Legal news and commentary from the offices of Simon Dippenaar
Environmental crime is more than just poaching How often do you think about the environment? With the global increase in climate-related events, such as the recent catastrophic floods in Spain, the answer might be “quite a lot”. But you probably don’t think of the environment in terms of crime. In fact, environmental matters are highly […]
We take a closer look Land reform is a much-debated issue in South Africa. No one (well, almost no one) disputes the urgent need to right some of the wrongs of the past regarding land ownership, to advance transformation. However, the ways and means of achieving this reform are not always full agreed upon. We’ve […]
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 […]
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 […]
We have covered the COVID-19 pandemic, as it relates to South Africa and the issues that concern South Africans, since the lockdown was first announced on March 27th. We have reported on gender-based violence, the alcohol ban, evictions, and the overall impact on economic prosperity. This report from UNDP on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 […]
Dagga legalisation has been big news in the past week. But what exactly does it mean in practice? Since last week’s Constitutional Court ruling on the possession of dagga for private use, SD Law has been inundated with queries about the practical implications of this decision. How does it differ from last year’s Western Cape […]
Cohabitation vs. marriage – the legal differences For various reasons, marriage is not for everyone. Some prefer not to marry as a matter of principle; some can’t marry (for example if one party is waiting for a divorce to come through). Others want to live together prior to marriage, to road-test their compatibility. Whatever the […]
After divorce, is it possible to be friends? As family law practitioners, we see every kind of divorce imaginable, from amicable to acrimonious and everything in between.
You have rented out your property but now, for whatever reason, you wish to return and take up occupancy. Are you within your rights as the property owner to remove the tenant, and what do you do if they refuse to vacate?
The Western Cape has followed suit by amending the Western Cape Liquor Act 2008 (as amended by the Western Cape Liquor Amendment Act 2015) and introducing tougher new conditions for licensees.
Protection order is an order used by a court to protect a person or business. If you are a landlord and have been served with a protection order by your tenant, what does this mean and what should you do about it?
Medical Marijuana As we covered previously, on 31 March the Western Cape High Court ruled that marijuana (cannabis or dagga) can be used by adults in the privacy of their own homes, and may be cultivated for private use. Even before that groundbreaking verdict, South Africans were using marijuana privately for medicinal use, and were […]
