Topic: General

What is ‘reasonably practicable’ for preferred language education?

By Patrick Bracher (ZA) on December 5, 2019 Posted in General

The South African Constitutional Court was called on to examine the 2016 Language Policy of Stellenbosch University which effectively gives preference to English in the circumstances specified in the Policy to advance the university’s goals of equal access, multi-lingualism and integration. The policy maintains and preserves Afrikaans but this is now subject to demand and … Continue reading

You don’t have to own property to sell it

By Patrick Bracher (ZA) on November 28, 2019 Posted in General

The South African Supreme Court of Appeal has again reminded us that it is not a requirement for a valid contract of sale that the seller must be the owner of the thing sold. Although the parties to a contract of sale usually contemplate the transfer of ownership, this is not an essential feature of … Continue reading

Constitutional values of ubuntu and fairness are not the basis for the courts’ interference with contractual relationships

By Siyabonga Mathe on November 28, 2019 Posted in General

It has long been held that although values such as good faith, reasonableness and fairness are fundamental to our law of contract, they do not constitute independent rules that courts can employ to intervene in contractual relationships (South African Forestry Co Ltd v York Timbers Ltd). The fact that a term of a contract is … Continue reading

Proroguing the United Kingdom Parliament – The Supreme Court speaks

By Donald Dinnie on November 24, 2019 Posted in General

The case of R (Miller) v The Prime Minister and Cherry v Advocate General for Scotland dealt with whether the advice given by the UK Prime Minister to Her Majesty the Queen to prorogue Parliament (that is, discontinue its session) for a number of days between September and October 2019 was lawful. The Supreme Court … Continue reading

Valuation of stock at year end: time-based write-down not enough

By Siyabonga Mathe and Dale Cridlan on November 22, 2019 Posted in General

The Income Tax Act 1962 requires opening and closing trading stock to be taken into account in determining taxable income derived from carrying on any trade in any assessment year. Section 22(1)(a) of the Act deals with the valuation of the stock, and provides that in respect of a taxpayer’s trading stock that is held … Continue reading

Things done contrary to law are not always a nullity

By Patrick Bracher (ZA) on November 18, 2019 Posted in General

Where an attorney had acted in two litigation matters whilst not holding a fidelity fund certificate that is compulsory for all practising attorneys, it was held that the litigation was not a nullity. The Attorneys Act (in force at the time) prescribed the consequences of not having a certificate as disentitlement to a fee for … Continue reading

South Africa 2019 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement

By Dale Cridlan on November 13, 2019 Posted in General

The 2019 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) was recently delivered by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni and recognises that South Africa’s economic growth has been slowing alongside productivity and competitiveness. South Africa’s debt-to-GDP ratio is among the highest of its peer countries, with only Argentina, Croatia, Ukraine and Zambia worse off. It is projected that the … Continue reading

Mediation in the High Court

By Donald Dinnie on November 12, 2019 Posted in General

Successful mediation of any dispute is largely dependent on the skills and expertise of the mediator and the willingness and good faith of the parties to the mediation to engage in that process. So it is to be welcomed that the proposed new High Court Rule 41A doesn’t make mediation compulsory but is rather intended … Continue reading

A luta continua: Caster Semenya’s story

By Gregory Nott, Patrick Bracher (ZA) and Andrew Keightley-Smith on November 11, 2019 Posted in General

On a clear and sunny Friday afternoon in July 2009, Ms Mokgadi Caster Semenya ascended to athletics greatness. On day two of the African Junior Athletics Championships, at the Stade Germain Comarmond in Bambous, Mauritius, Caster Semenya won the women’s 800m race in a time of 1:56:72. Her time was a new personal best, a … Continue reading

Vicarious liability for creating a risk

By Patrick Bracher (ZA) on November 5, 2019 Posted in General

The Supreme Court of Appeal has again extended the scope of vicarious liability. A security company was found liable for a murder committed by their site supervisor in an attempt to rob the deceased who was the financial manager at the premises which the security company were required to guard. The court held that placing … Continue reading

Nike out-bids New Balance for branded Liverpool FC shirts

By Patrick Bracher (ZA) on November 5, 2019 Posted in General

Liverpool Football Club had an existing deal with New Balance to manufacture and sell replica football shirts with their logo. At renewal time Nike out-bid New Balance’s terms and were held entitled to the contract. The question was whether New Balance had matched Nike’s offer. Nike made a detailed offer including a large number of … Continue reading

Split Constitutional Court decision is no decision

By Patrick Bracher (ZA) on November 3, 2019 Posted in General

In a matter involving disputed patents under the Patents Act 1978, ten judges of the Constitutional Court sat and there were five judges on each side whether to uphold or dismiss the appeal. Where there is no majority decision, the judgment of the lower court stands. Each party was ordered to pay their own costs. … Continue reading

Holder of trust money is liable for paying incorrect party

By Patrick Bracher (ZA) on October 24, 2019 Posted in General

A firm of attorneys involved in a property transaction paid R1 744 599.45 into the bank account of a hacker in response to emailed instructions. It was held that the attorneys were liable to the true client to pay this amount for failing to perform their mandate in regard to the trust money with sufficient care and … Continue reading

‘In writing’ does not mean implied acceptance of written clause

By Patrick Bracher (ZA) on October 14, 2019 Posted in General

Article 25 of the Recast Brussels Regulation which requires an agreement conferring jurisdiction to be ‘in writing or evidenced in writing’ is not satisfied by a clause in the contract being in writing and the consent being solely implied from conduct of the parties. The consent itself has to be in writing or evidenced (or confirmed) … Continue reading

Equitable financial compensation instead of land restitution

By Patrick Bracher (ZA) on October 8, 2019 Posted in General

The applicant in Jacobs v Department of Land Affairs had been deprived of land through a racist fraudulent transfer of the land in 1907 and subsequent eviction in 1921. They claimed financial compensation and were awarded R780 000. On appeal it was held that the Land Claims Court had correctly calculated the amount. The calculation is not … Continue reading

Information Regulator: CR17 campaign leaks

By Priyanka Naidoo on October 3, 2019 Posted in General

Privacy and data protection concerns have been triggered by Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s reliance on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s private emails and bank statements of various entities used by his CR17 presidential campaign team. These records were used by Mkhwebane to support her report, which found that Ramaphosa had misled Parliament by failing to declare the … Continue reading

Electronic signatures confirmed in UK

By Patrick Bracher (ZA) on September 25, 2019 Posted in General

Everyone involved in agreements governed by English law will be pleased to hear that the UK Law Commission has confirmed that an electronic signature can be used to execute an English law document (including a deed) if: the person signing the document intends to authenticate the document; and any formalities relating to the execution of … Continue reading

Prescribed rate of interest is 10% from 1 September 2019

By Patrick Bracher (ZA) on September 22, 2019 Posted in General

The prescribed rate of interest has been changed with effect from 1 September 2019 to 10% per annum. The previous rate was 10.25%. According to the Prescribed Rate of Interest Act, interest on debts where no rate is prescribed is calculated at the repo rate plus 3.5%. The prescribed rate of interest applies to all … Continue reading

Expert evidence

By Donald Dinnie on September 18, 2019 Posted in General

Parties to any dispute who rely exclusively on opinions of experts without establishing the factual basis for those opinions do so at their peril. The opinion of an expert must be based on facts that are established by the evidence. The court then assesses the opinions of experts on the basis of ‘whether and to … Continue reading

Contracting with a trust

By Patrick Bracher (ZA) on September 18, 2019 Posted in General

Where an agreement was purportedly entered into with a trust where one of two required trustees did not sign and in fact refused to do so, the agreement was void and there was no basis for an action compelling the sale to the trustee who did sign to buy the property. A signatory who warrants … Continue reading

Presenting your evidence in the small claims court

By Donald Dinnie on September 8, 2019 Posted in General

The small claims court resolves matters speedily, inexpensively and informally. Whether you are the claimant (plaintiff) or the party opposing the claim (the defendant), you must conduct your own case in court without legal representation. Here are some tips on dealing with your small claims court case. Proceedings are inquisitorial so the commissioner plays an … Continue reading

Hospital’s negligence not causally linked to baby’s brain damage

By Erwyn Durman on September 5, 2019 Posted in General

In the AN case, the Supreme Court of Appeal held that despite the failure by the hospital to properly monitor the mother and foetus, during delivery, that did not cause the brain damage to the baby, which resulted from an unpreventable cause. The hospital had a legal duty to monitor the condition of the mother … Continue reading

Doctor liable for failing to warn patient about side effects (UK)

By Natasha Naidoo on August 27, 2019 Posted in General

The claimant, a retired teacher, developed a limb tremor in 2006. The defendant treated the claimant between 2007 and 2012 and prescribed a dopamine agonist. The claimant stated that the medication resulted in her overindulging in online shopping to the extent that she placed 200 bids on eBay during the course of one night. She … Continue reading

Personalised medicine and medical malpractice

By Natasha Naidoo on August 27, 2019 Posted in General

Personalised medicine involves the consideration of health risk factors and genetic information to determine individual risk profiles. This customisation of healthcare uses medical decisions, practices, treatments, and products that are tailor-made to an individual’s requirements, and is based on hereditary profile. This could result in quicker diagnosis and a more targeted form of treatment for … Continue reading