Legal news and commentary from the offices of Simon Dippenaar
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 […]
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, […]
South Africa is not immune from human trafficking Human trafficking is an all-too-common occurrence in the modern world. Musician Sean “Diddy” Combs currently faces charges of sex trafficking and racketeering in New York, and two people in Glasgow have been arrested in connection with human trafficking offences just recently. Here in South Africa, kidnapping and […]
Why confidentiality matters One of the pillars of democracy is a free press. We discussed the importance of access to information recently. In an open society, we take access to information for granted, and journalists tend to be respected. A principle of ethical journalism is confidentiality, and the protection of confidential sources is a widely […]
The importance of access to information As South Africans, we live in a democratic society and we take access to information for granted. While we may sometimes experience frustration with government obfuscation, most people agree that we have the right to be informed and we have the means to access that information, such as our […]
Cybercriminals are finding new ways to scam and con you Remember those halcyon days when the biggest consequence of having a cell phone stolen was the inconvenience and the potential loss of your photos and contacts? It’s hard to believe that was only around 10 years ago. If your phone is stolen now, the damage […]
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 […]
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 […]
The impact of corruption on our society and what we can do about it Corruption in South Africa is a well-worn topic of conversation. The Zondo Commission was appointed “to investigate matters of public and national interest concerning allegations of state capture, corruption and fraud”. In November 2023, the government issued a Progress Report on […]
This Women’s Month, SD Law congratulates women in sport This month, South Africa observes Women’s Month. We say “observe” rather than “celebrate” because women still experience physical and emotional abuse and even death at the hands of men every day at shamefully high rates in our country. Sex work is still criminalised and sex workers […]
Personal liability of a member of a deregistered Close Corporation Are you a member of a deregistered Close Corporation? Although no new Close Corporations have been able to be registered since 1 May 2011, there are still Close Corporations in operation. A Close Corporation registered before that date can carry on as usual until it is liquidated or the members […]
