Text in Afrikaans / Wanneer die konstitusionele invloed op borgstelling in die bree bespreek word, moet die bepalings van die Grondwet 200 van 1993 met inbegrip van die Handves van Menseregte en die onderliggende waardes, beginsels en doelstellings daartoe binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks inaggeneem word. Die algemene transformasie van die Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskap in 'n verteenwoordigende demokrasie, veelvolkigheid van die Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskap, eskalerende misdaadsyfer, wantroue van die gemeenskap in die regstelsel en die beklemtoning van fundamentele regte is aspekte wat figureer binne die Suid-Afrikaanse borgtogreg. Die tradisionele benadering dat die bewyslas op die beskuldigde rus tydens borgtogverrigtinge is binne die moderne borgtogreg en in die lig van die Grondwet 200 van 1993 asook die Tweede Strafproseswysigingswet 75 van 1995 onvanpas. As algemene reel behoort die bewyslas by 'n borgaansoek op die staat te rus op oorwig van waarskynlikhede. In sekere spesifiek omskrewe gevalle soos vervat inartikel60(11) van die Tweede Strafproseswysigingswet rus die bewyslas op die beskuldigde. Hierdie beperking is regverdigbaar in tenne van artike133 van die Grondwet 200 van 1993. Daar bestaan verder nie voldoende rede om nie gebruik te maak van die bewyslasbegrip as gevestigde prosessuele maatreel tydens borgverrigtinge nie. In die moderne Suid-Afrikaanse borgtogreg moet 'n balans gehandhaaf word tussen die belange van die gemeenskap en die fundamentele regte van die individu. Die howe moet in elke spesifieke geval· inhoud aan hierdie beginsel verleen. / When the effect of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 200 of 1993 on bail is considered, the transformation of the South African community, multi-racial society, high crimerate, disillusionment of the community with regard to the courtsystem and importance of fundamental rights must be regarded. The traditional approach that the onus is upon the accused (in his capacity as applicant) to prove on a balance of probability that the court should exercise its discretion in favour of granting bail and, in discharging this burden, he must show that the interests of justice will not be prejudiced, is in terms ofthe Constitution 200 of 1993 and the Criminal Procedure Second Amendment Act 75 of 1995 unacceptable. It is submitted that the onus should be on the State to place grounds before the Court why there should be an exercise of discretion in favour of the State for further detention of the individual. In terms of certain spesific crimes as described in article 60(11) of the Criminal Procedure Second Amendment Act theis placed on the accused. This exception is acceptable as it prescribes to the requirements in article 33 of the Constitution 200 of 1993. It is submitted that there is no reason why onus as excepted evidentiary rule should not be used in bail applications. A balance between the interest of the community and fundamental rights of the individual must be kept in modern law regarding bail. It is in the hands of the courts to substantiate this balance. / Criminal & Procedural Law / LL.M. (Criminal & Procedural Law)

The dissertation consists of an analysis of the Constitutional Court decision S v Mhlungu 1995(7) BCLR 793 CC. The analysis focuses on the significance of the different interpretative approaches adopted by the members of the Court in analysing section 241(8) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Afii.ca Act 200 of 1993. The theoretical approaches to constitutional interpretation are first briefly discussed. This is followed by a description of the four respective judgments in the decision. The case is then analysed in respect of section 3 5, Chapter 3 and the Constitution itself in order to determine the significance. The jurisprudence of the Court (developed in its first eight decisions) is evaluated to assess the approach of the Constitutional Court to Chapter 3 and the remainder of the Constitution respectively. The conclusion is reached that the Court has endorsed a generous/purposive approach to constitutional interpretation and that this extends to the entire text of the Constitution. / Law / LL.M.

This short dissertation deals with separation of powers and federalism in African constitutionalism through the South African case. It investigates the extent to which the new South Africa complies with these two principles. The separation of powers in the new South Africa gives rise to a sui generis parliamentary regime, which is borrowing both from the Westminster model and the presidential one. On the other hand, the principle of federalism has been taken into consideration seriously, but South Africa has not become a fully-fledged federation. The result is a well-matched marriage between semi-parliamentarism and quasifederalism, which is the South African contribution to constitutionalism and democracy required by the African Renaissance. The dissertation comes to the conclusion that all in all the new South Africa complies with the two constitutional principles under consideration. It is a constitutional state, one of the very few exceptions on a continent laboriously emerging from authoritarianism. / Law / Thesis (LL.M.)--University of South Africa, 1998. / LL. M. (Law)

The adoption of the 1996 Constitution in recognition of the historic imbalances that South Africa inherited from its past, affirms the commitment to the promotion of human rights including the right to equality. The emphasis on the right to equality in the Constitution and other related laws discussed in the study represents a guarantee for both men and women the right to equal treatment and benefit of the law. The point of departure is based on the premise that views the law as an instrument that has the potential to effect social change. The primary purpose is to determine various factors that are an impediment to the significance of the law for the promotion of the right to gender equality. The objective is to establish with sufficient certainty the substantive conception of the right to gender equality in post-apartheid South Africa. This dissertation examines and provides a brief overview of the development and the intersection of the principles of non-discrimination at the international and regional spheres and their influence in broadening the scope for enforcement of gender equality in South Africa. It provides a literature review and an analysis of the equality jurisprudence of South Africa’s Constitutional Court and its influence to the lowest structures of the judiciary in promoting the right to gender equality. This undertaking is reinforced by the primary purpose in this study of examining various factors that are an impediment to the promotion of the right to gender equality. It discovers that the establishment of a “just society” is difficult where the significance of the law is affected by the lack of legal knowledge and other related factors identified in the study. It establishes that the promotion of the right to gender equality is a gradual process that should not be undertaken overnight but on a continuous basis. It can be drawn from the findings in this study that the law “alone” is limited in its application in addressing socio-legal problems. Despite the limitation, the use of law is not a goal that should be discarded as it lays the framework for the determination of the significance of legal measures for social change.

Text in Afrikaans / Bophuthatswana het gedurende 1977 tot stand gekom as 'n onafhanklike staat. In die Grondwet daarvan is 'n uitvoerige menseregtehandves vervat wat as hoogste reg gegeld het - alle wetgewing in stryd daarmee was nietig. Die hoop was dat Bophuthatswana sou ontwikkel as 'n groeipuntvir die handhawing van menseregte in Suidelike Afrika. Aanvanklik het die howe gevolg gegee aan die bepalings van die menseregtehandves. Algaande is daar teruggekeer na 'n letterknegtige soeke na die wil van die wetgewer, wat daartoe gelei het dat die burger se menseregte deur die howe misken is. Die laaste beslissings van die howe verteenwoordig 'n terugkeer na die ware rol van die howe in 'n menseregtebestel. Die Wetgewende en Uitvoerende gesag was outokraties en het geen besef gehad van die essensie van menseregte nie. Die ondervinding in Bophuthatswana is grootliks dieselfde as elders in Afrika, waar menseregte vertrap is. Teen hierdie agtergrond word die grondwetlike toekoms van Suid-Afrika in oenskou geneem. / Bophuthatswana came into existence as an independent state during 1977. A justiciable bill of rights provided for judicial review. The hope existed that Bophuthatswana would be a growing point for the protection of human rights in Southern Africa. Although earlier judgments of the courts were promising and augured well for the future protection of human rights later judgments have reverted to the positivistic approach to constitutional interpretation. This led to the bill of rights being rendered inoperative. However, in the latest and most recent judgements there was a return to the bold and innovative interpretation of the first decisions. The legislative and executive branches of state was autocratic to the core as experienced elsewhere in Africa. The constitutional future of South Africa is evaluated against this background. / Law / LL.M.

South Africa has not escaped the rising prevalence and severe impact of HIV/AIDS in relation women. From an economic and social vantage point, the HIV/AIDS epidemic hits women the hardest, with underprivileged black women the most susceptible to the virus. The theoretical framework of this research focuses on the intersection between HIV/AIDS, gender inequality and gender violence, and more specifically, on certain cultural practices and customs that contribute towards and exacerbate women’s subordination and inequality, which in turn, increase women’s exposure to become infected with HIV. Relevant to this focus is inevitably an investigation of perceived threats to specific fundamental human rights as a result of some entrenched practices that continue to reinforce women’s subordinate position in society, aggravated by the high incidence of gender violence. / Constitutional, International and Indigenous Law / LL.M.

In this thesis, the common law crime of obstructing or defeating the course of justice as currently applied in South African law, is considered critically. The purpose of the study is to determine whether the ambit of the crime should be extended to target all conduct which undermines the proper administration of justice in South Africa. The interests protected by the crime are investigated, and those important constitutional values which underpin the crime, are identified. These values are: (i) constitutional supremacy (ii) the rule of law (iii) the doctrine of separation of powers, and (iv) the independence of the courts. In a post-constitutional era, the question raised is whether the crime as developed in the common law adequately protects these important democratic values. The historical background and development of the offence are discussed. This is followed by a comparative legal study which considers the existence and ambit of the offence in certain foreign jurisdictions. The foreign legal systems considered are England, Australia, Canada and the United States of America. The study reveals that the crime has been codified in most of these jurisdictions. Codification was driven by the need for legal certainty and compliance with constitutional imperatives. The study concludes that similar reform is necessary in South African criminal law. It is recommended that the common law offence of obstructing or defeating the course of justice be repealed and replaced with a comprehensive statutory offence which criminalises all manifestations of conduct which are intended to defeat or obstruct the proper administration of justice. The proposals are based upon the identified constitutional imperatives which underpin the crime. It is argued that the legislature is the proper institution to initiate reform in this regard. Detailed recommendations are made, which include draft legislation. / Law / LL.D.

This study investigates the interaction between freedom and limitation as applied to political expression and hate speech. The need for the limitation of hate speech, with its inherent risk of escalation into other serious crimes such as genocide, is established. The view of the South African courts is identified as pro-limitation but generally respectful of the right to freedom of expression. A lacuna in current constitutional law, common law and legislative remedies is evident and the various ways in which limitation can be effected are explored; the researcher finds for criminalisation as an effective measure to address this lacuna in hate speech regulation. The importance of complying with the international call for the criminalisation of hate speech is analysed. Insight is gained regarding what would be an effective model for criminalisation. Here lessons are taken from foreign comparatives that have successfully criminalised hate speech in the context of their cultural identity, history and social needs. Ultimately, a framework for effective hate speech criminalisation in South Africa is formulated. / Constitutional, International and Indigenous Law / LL.M

Mercantile law / LLM (Tax Law)

Globally, the justice system has set up courts to respond to complaints of a criminal and civil nature. Courts also respond to complaints which require swift relief by way of shortened procedures, in the form of motion proceedings. In all these complaints, courts have to respond in a manner that leaves litigants with a feeling of satisfaction that justice has been done. To the end of ensuring that there is legal certainty, justice systems in all jurisdictions have established a hierarchy of courts, with lower courts being bound by the decisions of higher courts in their jurisdiction. There has been no problem in the application of this principle called stare decisis, or judicial precedent, in disputes of law. However, in disputes of constitutional interpretation, courts have demonstrated a marked shift from observing the rule of judicial precedent. The disregard for this rule manifests itself particularly in the adjudication of cases surrounded by controversy. It is argued herein that constitutional interpretation is no different from legal interpretation, in that the rule of judicial precedent which characterises court decisions in legal disputes, should characterise court decisions in constitutional interpretation disputes. The Constitutional Court of South Africa itself, though it is the highest arbiter in constitutional matters, is bound by its own previous decisions, unless its previous decisions have become manifestly wrong. Three constitutional rights are analysed. The right to life in its three manifestations, namely, the right to life of the unborn child, the right to life of the convicted criminal not to be hanged, and the right of the terminally ill to continue living by receiving medical care at state expense. The other two rights are the right to privacy, and the right to culture. The right to privacy is the right that has been claimed in political controversies. In isolated instances, specifically mentioned herein, the Constitutional Assembly and the drafters of the Constitution have also contributed to the resultant inconsistency in constitutional interpretation. This is especially so with regard to the right to practise one‘s culture. / Constitutional, International and Indigenous Law / LL.D.