Read the latest legal news, updates and commentary from the offices of Simon Dippenaar & Associates.
What the Constitutional Court’s surname decision means for marriage in South Africa In Jordaan v Minister of Home Affairs (2025), the Constitutional Court ruled that South African law unfairly discriminated against men by preventing husbands from automatically adopting their wife’s surname. Parliament must amend the Births and Deaths Registration Act to allow equal surname choices […]
Practical guidance for employers and employees On 4 September 2025, the Minister of Employment and Labour brought into effect the new Code of Good Practice: Dismissal under the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 (LRA). The Code consolidates and updates South Africa’s dismissal framework, replacing the long-standing Schedule 8: Code of Good Practice: Dismissal and […]
Are they still a smart way to raise money? For years, South African businesses have leaned on preference shares as a clever way to raise funding. The idea was simple: instead of borrowing money and paying interest, companies issued preference shares to investors. These shares came with fixed dividends and a promise to buy the […]
Tips to avoid being scammed In our hyper-connected world, the internet offers convenience, opportunity and community. However, it also presents ripe ground for cyber fraud. With common online scams becoming more sophisticated by the day, it’s no longer a matter of if you’ll be targeted, but when. From crypto scams to phishing emails and fake […]
Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies vs. Thomas Leyland Torr We all value free speech. As a nation, we don’t condone hate speech. Section 16 of the Constitution provides the right to freedom of expression, which includes freedom of the press and other media; freedom to receive or impart information or ideas; freedom of […]
Understanding gamete ownership You may have seen the Netflix film “Joy: The Birth of IVF”. It tells the story of Louise Brown, the first “test-tube baby”, and the scientists as well as brave women who helped to bring about this breakthrough in reproductive science. We take fertility treatment for granted now, but procedures like IVF, […]
Why your attorney might use AI to prepare your case The legal profession is often perceived as resistant to change. Traditional values are important to law firms, as we have a duty of care to our clients and trust is essential. However, advancements in technology are bringing about a transformation in how we serve our […]
How AI is revolutionising legal disputes Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around for years, but most of us only became consciously aware of it with the launch of ChatGPT in November 2023. Since then, the prominence and use of AI have spiralled. Recently we heard about the Chinese-made AI chatbot called DeepSeek, which overnight hit […]
Reprinted from Mondaq.com, by Mtho Maphumulo – 2024-10-22 Cybercrime remains rife, despite the efforts to combat it. In a recent court case, the court reaffirmed the legal position as to who bears responsibility for payment… Cybercrime remains rife, despite the efforts to combat it. In a recent court case, the court reaffirmed the legal position […]
Compensation for work-related injuries There are 869,000 domestic workers in South Africa, comprising 5.2% of the population, as at the end of March, 2024. Many of us rely on domestic workers to relieve us of the burden of cleaning our own homes, looking after our children, and perhaps cooking our meals. For many workers, women […]
After many revisions, the Land Court Act is finally enacted The Land Court Bill has been occupying legislators for some time now. Last year, it was finally enacted and became the Land Court Act No. 6 of 2023. The Land Court Act is an attempt to right some of the wrongs of the past, and […]
High Court ruling spells changes to parental leave provisions in BCEA A landmark judgment was handed down by the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg within the last week, which heralds a significant change to the provisions for parental leave after the birth of a child in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of […]
