematic given "several expressions of general concern for a significant level of decline in the standards of legal expression" (v). I doubt that this decline has been arrested. Indeed, I know the opposite to be true: in general, students&apos; ability with written language (English or otherwise) has been in steady decline over the years, and a book of this sort is therefore an important way to attempt to reverse this decline in the area of legal studies.