Read the latest legal news, updates and commentary from the offices of Simon Dippenaar & Associates.
Request a free call back
Where law and culture intersect Muslim marriage has been in the news recently. In June 2022, the Constitutional Court declared the Divorce Act unconstitutional because it failed to recognise Muslim marriages that have not been registered as civil marriages as valid marriages. Parliament was ordered to rectify the legislation to comply with the Constitution within […]
The payments can be used for rent, study or household essentials to help them start new lives. Reprinted from Sky News, by Tamara Cohen – 2024-01-09 Regular readers will know that we like to keep abreast of legal developments around the world as well as here in South Africa. Often we find that South African […]
Understanding domestic violence and protection procedures Domestic violence is a pressing social issue in South Africa, affecting individuals and families across all communities. It does not discriminate according to educational status, economic standing, or social class. Defined as a pattern of abusive behaviours perpetrated by one against another, it encompasses various forms of abuse, including […]
White collar crime can do as much damage to society as violent crime Commercial crime, also called “white collar crime”, is often called a victimless crime, because it is not perpetrated against an individual. But it is anything but victimless. And with more and more of our lives conducted online, along with the growth in […]
The Protection Against Harassment Act of 2011 is there to help Attention is sharply focused on violence against women right now, as the world observes 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children. This campaign has its roots in protests about the use of physical violence against women. But violence and abuse […]
If your matter is part of a broader cross-border divorce (foreign spouse, service abroad, children or assets overseas), start here: International Divorce in South Africa. The Children’s Act allows children to be relocated after divorce – but only with consent The mid-year school break and winter holiday is nearly upon us. For divorced families it […]
Largest analysis of its kind finds one in seven globally said they had experienced violence in the last year We know we have a problem with gender-based and domestic violence in South Africa, and we know it is a global phenomenon, as reports that have emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic have shown. But this study, […]
What does the new Cybercrimes Act 2020 cover? We wrote recently about the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). The need for such privacy legislation came about because of the explosion in electronic storage of personal information over the past two decades. Historically, personal information was held mostly by financial services companies, in paper records. […]
Family finds closure after 17 year battle to get justice for their slain daughter Reprinted from the Cape Argus, by Mwangi Githahu – 2022-01-17 Cape Town – A Pietermaritzburg family whose daughter was killed in 2005 say they have finally gained closure after two Western Cape High Court judges last week upheld the killer’s 15-year […]
POPIA – why you should care The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) was enacted on 1 July 2020, but only became fully enforceable on 1 July 2021. Businesses enjoyed a 12-month grace period to comply with all the requirements. Since 1 July 2021 significant penalties for non-compliance have been in place. However, we are […]
As we currently observe 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, this article from the UK’s Guardian newspaper gives voice to the experience of a child raised in a home where domestic violence was a frequent and unwelcome guest. Although the author was not the direct victim of the abuse – […]
Civil society organisations’ lawsuit argues the country’s energy policy is incompatible with the constitution The recent upsurge in load shedding is proof – if proof were needed – of South Africa’s shortage of electricity generating capacity. One breakdown anywhere in the fragile system and the lights go off. So the need for additional power stations […]
