Read the latest legal news, updates and commentary from the offices of Simon Dippenaar & Associates.
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 […]
A temporary lapse in making payments does not justify repossessing a vehicle A recent judgment in the Western Cape High Court brings the values of our Constitution to the realm of consumer credit agreements. The law, and constitutional law in particular, can seem lofty and dense at times. The provisions of the Bill of Rights […]
Is mandatory vaccination constitutional? Are you vaccinated against COVID-19? While we all long for the national state of disaster to finally be lifted and life to get back to normal, and vaccines are the only viable way for that to happen without a long wait for the virus to exhaust itself, many people still have […]
We celebrate Freedom Day every year – but how much do you know about it? April is a wonderful month, packed with public holidays (especially if you count 1 May – Workers’ Day, although this year it falls on a Saturday so it doesn’t feel as much like a holiday). But how much do you […]
Reprinted from iol.com, by Norman Cloete – 2020-12-19 Picture Noor Slamdien/African News Agency In what has been hailed a landmark victory for the recognition of Muslim marriages, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruled that the Marriage Act 25 of 1961 and the Divorce Act 70 of 1979, are inconsistent with the Constitution. The SCA […]
The recent South African high court judgment regarding lockdown regulations is welcomed. Government must be held to account by the judiciary. This is the hallmark of a healthy functioning constitutional democracy. The Constitution remains supreme. All regulations must be checked and balanced in accordance with it. Ministers, you’ve been legally checked! SD This article is […]
How the stench from a neighbouring mushroom farm became a court case Case law is the bane of every law student’s existence. Unlike statutory law, which is straightforward legislation and generally unambiguous, case law involves the analysis of previous legal decisions to analyse a new case and resolve ambiguities. The study of case law is […]
