In this dissertation I analyse the transformation of the South African law on the warranty against latent defects. I trace the development from pre-classical Roman law through to the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (“the CPA”). Society’s ever-changing economic requirements and moral ideals serve as the driving forces behind these continuous legal developments. Under Roman law the rules on latent defects initially applied to the sale of slaves. In contrast, modern South African law, as per the CPA and the values of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, specifically aims to protect the most vulnerable members of South Africa’s unequal society. The conservative approach adopted by the judiciary when adjudicating contractual matters hinders the transformation of the law of sale. Legal rules and legal thinking which reinforce traditional distributive patterns require reconsideration if societal-wide change, as demanded by the Constitution, can be imagined and accomplished. If the economic role of the contract and its power to divide and (re)distribute wealth is viewed as important, the link between poverty and the contract, and by association the consumer agreement, cannot be ignored. Contracts, and specifically basic consumer and credit agreements, are often concluded in order to facilitate survival in our current social reality. The law as it relates to consumer protection and the sale of defective goods is directly related to the contract’s role in wealth distribution. Where sales agreements are in question, the unequal bargaining power of the parties can impede the purchaser/consumer even further. The consumer’s right to good quality and safe goods creates uncertainty regarding whether or not the seller’s liability under the common law warranty against latent defects may be excluded in instances where the CPA and the common law apply simultaneously. This uncertainty, if addressed as being part of the national project of transformative constitutionalism, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that the exclusion of the seller’s liability is, paradoxically, detrimental to the very subject that the CPA and Constitution aim to protect, namely the purchaser. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Private Law / LLM / Unrestricted

L'objectif de cette thèse s'oriente principalement sur l'étude du de puisclaquage post-radiatif des MOSFET sances irradiés aux ions lourds. Nous avons pu constater, pour la première fois, une réduction des paramètres de fiabilité et de durée de vie des MOSFET de puissance irradiés aux ions lourds grâce à un protocole de test combinant les connaissances sur les effets des rayonnements et des tests électriques accélérés. Les MOSFET ont été irradiés principalement en absence de polarisation, dans le but de discriminer tout effet dû aux polarisations. Grâce à des irradiations réalisées à différentes valeurs d'énergie, nous nous sommes intéressés aux effets de l'énergie des particules et des pertes d'énergie associées. Nous avons pu constater que la dégradation de la fiabilité des MOSFET ne peut pas être corrélée uniquement à l'énergie perdue par excitation électronique (LET), ou pour des ions avec la même valeur de LET obtenue pour deux énergies différentes, le pire cas a été observé à l'énergie la plus faible. Cette dégradation est même plus importante que celle obtenue à la valeur maximale de LET (au pic de Bragg). Appuyé par des résultats obtenus grâce à des irradiations aux neutrons, nous avons pu proposer une hypothèse qui est basée sur une corrélation entre l'effet des pertes d'énergie associées aux passages des ions et les mécanismes de claquage des diélectriques. / The goal of this thesis is oriented mainly on the study of Post Irradiation Gate Stress (PiGS) of power MOSFETs irradiated with heavy ions. We have seen, for the first time, a reduction of reliability parameters and lifetime of power MOSFETs irradiated with heavy ions using a test panel combining the knowledge of the effects of radiation and accelerated electrical test. MOSFETs were irradiated mainly with no polarization, in order to discriminate any effect attributed to the polarizations. Using irradiation performed at different energy values, we investigated the effects of the energy and energy lost by ionizing and non ionizing process. We have seen that the reliability degradation of MOSFETs can't be correlated only to the energy lost by electron excitation (LET), or ions with the same LET value obtained for two different energies, the worst case was observed at the lowest energy. This degradation is even greater than that obtained with the maximum value of LET (the Bragg peak). Supported by results obtained by neutrons irradiation, we could propose a hypothesis that is based on a correlation between the effect of energy lost associated with the passage of ions and mechanisms of dielectric breakdown.

Le principe de la « transmission » des actions en justice avec la chose fait habituellement l'objet d'une analyse irritante, d'une part parce que l'appréhension de son mécanisme semble a priori complexe, d'autre part parce que son statut essentiellement prétorien paraît compromettre d'avance tout espoir de maîtrise. Il en est ainsi, parce qu'on suppose que, comme toute « norme du juge », il est soumis à la pression constante des faits et à la justification quasi-permanente de sa pertinence Dès lors, au mieux, il se mettra en adéquation avec les sollicitations fluctuantes du temps, empêchant ainsi toute tentative de systématisation, au pire, il s'érodera et disparaîtra pour laisser la place aux principes certains du Code civil, notamment ceux contenus dans les articles 1165 et 1166 du Code civil qu'il est supposé contourner.Pourtant, force est de reconnaître la résistance (inattendue ?) de l'œuvre : le principe de « transmission » des droits et actions avec la chose subit des attaques, chancelle parfois mais ne s'éteint toujours pas. Située à la croisée du droit des biens, du droit des contrats et de la procédure, cette œuvre de collaboration judicaire et doctrinale élaborée depuis plus de deux siècles, révèle, malgré ce temps relativement long de maturation, des insuffisances manifestes. Pourquoi cette transmission ? Quels droits et actions sont transmis avec la chose ? Quelles sont leurs conditions d'exercice ? Comment se dénouent-t-ils ? / The principle of transfer of actions and rights « attached » to thing‘s analysis is usually irritating, partly because of the apprehension of its mechanism seems complex; secondly because its status as praetorian creation seems to affect mainly advance any hope of control. This is so because it is assumed that, like all "Principles created by judge", it is subjected to constant pressure from the facts and need justification of its relevance almost constantly. Therefore, at best, it will match with the fluctuating demands, thus preventing any attempt at systematization, at worst; it will disappear, giving way to some principles of the Civil Code, such as articles 1165 and 1166 of the Civil Code which it is supposed to circumvent. But it is noted that this creation continues. The Principe of transfer of actions and rights is criticized sometimes, it stumbles but it steals alive. Its continued strength is probably due to the simplicity (apparent perhaps) of the problem raises. At the intersection of property law, contract law and procedure, the principle of rights and actions “transferred” with the thing offers the image of a joint judicial and doctrinal work. Developed over two centuries, the work reveals, despite this relatively long period of maturation, shortcomings