The professorial inaugural lecture is for the university an occasion to celebrate - celebrate in the full meaning of the word, i.e. to perform publicly and duly, to observe and honour with rites and festivities, to publish abroad, praise and extol. Through the custom of the inaugural lecture the university celebrates and affirms its basic function, that of creating, preserving, transmitting and applying knowledge, particularly scientifically-based knowledge. The university appoints to the position of professor one who has attained excellence in the handling of knowledge in her or his discipline, and through a jealous watchfulness over the dignity and esteem of this time-honoured position of excellence amongst scholars, defends the capacity of the university to advance human knowledge and human progress. The University of the Western Cape is particularly honoured to celebrate by way of this address the inauguration of its first ever Professor of Human Rights Law. We take pride from both the position and the incumbent: the post demonstrates our commitment to scholarly relevance, the incumbent to the pursuit of excellence. This university has distinguished itself amongst South African educational institutions for the way that it has grappled with questions of appropriate intellectual and educational responses to the demands of the social and political environment. That search involved debates and contests over what constitutes knowledge or valuable knowledge, over the nature of the process of knowledge production, over the relationship between theory and practice, about autonomy and accountability, about the meaning of "community" and about how the activities of a university are informed by the definition and conception of "community". The decision to establish a chair in Human Rights Law was arrived at as part of that process of searching for the appropriate forms of curricular transformation. South African society with its history of colonial conquest and latterly apartheid rule is one bereft of a rights culture; and where the discussion of a bill of rights and the general establishment of an awareness of human rights had been started in recent times, it has often been motivated by a concern with the protection of traditionally advantaged sectors of society. A university like ours has an obligation to contribute to the debate about and the promotion of human rights in ways which will also be concerned with healing, reparation and reconstruction in this severely brutalised nation. In this address marking his formal assumption of the University of the Western Cape’s Chair in Human Rights Law, Kader Asmal gives testimony of the depth of scholarly rigour and the breadth of humane concern brought to and emanating from this position. The integral coming together of Asmal the international scholar, the anti-apartheid activist of long standing, the seasoned international solidarity worker, the spirited publicist is evidenced in this address which is sure to stand as a signal point of reference in our national debate about this complex subject. The University had been privileged to attract to its staff some of the finest scholars from the ranks of the formerly exiled South Africans; this inaugural ceremony provides the institution with the opportunity to welcome into its midst one of those in the person of Kader Asmal. / Publications of the University of the Western Cape ; series A, no. 64

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Sociology of Education) / One of the outstanding characteristics of the present South Africa is an accountable Charter of Human Rights. Rapid changes have taken place on the political, economic and social levels lately. The labour market is influenced by the new dispensation. Most individuals, sometime or another, form part of the labour market and they should be explicitly made aware of their rights and responsibilities. The employer sector requires an education system that will equip people with skills and integrity to take their place in the labour market. The task of the teacher and school cannot be over-estimated. The purpose of this study is to establish to what extent pupils on reaching St 10 have been made aware of their rights in the labour market. In order to achieve this, a questionnaire of six items has been developed based on the literature study in Chapter II of this Script. The variables obtained from this analysis, were applied to test structure and detailed hypothesis concerning the various groups. In this comparison the Hotelling T-test was used to examine the combination of the six facets of labour law and human rights. Where significant multivariate differences were found, they were further investigated by means of the Student's t-test. For three or more groups, the multivariate hypothesis on the six facets of labour relations and human rights were investigated with the use of the one-way Manova. Where significant multivariate differences were found, the univariate differences were investigated further with an Anova and Scheffe.

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

AFRIKAANS: In 1994 het die Republiek van Suid-Afrika 'n nuwe konstitusionele era betree. Die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika Wet 200 van 1993 (die interim Grondwet), wat in werking getree het op 27 April 1994, het basiese menseregte en vryhede aan alle Suid-Afrikaners gewaarborg. Grondwetlike beginsel II in Bylae 4 daarvan, het onder meer die volgende voorskrif ten aansien van die inhoud van die finale grondwetlike teks bevat: “Elkeen moet alle universeel aanvaarde fundamentele regte, vryhede en burgerlike vryhede genlet, waarvoor voorslening gemaak moet word en wat beskerm moet word deur verskanste en beregbare bepalings in die Grondwet, wat opgestel moet word na behoorlike inagnemlng van, onder andere, die fundamentele regte vervat in Hoofstuk 3 van hlerdle Grondwet." Vervolgens het die Konstitusionele Hof voortgegaan om die finale grondwetllke teks aan grondwetllke beginsel II te toets met die oog op die sertifisering en inwerkingtreding daarvan. Een van die besware wat teen die grondwetlike teks ingebring was, was dat daar geen uitdruklike voorsiening vir die erkenning en beskerming van regte ten aansien van die gesin en die gesinslewe voorkom nie, terwyl sodanige regte in die algemeen erkenning geniet in internasionale menseregte-instrumente en in die grondwette van verskeie state. Die beswaar is deur die Konstitusionele Hof van die hand gewys. Die finale Grondwet, Wet 108 van 1996, het in 1996 in werking getree sonder die uitdruklike insluiting van fundamentele regte betreffende die gesin en gesinslewe. Die moontllke uitdruklike erkenning en beskerming van fundamentele regte ten aansien van die gesin en gesinslewe in die Grondwet; die betekenis en inhoud van die konsep "gesin" en "gesinslewe" vir doeleindes van die beskerming bepleit; die hedendaagse belang van die gesin; die juridiese aard van fundamentele regte ten aansien van die gesin en gesinslewe; die inhoud, omvang en beperking van fundamentele regte ten aansien van die gesin en gesinslewe; die effek van regte ten aansien van die gesin en gesinslewe op die ouer-kind verhouding; die omgangsreg en reg op inllgting van ouers en hul minderjarige kinders asook op diverse aspekte van die Suid-Afrikaanse reg; en laastens, die moontllke toekomstige ontwikkellng en uitbreiding van sodanige reg(te). As basis vir die ondersoek dien 'n regsvergelykende studie van die uitleg van artikel 8 van die Europese Verdrag vir die Beskerming van die Regte en Fundamentele vryhede van die Mens deur die Europese Hof vir die Regte van die Mens. Artikel 8 lui: "1. Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence (eie kursivering). 2. There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except such as In accordance with the law and Is necessary in a democratic society In the interests of national security, public safety or the economic well-being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others." Benewens die beslissings van die Europese Hof vir die Regte van die Mens word die posisie in Nederland spesifiek onder die loep geneem met verwysing na die toepassing van artikel 8 deur die Hoge Raad op die Nederlandse reg. Die waarde van die ondersoek is egter nie afhanklik van die korrektheid al dan nie, van die siening dat die gesin en gesinslewe uitdruklike beskerming behoort te geniet nie. Selfs indien aanvaar word dat die gesin en gesinslewe wel voldoende indirekte beskerming in die Grondwet geniet, 5005 deur die Konstitusionele Hof beslis, is vrae na aspekte soos wat 'n gesin uitmaak en wat 'n reg op die gesin en gesinslewe inhou steeds in 'n groot mate onbeantwoord. 'n Ondersoek van die aard is dus van groot nut om antwoorde op die vrae te bied. Uit die ondersoek blyk verder dat die mate van (indirekte) beskerming wat die gesin (en gesinslede) geniet, groter effektiwiteit sal verkry indien uitdruklike regte ten aansien van die gesin en gesinslewe wel in die Grondwet vervat sou word. Pogings om aspekte van die gesinslewe onder artikels wat indirekte beskerming verleen tuis te bring is dikwels geforseerd terwyl sodanige aspekte internasionaal met groter gemak hanteer word deur dit onder 'n uitdruklike reg op respek vir die gesinslewe tuis te bring. In die proefskrif word ten slotte aanbeveel dat die volgende reg(te) in die Grondwet vervat word: "(1) Die gesin geniet die spesiale beskerming van die staat. (2) Elkeen het die reg op respelk vir die gesinslewe." ENGLISH: In 1994 South Africa entered a new constitutional era. Its interim Constitution, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 200 of 1993, which came into operation on 27 April 1994, guaranteed to all south Africans basic human rights and freedoms. Constitutional principle II thereof contained the following instruction regarding the content of the final constitutional text: "Everyone shall enjoy all universally accepted fundamental rights, freedoms and civil liberties, which shall be provided for and protected by entrenched and justiciable provisions in the Constitution, which shall be drafted after having given due consideration to inter alia the fundamental rights contained In Chapter 3 of this Constitution." Consequently, the Constitutional Court had to ascertain whether the final constitutional text complied with this principle in view of the certification and implementation thereof. One of the complaints against the final text was the absence of explicit recognition and protection of rights with regard to the family and family life, whilst such rights enjoyed general recognition in international human rights instruments and in the constitutions of several states. The Constitutional court rejected this complaint. The final Constitution, Act 108 of 1996, came into operation in 1996 without the explicit inclusion of fundamental rights with regard to the family and family life. The following aspects are investigated in the thesis: The possible explicit recognition and protection of fundamental rights with regard to the family and family life in the Constitution; the meaning and content of the concept "family" and "family life" for the purpose of the envisaged protection; the present-day importance of the family; the content, extent and limitation of fundamental rights with regard to the family and family life; the effect of rights with regard to the family and family life on the parent-child relationship and the right to access and information of parents and their minor children as well as on sundry aspects of the south African law. Lastly, the possible future development and expansion of such right(s) is investigated. As basis for the investigation serve a comparative study of the interpretation of article 8 of the European Convention for the protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms by the European court for Human Rights. Article 8 stipulates: "1. Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence (my italics). 2. There shall be no interference by a public authority With the exercise of this right except such as in accordance with the law and Is necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security, public safety or the economic well-being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others." Apart from the judgments of the European Court for Human Rights the position in the Netherlands is specifically investigated with reference to the application of article 8 by the Hoge Raad on Dutch law. The value, however, of this investigation is not dependant on the correctness or not of the view that the family and family life should enjoy explicit protection in the Constitution. Even if one accepts that the family and family life enjoys sufficient indirect protection in the Constitution as decided by the Constitutional court, aspects such as what constitutes a family and the content of such right(s) are in a large degree unanswered. An investigation of this nature is thus of great value in order to provide answers to such questions. The investigation further indicates that the degree to which the family enjoys indirect protection will receive greater effect if explicit rights with regard to the family and family life are contained in the Constitution. Attempts to deal with aspects of family life under sections of the Constitution which presumably afford indirect protection is often forcing the issue whilst such issues are internationally dealt with great ease under an explicit right to respect for family life. In the thesis it is finally recommended that the following rights should be contained in the Constitution: "(1) The family enjoys the special protection of the state. (2) Everyone has the right to respect for family life." / Thesis (LLD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Private Law / unrestricted

The definition of genocide encompasses not only the killing of a protected group as is so often erroneously believed, but also inter alia the causing of serious bodily and mental harm to a group and deliberately inflicting conditions of life on a group calculated to bring about its destruction in whole or in part. Eight stages have been identified through which conventional genocide goes. There is a closed list of four groups named in the Genocide Convention in respect of which genocide can be perpetrated. Problems have been experienced with the classification and the determination whether a group should qualify or not. In answer to this problem, the definition of the groups should be seen cohesively and attempts should preferably not be made to compartmentalise any group suspected of being targeted for genocide. The special intent required for genocide sets it apart from other crimes against humanity. The intention that needs to be proven is the desire to exterminate a group as such in whole or in part. The mention of “in part” opens the door for genocide to be perpetrated against a small sub-group which conforms to the definition of a group. The white Afrikaner farmer forms part of the larger white Afrikaner group residing in South Africa. Incitement to genocide is an inchoate crime and is regarded as a lesser crime reflected in lower sentences being passed for incitement than for genocide itself. The requirements are that the incitement must be direct and public. The required intention to incite must also be proven for a conviction to follow. The farmer who laid the complaint with the International Criminal Court, did so in the hope that the Prosecutor would utilise his or her proprio motu powers to instigate an investigation in South Africa regarding white Afrikaner farmers. The complaint and petition as well as the statistics used by the farmer paint the picture of incitement to genocide and possible genocide. The allegations are not specific and will have to be proven in a court of law for any such finding to follow. / Abstract

With this piece of work an attempt is made to have a objective evaluation of the influence of South Africa's Bill of rights on the common law of Defamation. the following aspects are being highlighted: The general application of the Bill of Rights and its relevant sections; A comparative study of the application of Bill of Rights with special reference to the United States, Canada, India and Germany; The law of Defamation under a new legal order, with specific reference to whether the Bill of Rights does apply to Defamation and if so how will it change the current common law of Defamation. / Text in Afrikaans / Law / LL.M.

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Die Konstitusionele Hof het ir:i S v Makwanyane besluit dat die doodstraf nie versoenbaar is met die Grondwet nie en dit ongeldig verklaar. Die kritiek teenoor die regbank en die openbare mening oor die doodstraf was nog altyd s6 prominent dat die hof nie anders kon as om hieraan aandag te skenk nie. Die hof besluit dat die openbare mening nie 'n rol speel in die hersieningsproses nie. In hierdie verhandeling word die hof se standpunte en red es daarvoor ontleed. Ek kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat die hof korrek bes I is het. Die open bare mening is onseker. Daar is 'n verskil tussen die aard van die waardes in die Grondwet en die aard van die open bare mening. Die kritiek op die uitspraak is te wyte aan die gebrek aan insig en begrip onder lede van die gemeenskap oor die nuwe bestel en die rol van die regbank daarin. / The Constitutional Court in S v Makwanyane declared that the death penalty was inconsistent with the Constitution. The criticism on courts and the public opinion on the death penalty have been so severe that the court could not have but considered these issues. The court concluded that public opinion is not relevant in constitutional review. In this dissertation, I analyze the court's viewpoints and the reasons therefor. My conclusion is that the court made the correct decision. The public opinion is uncertain, and differs from values. The judgment is criticised due to a lack of understanding amongst the public as to the meaning of the new dispensation and the role of our courts therein. / Law / Thesis (LL.M.)--Universiteit van Suid-Afrika, 1996.

<p>Currently, one of the most dramatic threats to human security is constituted by internal armed conflicts. In 1998, violent conflicts took place in at least 25 countries. Of these armed conflicts, 23 were internal, engaging one or more non-State armed groups. A crucial feature of internal conflicts is the widespread violation of humanitarian law and human rights by armed groups, from rebel groups to private militias. This thesis aimed at identifying various ways of promoting a better implementation of the Geneva Conventions and its Protocols by NSAGs in the Great Lakes Region.</p>

This diploma thesis describes the African human rights system on both regional and subregional level and tries to evaluate its effectiveness. An important part of this work is dedicated to judicial and quasijudicial decisions made by respective bodies. The thesis is organised into five main sections. The first section considers the history of the African continent and its human rights challenges which I believe have influenced the present human rights system. The main focus was brought to the colonial era and the post colonial struggle for independence. The next section describes the regional system, the aim of which is the protection and promotion human rights across the whole continent. This system is composed of the African Union, the African charter on human and peoples' rights, the African commision on human and peoples' rights and the African court on human and peoples' rights. The operation of these instruments is explained, and the sphere in which these bodies operate in order to influence the promotion and protection of human rights is described. The following section presents a consideration of similar aspects as the previous, but at the subregional level. At this level, it proved difficult to choose relevant international organizations and to define their relevancy to the topic at hand. I have...