Zugl.: Berlin, Freie Universiẗat, Diss., 2004.

Thesis (doctoral)--Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [238]-263) and index.

Thesis (doctoral)--Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [343]-364) and index.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates ways in which the Fast & Frugal Heuristics (F&FH) programme in the field of Judgment and Decision Making (JDM) theory can be brought to bear on the phenomenon of disinformation. The study applies existing theory to develop an argument around the capacity of the F&FH framework to respond in a normative, descriptive and prescriptive fashion specifically to implicature-type disinformation. This leads to conclusions about the usefulness of the programme for a specific field that is supposed to be within the ambit of the programme. The study attempts to answer the research question by examining the philosophical and developmental history of JDM and of disinformation as a theme of inquiry. With the necessary background as context, the phenomenon of disinformation is investigated, specifically in the case of advertisements. Specific focus is given to pictorial metaphor that may lead to disinformation. The study concludes that F&FH only succeeds to some extent in its descriptive capacity, whilst it fails to provide normative or prescriptive insights when faced with implicature-type disinformation in the following ways: firstly, proponents of the F&FH programme seem selfcontradictory about the value of F&FH as a decision making theory – on the one hand they are generally positive about the its descriptive, normative and prescriptive abilities, whilst fully admitting to fundamental problems in every aspect of the theory and its applications. Secondly, even though there is a general admission of the importance of social and cultural elements in decision making, F&FH still remains intrinsically individualistic. As such it will fail to recognise deception and disinformation as those form part of a language act that is specifically designed around hidden motives and specialised persuasion techniques. Thirdly, F&FH will not be able to break free from the underlying issues it faces without breaking free from its philosophical underpinnings. F&FH still remains primarily empiricist through its behaviourist/positivist assumptions and application and as such fails to recognise the validity of concepts such as meaning, belief and attitude. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die tesis ondersoek die wyses waarop die Fast & Frugal Heuristics (F&FH) program in die veld van besluitnemingsteorie van toepassing gemaak kan word op die verskynsel van disinformasie. Die studie gebruik bestaande teorie in terme van normatiewe, voorskrywende en beskrywende toepassings om argument te ontwikkel rondom die kapasiteit van die F&FH raamwerk om te reageer op spesifiek implikatuur-tipe disinformasie. Dit lei tot gevolgtrekkings oor die bruikbaarheid van die program vir ‘n spesifieke veld wat veronderstel is om binne die bestek van die program te val. Die studie poog om die navorsingsvraag te antwoord deur die filosofiese en ontwikkelingsgeskiedenis van besluitnemingsteorie asook disinformasie te ondersoek. Met die nodige agtergrond as konteks word die verskynsel van disinformasie deur implikasie ondersoek, spesifiek in die geval van die advertensies. Daar word spesifiek gefokus op advertensies waar metafore wat ontwikkel word deur visuele beelde waardeur disinformasie geïmpliseer kan word. Die studie maak die gevolgtrekking dat F&FH slegs tot ’n mate sukses behaal as beskrywende teorie terwyl dit nie suksesvol toegepas kan word as normatiewe en voorskrywende teorie nie. Die volgende probleme word uitgelig: eerstens, voorstaanders van die F&FH program hou teenstrydige perspektiewe voor – aan die een kant is hulle oor die algemeen positief oor die teorie se beskrywende, normatiewe en voorskrywende kapasiteite terwyl hulle openlik getuig van die grondliggende probleme in bykans elke faset van die teorie en sy toepassings. Tweedens, ten spyte daarvan dat daar erkenning gegee word aan die sosiale en kulturele aspekte van besluitneming bly F&FH primêr individualisties. As sulks sal dit faal om valshede en disinformasie te herken aangesien beide elemente is van ’n taalaksie wat spesifiek ontwerp is rondom versteekte motiewe en gespesialiseerde oorredingstegnieke. Derdens, F&FH kan nie afstand doen van die onderliggende probleme sonder om weg te breek van die onderliggende filosofiese grondslag nie. F&FH bly hoofsaaklik empiristies deur die behavioristiese/positiwistiese eienskappe in die onderliggende aannames en toepassings – as sulks gee dit nie erkenning aan die geldigheid van konsepte soos betekenis, oortuiging en houding nie.

In the knowledge-based economy, the wealth creation is associated with the development and maintenance of competitive advantages based on intangible elements. Faced with this growing strategic importance of intangibles, it seems necessary that companies disclosure information on those elements. However, although companies disclosure information increasingly on a voluntary basis, they are still many which merely comply with legal requirements, omitting highly relevant information on their intangible resources. The objective of this paper is to have data on what level of interest in providing this information by Spanish companies. Therefore, a review of the most important literature about intangibles disclosure in Spanish companies is shown. / En la actual economía del conocimiento, la creación de riqueza está asociada con el desarrollo de ventajas competitivas basadas en elementos intangibles. Ante esta creciente importancia estratégica de los intangibles, parece necesario que las empresas presenten información sobre tales elementos. Sin embargo, aunque cada vez más las compañías presentan información adicional de forma voluntaria, aún siguen siendo muchas las que se limitan a cumplir las exigencias legales, omitiendo información de gran relevancia relativa a sus recursos intangibles. Nuestro objetivo es conocer el nivel de interés por parte de las empresas españolas en suministrar este tipo de información. Para ello, en este trabajo se revisa los principales estudios existentes sobre divulgación voluntaria de información relativa a elementos intangibles por parte de las empresas españolas.

LL.M. (International Law) / Before 2006, there had been some movement to expose conspiracy and injustices in government and corporate life but the emergence of Julian Assange and wikileaks would set a new standard in this kind of investigative probe into what the political leaders and heads of major corporations did behind the scenes. Assange’s initial revelations and release of incriminating documents was about to launch his debut as an ‘international man of mystery’ as people who are globally and politically curious will forever wonder what else he would reveal to the world. The first target of his disclosures was Africa then the United States but his actions would unleash a wave of leaks with corporate and government conspiracy at a volume that the world as we know it was previously unaccustomed to. Although some doubted the authenticity of his disclosures, and others criticized his methods, none doubted his right to freedom of expression as enshrined in national, regional and international instruments. Assange’s organization proposes that governments and corporations should be transparent in their dealings, and policies. Although tumultuous at first, leaks from Assange have helped expose some corrupt practices that would not otherwise have come to light. The impact of wikileaks on freedom of expression in the world has been massive and far reaching, the viral way in which the leaks spread are evidence to the fact that people have always been curious about this kind of conspiracy theories and are eager for transparency. It shows also that it is unwise to underestimate the impact that an event in one country could trigger globally. But what does it really mean to global stability and freedom of expression when one man chooses to go against conventional methods and probe into the powers that be? How will this change how the world does business in the area of what people are allowed to freely say or disclose without persecution and how this disclosure affect the laws that govern this kind of freedom of expression?

LL.M. (Banking Law) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

LL.D. / The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 108 of 1996 provides in Section 34 that everyone has the right to have any dispute that can be resolved by the application of law decided in a fair public hearing before court, or where appropriate, another independent and impartial tribunal or forum. A fair civil trial that includes a fair judgment can only be achieved if the parties to the action receive fair treatment throughout all the stages of the proceedings. Obviously the concept "trial" cannot be given a narrow interpretation. There can hardly be mention of a "fair trial" if the processes that precede the trial since commencement of the litigation cannot also be construed as fair. In providing the procedures whereby a fair civil trial is facilitated, apart from providing effective mechanisms for the enforcement of substantive rights and obligations, the interrelated concepts of time, effectiveness and costs are pivotal. In an attempt to secure a fair civil trial, the preparation for trial stage plays a very important role. It is, however, a reality of the South African litigation milieu that hundreds of cases are postponed on a daily basis as a result of problems that are related to specific pretrial procedures. The indications that the pre-trial procedures per se need to be revised and where necessary, be reformed, are consequently rife. There is also no comprehensive procedural structure in place in South African law in terms of which the parties can co-operate in order to effectively facilitate pre-trial preparation. An aspect of the pre-trial procedure that often leads to delay and unnecessary escalation of costs is the excessive amount of party control (or lack thereof) during the preparation for trial stage. Pivotal to reform of the pre-trial procedures is thus the question whether it serves any purpose to leave this stage to the "mercy of the parties". It can hardly be argued that retaining the element of surprise as part of a strict adversary litigation character yields any real advantage. Legal reform is not a process that can be undertaken in vacuo and any attempts at reform in the preparation for trial stage must consequently bear the following considerations in mind: costs, delay, the degree of complexity of procedures, formulation, time limits and sanctions, the impact of the principle of fairness, the impact of party control and circumstances peculiar to a particular legal system. It is furthermore important that such reform should be undertaken in accordance with an expressly declared ethos. Where there is no clear congruence between the reform ethos and the needs of a specific legal system it will inevitably lead to reform which, although it may be new, might not necessarily address and improve existing problems. Legal reform, even if it is of limited scope, should always be a logical, purposive process. In this respect comparative study of Anglo- American systems are invaluable. It is of great importance that individual pre-rial procedures should be reformed in order to facilitate cost and time effective preparation for trial. Various problems exist in respect of discovery and attention should urgently be given to the lack of uniformity between the High Courts and the Magistrates Court, the non-compulsory nature of the procedure, the effectiveness of time limits and sanctions, the wording of the rule and the question whether the concept "document" should be elaborated upon. Provision should also be made in the South African Law of Civil Procedure for exchange of witness statements prior to trial. Exchange of expert evidence ought also to be reformed in order to address the problematic time aspect, the obligation to give notice, the contents of the summary, the discussion between experts and the lack of sanctions prior to the trial date. Reform of the pretrial conference should also be undertaken in order to emphasize its legitimate place as a stocktaking procedure prior to trial. It is furthermore necessary to address the problems regarding the pre-trial conference that relate to the lack of uniformity in the High Court and Magistrate's Court, the attitude of the legal profession, the stage at which the conference must be held, the question regarding who should preside at the conference and the lack of effective sanctions. Reform of the individual pre-trial procedures, whether piecemeal or as a comprehensive once-off reform, is, however, per se not sufficient to ensure a level of trial preparation that will eventually lead to a fair civil trial. The individual pre-trial procedures are separate though interrelated links that can only fulfill their purpose if the greater more holistic approach to civil procedure gives structured recognition to orderly, time and cost effective litigation. It is, therefore, essential that the individual pre-trial procedures should function within the framework of a case management system that can play a significant role in achieving the ideal of a constitutionally fair civil trial in that it establishes a coordinated and procedurally fair preparation for trial stage. The eventual success of such reform will, apart form the provision of effective individual pre-trial procedures and an effective case management model, also depend on the materialization of a sufficient budget to create an infrastructure of computers and trained personnel as well as a mentality shift on the part of lawyers in order to discard their old adversary cloak in exchange for more effective transparant litigation and eventually, a fair civil trial.

No description available.

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Text in Afrikaans / In the past, witness statements obtained by or on behalf of a party to a criminal case were protected, from disclosure to the opponent, by privilege. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate whether such claims to privilege are justified and whether openness before and during the trial is not perhaps more important to the interests of justice. The disclosure of witness statements to the defence is a commonly recognized practice all over the world. This practice enhances openness before and during the criminal trial. The arguments against and in favor of such a practice are many, but investigation into these has shown that it is in the interests of justice to disclose such statements to the defence, rather than to deny access. Furthermore, the writer investigates whether it would be in the interests of justice to compel the defence to assist the court in determining the truth. / In die verlede is getuieverklarings wat deur of ten behoewe van 'n party tot 'n strafsaak bekom is deur privilegie beskerm, teen openbaarmaking aan die teenstander. Verskeie argumente is aangevoer om die beroep op getuieverklaring privilegie te regverdig. Die doel van hierdie verhandeling is om ondersoek in te stel of sulke aansprake geregverdig is en of openheid voor en gedurende die verhoor nie meer belangrik vir die belang van geregtigheid is nie. Die openbaarmaking van getuieverklarings aan die verdediging is 'n algemeen erkende praktyk regoor die wereld. Hierdie praktyk bevorder openheid voor en tydens die strafverhoor. Die argumente vir en teen so 'n praktyk is baie en 'n ondersoek daarvan dui daarop dat dit in die belang van geregtigheid is om sulke verklarings aan die verdediging te openbaar, eerder as om toegang daartoe te weier. Die vraag is nou of dit nie ook in die belang van geregtigheid is dat die verdediging verplig word om die hof by te staan om die waarheid vas te stel nie. Ten slotte het die skrywer aan die hand gedoen dat partye tot 'n straf saak getuieverklarings gelyktydig voor die verhoor uitruil en ondersoek ingestel of so 'n praktyk in ooreenstemming met die Grondwet van Suid-Afrika 108 van 1996 kan wees. / Law / LL.M.