Legal news and commentary from the offices of Simon Dippenaar
Key considerations for employers Are you an employer? Perhaps you are a small business on the verge of expansion, taking on staff for the first time. What do you need to know about employment contracts to ensure you stay on the right side of employment law and, more importantly, your employees? There is a complex […]
Empowering plaintiffs in high-stakes cases Have you ever wanted to take another party to court but felt unable to contemplate litigation due to the cost? The pursuit of justice can be an expensive and daunting endeavour and the financial burden may present a barrier to accessing justice. If you have a very strong case, particularly […]
Why a property inspection is important Whether you are a first-time buyer or trading up for more space, if you are buying a property there are many things to consider: location, size, layout and price. Unless you are buying a new build, you should pay particular attention to the condition of the property and check […]
Legal remedies for victims Cryptocurrency has quickly become a popular investment opportunity, with pioneer crypto currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum valued from tens of thousands to millions of rands. However, cryptocurrency is highly volatile and still largely unregulated. As the popularity of cryptocurrency increases, so too does the risk of cryptocurrency fraud. What are cryptocurrencies? […]
What happens when you have a problem with an online transaction? E-commerce has been on the rise for a number of years. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the rate of take-up among consumers, as lockdowns made it difficult or impossible to visit physical shops. But e-commerce has been around since 1994 (the first recorded transaction was […]
DeFi has not gone away, but is it gaining traction? In 2023 we wrote several articles about decentralised finance – “DeFi” for short. Its regulation and legal status lacked certainty at that time since the concept was new and the technology rapidly evolving. We revisit DeFi to see what has changed in two years. The […]
What are the legal implications? The sophistication of artificial intelligence (AI), along with its application, is increasing almost on a daily basis. The UK has announced the world’s biggest trial of breast cancer screening and diagnosis using AI in place of the second radiologist (mammograms are normally assessed by two human doctors). If successful, this […]
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 […]
Despite increased vigilance, cybercrime continues to grow In a recent webinar on cybercrime, an audience poll revealed that over 50% of participants had experienced a financial scam of some sort. This does not mean all fell victim and lost money. We are all much more aware of scamming techniques and much more alert to suspicious […]
Protecting children’s best interests Couples are encouraged to make a will when they marry, and to keep that will up to date. It is particularly important to amend the will on the birth of children, not only to specify the financial arrangements for their care should the worst happen, but also to appoint a legal […]
Open justice is a fundamental right In a democratic society, justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done. The right of the public to scrutinise and understand the workings of the law is a key principle of our constitutional framework. Transparency and accountability build trust and confidence in the justice […]
Know your rights around these seasonal hurdles As predictable as tourists in Cape Town, roadblocks are a festive season feature. Recently, an email has made the rounds advising recipients to check their traffic fines and pay them to avoid being arrested in a roadblock. There is a lot of misinformation in circulation about this topic, […]
