Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In 2002 the South African Law Commission published a report in which amendments
to the existing rules of criminal procedure and evidence were proposed. A number of
these recommendations have since been included in a Bill that was tabled before
Parliament in 2003. The proposed amendments largely reflect values which underlie
the "Victims' Rights" movement. The aim of this thesis is to consider the possible
influence of these amendments on the constitutionally guaranteed fair trial rights of
the accused. The study focuses on those amendments that play a role in the
prosecution of alleged sexual offences against children, and shows that although the
recognition of victims' rights is important, it should not be done at the expense of a
fair trial. Dangers inherent to the proposed amendments are therefore highlighted. The
rights of the accused are used to test the desirability or not of the proposed
amendments. Foreign authority is used to support the argument made in the thesis. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In 2002 het die Suid-Afrikaanse Regskommissie 'n verslag gepubliseer waann
veranderings aan die huidige strafprosesreg- en bewysregreëls voorgestel word. 'n
Aantal van hierdie voorgestelde wysigings is intussen opgeneem in 'n Wetsontwerp
wat in Augustus 2003 voor die Parlement gedien het. Die voorgestelde wysigings
reflekteer tot 'n groot mate waardes wat die "Victims' rights" beweging onderlê. Die
doel van hierdie tesis is om die moontlike invloed van hierdie wysigings op die
grondwetlik verskanste billike verhoor regte van die beskuldigde te ondersoek. Die
ondersoek fokus op daardie veranderinge wat 'n rol speel in die vervolging van
beweerde geslagsmisdade teen kinders. Daar word aangetoon dat alhoewel die
erkenning van regte vir slagoffers belangrik is, dit nie ten koste van 'n regverdige
verhoor gedoen kan word nie. Gevare verbonde aan die voorgestelde wysigings word
dus uitgewys. Die regte van die beskuldigde word deurgaans gebruik om die
wenslikheid al dan nie van die voorgestelde wysigings aan te toon. Buitelandse gesag
word aangewend om die betoog te ondersteun.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50431 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Fourie, Melanie |
| Contributors | Van der Merwe, S. E., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Law. Department of Public Law. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xi, 222 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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