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 […]
SD Law takes pride in upholding our Constitution and defending our constitutional rights. We have written on numerous occasions about the different ways the values of our Constitution are applied to daily life in South Africa. We oppose any form of discrimination or human rights abuses and we welcome this announcement from Justice and Constitutional […]
Trust-to-trust: Is a trust an option to ring-fence a maintenance obligation upon divorce? Reprinted from iol.co.za, by Phia van der Spuy – 2021-11-04 A trust has various uses. A trust is a useful tool to utilise in a divorce settlement whereby a divorce settlement can be transferred into a trust and be applied for the […]
Nurses hesitant to vaccinate children without parental consent, saying ‘They’re way too young’ Although there are some who are unsure about whether or not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, data shows that vaccination against the disease reduces the risk of becoming seriously ill if one is infected. Furthermore, while the vaccine does not guarantee 100% […]
