Legal news and commentary from the offices of Simon Dippenaar
How to recognise police impersonation scams and what to do about them Dressing up as a police officer has long been an act for male strippers. It’s a bit of fun and no one would mistake them for real law enforcement officers. But impersonating a police officer for financial gain is a serious issue. Extortion […]
Can you be arrested? Can you be arrested for non-payment of traffic fines? There is a lot of confusion around AARTO – the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act. It was declared unconstitutional and invalid by the Pretoria High Court in January, but the Road Traffic Infringement Agency warned that it remains valid until […]
We know the police have a hard job to do at the moment. They are trained to fight crime, not to be public health guardians and patrol our streets after lights-out like a hall monitor. We know they are trying their best to act in the public interest, but it seems a little discretion and […]
By Simon David Dippenaar The death of a handcuffed suspect due to a restraint technique employed by a police official in the United States, and subsequent rioting, death and destruction of property, call these crimes into question. Without wading in on the race and political issues, this post simply considers the legality thereof, under the […]
Lockdown has led to high numbers of arrests. Here’s what to do if it happens to you. Locked up during lockdown? Lockdown has brought with it an increased number of arrests and incidents of police brutality. In the first three weeks of level 5 lockdown, more than 100 charges were laid against the police for […]
We came across an interesting case recently where the punishment most definitely did not fit the crime. A petty criminal received an unduly harsh sentence. Furthermore, there were minor children involved who might have been left without their caregiver if the sentence had been carried out. An accused appeared before a magistrates court for the […]
Few things are more traumatic or humiliating than being arrested – you can find yourself in a situation you are totally unprepared for; and if the arrest is unlawful, the distress is even greater. The following information tells you what to expect and how to handle the process, if you are unfortunate enough to find […]
Arrested unlawfully Don’t wait for the worst to happen. We’ve written about arrestees’ right in the past, but the recent student protest action both here in Cape Town and across the country, especially at the Union Buildings, has seen a police response out of proportion to the threat posed by students protesting peacefully with a […]
