The objective of this study is to conduct a critical evaluation of the Namibian law and policy framework that currently regulates small-scale mining in Namibia. The discussion begins with an introduction to small-scale mining in Namibia which deals with the practice of small-scale mining, inter alia, as far as it is defined and the possible affects thereof. Small-scale mining affects various second generation rights of persons directly involved therein as well as the community as a whole. These rights include child labour; unemployment; gender issues; public health care; occupational health and safety; access to finance; poverty alleviation; and access to mining tools, machinery, markets and buyers. The law and policy framework applicable to small-scale mining in Namibia is accordingly critically discussed in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of the current framework. It is found that small-scale mining is quite well regulated in Namibia, but the current law and policy framework is not without its problems. Some of the main weaknesses identified are the centralised nature of the application for and pegging of claims, the lack of formal provision and regulation of the off-set markets, and the lack of access to finance for smallscale miners. Recommendations are made, such as that regulatory measures should be put in place to make provision for and to regulate the off-set markets for the minerals being mined by the artisanal miners. At the end of the study further research topics which relate directly to the regulation of small-scale mining in Namibia are identified. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Les ressortissants de pays tiers sont devenus au fur et à mesure de la construction européenne des véritables sujets du droit de l'Union européenne. Toutefois, leur protection est fragmentée en raison d'une « catégorisation » croissante de leurs statuts, en fonction de la situation de fait ou de droit qui les caractérise. L'émergence d'un socle commun de garantie de droits sociaux fondamentaux à partir des normes européennes peut être néanmoins constatée. La coordination des régimes nationaux de sécurité sociale s'applique en effet explicitement aux ressortissants de pays tiers en séjour régulier. De même, les normes sociales européennes dont les destinataires ne sont pas déterminés en fonction de la nationalité peuvent leur être adressées. Pareil constat s'applique également aux normes relatives au principe de non-discrimination.Ce socle commun pourrait alors servir de base pour l'élaboration d'un statut social, entendu comme un attribut de la citoyenneté sociale, concrétisée par la participation sociale à la vie de la cité. Ce statut social pourrait être lui-même le fondement de l'élaboration d'un véritable statut européen consacré aux ressortissants de pays tiers en séjour régulier. Il contribuerait à la réalisation de l'objectif mis en avant par le Conseil européen de Tampere des 15 et 16 octobre 1999 consistant à donner un traitement équitable à cette catégorie de ressortissants. Il concourrait aussi au renforcement de leur intégration au sein des sociétés des Etats membres d'accueil. Il s'agirait d'une intégration par le bénéfice et l'exercice des droits sociaux fondamentaux, consistant dans le financement des systèmes de sécurité sociale, l'exercice d'une activité professionnelle, ou encore la participation aux activités syndicales et de représentation collective. / Third-country nationals have become veritable subjects of the EU Law. Nevertheless, their protection is fragmented by the increasing categorization of their status, in consequence of their fact and juridical situation. The emergence of a common standard of protection of fundamental social rights based on the EU regulations and policies may be however noted. Thus the coordination of social security systems applies explicitly to the regular staying third-country nationals. EU social regulations and directives also apply to those persons when the nationality condition is not specified. The same situation is also considered on the non-discrimination principle field. Then, this common standard of protection can offers a base to the development of a social status that is an attribute of the social citizenship, materialized by the social participation in the community. This social status could come itself the foundation of the construction of a truly European status dedicated to the regular staying third-country nationals. It could contribute to the realization of the European Council Tampere's objective to give a fair treatment to those persons. It could also contribute to the reinforcement of their integration at the member States community. It consists in a social integration, by the practice of fundamental social rights like working, funding social security, or getting involved with trade unions representation.

This thesis inquires into the meaning of the right to security of person. This right is found in many international, regional and domestic human rights instruments. However, academic discourse reveals disagreement about the meaning of the right. The thesis first considers case law from the European Convention on Human Rights, the South African Bill of Rights and the Canadian Charter. The analysis shows that courts too disagree about the meaning of the right to security of person. The thesis then takes a theoretical approach to understanding the meaning of the right. It is argued that the concept of ‘security’ establishes that the right imposes both positive and negative duties but that ‘security’ does not determine which interests are protected by the right. For this, we need consider the meaning of the ‘person’. The notion of personhood as understood in the ‘capabilities approach’ of Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum is then introduced. It is suggested that this theory could be used to identify the interests protected by the right. Next, the theoretical developments are applied to the legal context in order to illustrate the variety of interests the right to security of person would protect and the type of duties it would impose. As a result, it is argued that the idea of ‘security of person’ is too broad to form the subject matter of an individual legal right. This raises a question over the relationship between security of person and human rights law. It is proposed that instead of recognising an individual legal right to security of person, human rights law as a whole could be seen as a mechanism to secure the person, the capabilities approach determining what it takes to fulfil a right and thereby secure the person.

For many sets of reasons, including the unequal power relationship between them and most underdeveloped states, and probably more in Africa than anywhere else in the world, non-state actors (NSAs) like states are involved in the violation of human rights. With the phenomenon of globalization, their role has become even more pronounced with some of the traditional functions of the state being performed by them, with implications for human rights, especially socioeconomic rights. Unfortunately, state-centred traditional international law has proved to be ill-equipped to hold NSAs directly accountable and liable for their violations of human rights. NSAs are only expected to adhere to non-binding voluntary standards, such as codes of conduct. Yet, if properly interpreted and enforced, the African Charter for Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) can be relied upon to hold them accountable. Against this backdrop, the study interrogates the existing universal and regional human rights laws and systems with the view to identifying any rules, principles, case law or literature that can help hold NSAs directly accountable for human rights violations. For better advocacy and protection of human rights on the African continent, it makes a case for a paradigm shift away from a state centred to a holistic approach that would include NSAs and ensure that they are also bound to protect human rights and become accountable for their violations. / Private Law / LL.M.

Le droit d’exposition des oeuvres graphiques et plastiques est un élément nouveau du droit d’auteur, dégagé par la Cour de cassation en 2002. Il permet à l’auteur d’autoriser ou d’interdire l’exposition publique de ses oeuvres, qu’elles soient de dessin, de peinture, de sculpture, de photographie, d’architecture ou de tout autre oeuvre graphique. Ce droit lui permet aussi d’en contrôler les conditions de présentation et d’en tirer une rémunération. Il est en cela assimilable au droit de représentation, tel qu’il s’exerce pour les oeuvres dramatiques ou musicales. Mais le droit d’exposition ouvre des problématiques nouvelles pour le droit d’auteur. En effet, son objet ne peut être qu’une chose corporelle, qu’il s’agisse de l’exemplaire original de l’oeuvre ou de toute autre copie. Par conséquent, cela oblige à reconsidérer la nature du droit d’auteur, que l’on qualifie usuellement de droit sur « l’immatériel », cette notion étant plus adaptée pour les oeuvres littéraires, dramatiques ou musicales. Cette évolution remet en question le sens même de l’expression « propriété incorporelle », telle qu’elle est employée par le Code de la propriété intellectuelle. Le droit d’exposition interroge donc les fondements du droit d’auteur et bouleverse son contenu et sa portée. La thèse apporte les réponses aux questions qui sont posées par ces problématiques. Ainsi, il sera démontré que l’expression « propriété incorporelle » ne qualifie que la propriété du droit de l’auteur, considéré comme un bien, et non celle de l’oeuvre à proprement parler. En cela, la distinction entre cette propriété et la propriété de l’objet matériel doit être entendue le plus strictement, c’est-à-dire comme une simple distinction des droits. De même, le caractère novateur du droit d’exposition révèle que le droit d’auteur a davantage été conçu pour les oeuvres littéraires, dramatiques et musicales, et non pour les oeuvres graphiques et plastiques. De ce fait, le droit d’exposition concourt également à une harmonisation des prérogatives conférées aux auteurs au titre de la propriété littéraire et artistique / The visual artists display right is a new part of the author’s copyright, introduced by the French supreme court in 2002. It implies, for the author, the right to authorize or prohibit the public exhibition of his works, such as paintings, sculptures, photographs, architectural works or any work of graphic or plastic art. This right also gives the author a control over the conditions of presentation of the work and allows him to exploit it financially. It is similar to the performing right for dramatic and musical works. But the visual artists display right is the cause of new problems about intellectual property. Indeed, the exhibition is based on a physical thing in which the work is embodied. Therefore, we need to examine the nature of copyright, which is considered to have an intangible subject-matter. This concept is more convenient for literary, dramatic and musical works. This development calls the terms “intangible property” into questions, as they are used by the French copyright law. The visual artists display right shakes the very foundations of copyright and upsets its own structure. This thesis is intended to examine theses problems. Thus it appears that the terms “intangible property” refer to the property of the author’s right itself, as a possession, instead of the property of the work. That’s why the distinction between this property and the property of the tangible item should be considered as a distinction between two rights. In addition, the innovative nature of the visual artists display right shows that copyright has more been provided for literary, dramatic and musical works, than for the artistic works. This right also contributes to the harmonization of the literary and artistic property

This study critically analyses the protection and enforcement of inmates’ socio-economic rights in South Africa. For the purpose of this study inmates’ socio-economic rights include the right to adequate medical treatment, accommodation, nutrition and education. This analysis is informed by the fact that South African courts are struggling to interpret and enforce inmates’ socio-economic rights as required by the Constitution and international norms and standards. The objective of this study, therefore, is whether South Africa protects and enforces these rights as required by the Constitution and international norms and standards. In an attempt to resolve the problem, the methodology of this study relies on a legal methodology which focuses on a review of law books, journal articles, the constitutions, statutes, regulations and case law. The study concludes that South Africa protects and enforces these rights as required by the Constitution and complies with international norms and standards. However, the enforcement of these rights has to pay attention to the constitutional imperatives of interpreting the Bill of Rights. When interpreting inmates’ right to adequate medical treatment, it is imperative for the courts to unpack its content. The courts need to also promote the value of human dignity when determining whether overcrowding violates their right to adequate accommodation. The determination of whether their right to adequate nutrition has been violated should focus on whether inmates’ claim to cultural food is based on a sincere belief which could be objectively supported. Further, the Regulations should extend the right to cultural or religious food to all inmates. Lastly, it is the duty of the courts and the institutions of higher learning to ensure that inmates have access to the internet for study purpose. / Public, Constitutional, and International Law / LL. D.

La Cour suprême du Canada (« Cour ») prône « ses propres valeurs» dans la détermination des droits économiques des Autochtones, dont la prédominance des intérêts économiques des non Autochtones, ainsi que la protection du couple souveraineté canadienne/primauté du droit. Ces valeurs sont maintenues avec constance par la Cour, malgré l'évolution du cadre juridique canadien applicable aux revendications des droits économiques par les Autochtones. Ce mémoire démontre que, depuis la constitutionnalisation des droits économiques des Autochtones en 1982, le domaine de la preuve - tant par l'invocation de règles de preuve que par l'appréciation de la preuve - est le principal outil invoqué par la Cour en rhétorique au soutien de la détermination des droits économiques des Autochtones selon ses propres valeurs. De plus, notre recherche nous a également permis de formuler plusieurs critiques relatives à l'indiscipline de la Cour dans l'application du domaine de la preuve dans les décisions portant sur les droits économiques des Autochtones. / When determining the scope of Aboriginal economic rights, the Supreme Court of Canada (« Court ») values the economic interests of non-Aboriginals and the reaffirmation of Canadian sovereignty/rule of law over Aboriginal claims. These values are advanced by the Court despite developments in the Canadian legal framework applicable to Aboriginal economic rights claims. This thesis demonstrates that, since 1982, when Aboriginal economic rights were granted constitutional protection, the Court began to utilize the law of evidence to justify the espousal of their values when determining the scope of Aboriginal economic rights. The Court manipulates both its weighing of the evidence and the rules of evidence in order to justify their values. My research has led me to develop several criticisms related to the methodology used by the Court in its manipulation of the rules and in its appreciation of evidence.

The objective of this study is to conduct a critical evaluation of the Namibian law and policy framework that currently regulates small-scale mining in Namibia. The discussion begins with an introduction to small-scale mining in Namibia which deals with the practice of small-scale mining, inter alia, as far as it is defined and the possible affects thereof. Small-scale mining affects various second generation rights of persons directly involved therein as well as the community as a whole. These rights include child labour; unemployment; gender issues; public health care; occupational health and safety; access to finance; poverty alleviation; and access to mining tools, machinery, markets and buyers. The law and policy framework applicable to small-scale mining in Namibia is accordingly critically discussed in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of the current framework. It is found that small-scale mining is quite well regulated in Namibia, but the current law and policy framework is not without its problems. Some of the main weaknesses identified are the centralised nature of the application for and pegging of claims, the lack of formal provision and regulation of the off-set markets, and the lack of access to finance for smallscale miners. Recommendations are made, such as that regulatory measures should be put in place to make provision for and to regulate the off-set markets for the minerals being mined by the artisanal miners. At the end of the study further research topics which relate directly to the regulation of small-scale mining in Namibia are identified. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Claims related to the environment increasingly permeate the domain of human and fundamental rights. It is widely accepted that a direct functional relationship exists between the pursuit of environmental aims generally, and the protection of environmental rights. By and large, this relation compelled 'the environment' to have become a prominent contemporary focus point in legal thought, discourse and adjudication. Since local government operates closer to citizens than any other level of government, it is obvious that it may be expected of it to also play an important role in the management and regulation of matters that affect the environment. In the main, this study questions the extent to which the South African legal framework facilitates local government progress in the decentralised fulfilment of the section 24 environmental right in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. Firstly, this thesis provides a theoretical literature review of a number of approaches to, categories of and different perspectives on environmental rights in general. As part of this review a number of generic elements is identified for the fulfilment of constitutional environmental provisions, generally. The literature review attends also to the notions of local environmental governance and 'local politics of pollution', amongst other concepts related to local government. Secondly, this thesis (by employing the comparative research method and by using the generic elements for fulfilment of constitutional environmental provisions as benchmarks) critically considers the Constitution or Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1949 (Grundgesety and relevant developments in Germany with reference to the European context and a local government case study on the municipality of Heidelberg. It considers also the Constitution of Namibia of 1990 and relevant developments in Namibia with reference to the African and Southern African contexts and a case study on the Walvis Bay municipality. The South African position is subsequently analysed, first with a focus on section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, environmental law and related developments, then shifting the focus to the constitutional provisions on local government, local government law, related developments and the case of the Drakenstein Local Municipality. Thirdly, based on the lessons learned from and lacunae identified in all three of the countries considered, this study concludes with a set of recommendations for the South African context. / Thesis (LL.D.) -- North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Claims related to the environment increasingly permeate the domain of human and fundamental rights. It is widely accepted that a direct functional relationship exists between the pursuit of environmental aims generally, and the protection of environmental rights. By and large, this relation compelled 'the environment' to have become a prominent contemporary focus point in legal thought, discourse and adjudication. Since local government operates closer to citizens than any other level of government, it is obvious that it may be expected of it to also play an important role in the management and regulation of matters that affect the environment. In the main, this study questions the extent to which the South African legal framework facilitates local government progress in the decentralised fulfilment of the section 24 environmental right in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. Firstly, this thesis provides a theoretical literature review of a number of approaches to, categories of and different perspectives on environmental rights in general. As part of this review a number of generic elements is identified for the fulfilment of constitutional environmental provisions, generally. The literature review attends also to the notions of local environmental governance and 'local politics of pollution', amongst other concepts related to local government. Secondly, this thesis (by employing the comparative research method and by using the generic elements for fulfilment of constitutional environmental provisions as benchmarks) critically considers the Constitution or Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1949 (Grundgesety and relevant developments in Germany with reference to the European context and a local government case study on the municipality of Heidelberg. It considers also the Constitution of Namibia of 1990 and relevant developments in Namibia with reference to the African and Southern African contexts and a case study on the Walvis Bay municipality. The South African position is subsequently analysed, first with a focus on section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, environmental law and related developments, then shifting the focus to the constitutional provisions on local government, local government law, related developments and the case of the Drakenstein Local Municipality. Thirdly, based on the lessons learned from and lacunae identified in all three of the countries considered, this study concludes with a set of recommendations for the South African context. / Thesis (LL.D.) -- North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.