Journal for Juridical Science

The Jurisdiction of the Regional Courts Amendment Act, 2008: Some implications for child law and divorce jurisdiction

J Sloth-Nielsen

The promulgation of the Jurisdiction of the Regional Courts Amendment Act, 31 of 2008 (hereafter the JRCAA) in 62 large urban magisterial districts on 9 August 2010 (Women’s Day) heralds a potentially drastic transformation of the practice of civil procedure in South Africa. This article focuses on its implications for family law and, especially, child law proceedings. The various dimensions of jurisdictional reform are first explained with reference to the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 and the JRCAA, whereafter their import is analysed. It will be questioned whether the provisions of the JRCAA were drafted with sufficient care, and why no reference was made to the provisions of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005. The potential difficulties occasioned by the new jurisdictional rules will be described. In conclusion, comments are made about the positive and less positive aspects of the JRCAA, and suggestions for reform are provided.

Die inwerkingtreding van die Jurisdiction of Regional Courts Amendment Act, 31 van 2008 (voortaan die JRCAA), in 62 groot stedelike landdrosdistrikte op 9 Augustus 2010 (Vrouedag), het die potensiaal vir drastiese transformasie van die praktyk van siviele prosesreg in Suid-Afrika. Hierdie artikel fokus op die implikasies van die Wet vir familiereg, en in besonder, kindderreg verrigtinge. Die verskillende afmetings van die jurisdiksionele hervormings word eerstens beskryf met verwysing na die Kinderwet, 38 van 2005 en die JRCAA, waarna hulle mening geanaliseer word. Dit word bevraagteken of die JRCAA bepalings met genoeg sorg geformuleer was, en hoekom geen verwysing na die Kinderwet verskyn. Die moontlike probleem wat die nuwe jurisdiksionele bepalings mag veroorsaak word beskryf. Gevolglik word daar kommentaar gelewer oor die positiewe and minder positiewe aspekte van die JRCAA, en voorstelle vir hervorming word aanbeveel.

The article is in English.

Die bepaling van die ‘sentrum van hoofbelange’ by oorgrens insolvensies: Is die Parmalat-benadering voldoende om die behoeftes van moderne handel te bevredig?

SJ Botha

Ten spyte van verskeie standpunte oor die sentrum van hoofbelange (COMI), is die regsvraag in hierdie ondersoek of, en tot watter mate, die benadering in In re Eurofood IFSC Ltd (die Parmalat-saak) ’n effektiewe oplossing bied vir die vasstelling van die ligging van die COMI van individuele maatskappye, hetsy onverbonde of as deel van ’n groep (in teenstelling met die COMI van maatskappye wat ’n sogenaamde ekonomiese eenheid vorm). Daar bestaan ’n vermoede dat die COMI geleë is waar die maatskappy se geregistreerde kantoor is. Dit is die fisiese faktor in die bepaling van die COMI. Daar is ook ’n psigiese faktor. Die COMI moet ooreenstem met die plek wat derde partye (insluitende buitelanders) beskou as die plek waar die skuldenaar gewoonlik sy besigheid en mees prominente belange op ’n gereelde basis administreer. As die geregistreerde kantoor op een plek geleë is en die oordeel van derde partye ten opsigte van die COMI op ’n ander plek is, sal die vermoede nie in werking tree nie en die gewone bewyslas sal op die betrokke party rus. As die filiaal se geregistreerde kantoor en die opvatting van derde partye op die selfde plek dui (sodat die vermoede in werking tree), moet die houermaatskappy meer, beter en swaarder getuienis aanvoer om die vermoede te weerlê. Die vermoede sal egter nie sonder meer weerlê word nie. ’n Essensiële en delikate opwegingsproses van die relevante faktore moet plaasvind. Die COMI moet geïdentifiseer word met verwysing na kriteria wat objektief voorsienbaar is deur alle betrokke partye.

Despite various viewpoints on the determination of the centre of main interest (COMI), the legal question in this investigation is whether, and to what extent, the approach in In re Eurofood IFSC Ltd (the Parmalat case) brings about an effective solution for the determination of the location of the COMI of individual companies, either unattached or as part of a group (in contrast with companies forming a so called economic unit). There exists a presumption that the COMI is situated there where the company’s registered office is. This is the physical factor in determining the COMI. There is also a mental or psychological factor. The COMI must correspond with the place which third parties (including foreigners) regard as the place where the debtor ordinarily manages its business and most prominent interests on a regular basis. If the registered office is situated at one place and the judgment of third parties with regard to the COMI is elsewhere, the presumption will not come into operation and the ordinary onus of proof will rest on the party concerned. If the subsidiary’s registered office and the opinion of third parties point to the same location (in order for the presumption to come into operation) the holding company should lead more substantial evidence so as to rebut the presumption. The presumption shall not be rebutted easily. An essential and delicate process of weighing up relevant factors should take place. The COMI must be identified with reference to criteria which are objectively foreseeable by all parties involved.

The article is in Afrikaans.

Incorporating Africanness into the legal curricula: The case for criminal and procedural law

N Mollema

Criminal and procedural law has recently come under scrutiny and been criticised as being the ‘white-man’s law’. The claim is that this academic discipline of law, as conceptualised and studied thus far, has remained too Eurocentric and lego-centric, incorporating only Western legal concepts and not embodying African values and cultures. Criminal and procedural law studies are described as Western concepts created from the viewpoint of a dominant Western culture which does not take sufficient cognisance of other cultural traditions and therefore lacks certain elements of legitimacy. There has been increasing pressure on these subjects to Africanise the law and to make it relevant to the greater South African population. Combining indigenous legal concepts and general legal theory, this article examines the current situation and endeavours to develop methods to account for the effect of African law on criminal and procedural law. The article concludes that recognition should be given to the Africanisation (or South Africanisation) of law. Law students need to be better equipped to understand the manifold pluralities within and between legal systems in order to produce lawyers and judges who are “thoroughly grounded in the cultural milieu of the society in which the courts are based”.<sup>1</sup>

Straf-en prosesreg het onlangs onder die soeklig gekom en is as synde die ‘Witman se wet’ gekritiseer. Die bewering is dat hierdie akademiese regsdissipline, soos tot dusver gekonseptualiseer en bestudeer, te Eurosentries en lego-sentries gebly het wat slegs Westerse regsbegrippe inkorporeer en nie Afrika-waardes en -kulture nie. Straf-en prosesregstudies word beskryf as Westerse konsepte wat uit die oogpunt van ’n dominante Westerse kultuur geskep is wat nie voldoende kennis van ander kulturele tradisies neem nie en dus sekere elemente van legitimiteit ontbreek. Daar is toenemende druk op hierdie vakke om die wet te Afrikaniseer en om dit meer relevant tot die groter Suid-Afrikaanse bevolking te maak. Deur inheemse regskonsepte en die algemene regsteorie te kombineer, ondersoek hierdie studie die huidige situasie en strewe daarna om metodes te ontwikkel wat om die effek van Afrika gewoontereg op die straf- en prosesreg te verantwoord. Die gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat erkenning aan die Afrikanisering (of Suid-Afrikanisering) van die wet gegee moet word. Regstudente moet beter toegerus word om die veelvuldige pluraliteite binne asook tussen verskillende regstelsels te verstaan, ten einde regspraktisyne en regters te produseer wat “deeglik gegrond is in die kulturele milieu van die gemeenskap waarin die howe gebaseer is”.<sup>2</sup>

The article is in English.

Reflections on South Africa’s continued absence from the WTO dispute settlement system

PM Lehloenya

This paper examines the failure of South Africa to make significant use of the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement mechanism over the years despite being actively involved in other WTO processes. In exploring this dearth of participation by South Africa, the paper looks at the experiences of other countries actively using the mechanism to see what lessons they can offer. In particular, the role of public-private partnerships in these other countries in dealing with WTO disputes is examined. The measures implemented by the South African government thus far to promote cooperation between itself and the private sector are also considered. The paper further highlights the potential benefits that active involvement in the WTO dispute settlement mechanism can bring to South Africa’s interests both inside and outside the WTO. In conclusion, the measures likely to help South Africa improve its engagement with the mechanism are considered.

Hierdie aanbieding ondersoek Suid-Afrika se versuim om doeltreffend van Wêreld Handelsorganisasie (WHO) dis-puutbeslegtingsmeganismes gebruik te maak, ten spyte van hul jarelange aktiewe betrokkenheid daarby. In die ondersoek van hierdie gebrek aan deelname deur Suid-Afrika, word daar gekyk na die ervarings van ander lande in die meganisme om te sien watter lesse hierdie lande kan bied. In die besonder, word die rol van die publiek-privaat vennootskappe in hierdie ander lande, wat met WHO-geskille handel, ondersoek. Die maatreëls wat tot dusver deur die Suid-Afrikaanse regering geïmplementeer is om samewerking tussen die regering en die privaatsektor te bevorder, word ook oorweeg. Die aanbieding beklemtoon verder die potensiële voordele vir Suid-Afrika wat aktiewe betrokkenheid by die WHO-meganisme vir geskilbeslegting, binne en buite die WHO, kan bied. Laastens word die maatreëls wat Suid-Afrika waarskynlik kan help om sy deelname in die meganisme te verbeter, oorweeg.

The article is in English.

The juridification of sport: A comparative analysis of children’s rugby and cricket in England and South Africa¹

S Greenfield

This article takes as its point of departure the notion of juridification in sport and, in particular, the perspective that the term has previously often been used in sport and law literature in a too narrow and limiting sense. Using the work of Ken Foster as a platform, the article examines a more nuanced notion of juridification. It does this by first unpacking two levels of juridification – the more well-known notion of increased legal intervention is considered before moving on to a more sophisticated application of the idea in terms of its impact upon rules and practices in sport. Foster termed this juridification as domestication. The article then applies these ideas in a practical context by examining two applications of the two children’s sports (rugby and cricket) in England and South Africa. The article concludes as to the future developments that are likely to occur. Despite the economic and cultural differences it seems likely that South Africa will continue to follow England, as is the case with the first level of juridification, and that the rules and their enforcement will themselves become more domesticated. It is likely that coaches and educators will find themselves under increased pressure to conform from both a general fear of litigation and a changing internal regulatory regime of sport codes.

Hierdie artikel het as uitgangspunt die begrip juridifikasie in sport, en in die besonder die perspektief dat die term in die verlede dikwels in sport- en regsliteratuur in ’n te eng en beperkende sin gebruik is. Met die werk van Ken Foster as basis, ondersoek die artikel ’n meer genuanseerde siening van juridifikasie. Dit word gedoen deur eerstens twee vlakke van juridifikasie te ondersoek: die meer bekende begrip van verhoogde intervensie van die reg in sport, opgevolg met ’n meer gesofistikeerde toepassing van die idee in terme van sy impak op reëls en gebruike tydens sportbeoefening. Dit is wat Foster getipeer het as juridifikasie as ’n vorm van ‘domestication’: die opname van regsbeginsels in die huishoudelike reëls, regulasies en bestuur van sportsoorte. Die artikel pas daarna hierdie idees in die praktiese konteks toe, deur twee toepassings in sportdeelname (rugby en krieket) van kinders in Engeland en Suid-Afrika te ondersoek. Die artikel sluit af met ’n bespreking van die verwagte toekomstige ontwikkelings. Ondanks die ekonomiese en kulturele verskille skyn dit asof Suid-Afrika steeds Engeland gaan volg, soos met die eerste vlak van juridifikasie, en dat die huishoudelike reëls, en die afdwinging daarvan, volgens regsbeginsels benader sal word. Afrigters en opvoeders sal toenemende druk ervaar om hierby aan te pas, op grond van sowel die vrees vir litigasie, as die veranderende interne reguleringsbenadering van sportsoorte.

Noodtoestand en die aksie van afhanklikes: Maimela v Makhado Municipality 2011-5-20 Saaknr 269/10 (HHA)

J Neethling

No Abstract.

Journal for Juridical Science

The Jurisdiction of the Regional Courts Amendment Act, 2008: Some implications for child law and divorce jurisdiction

Die bepaling van die ‘sentrum van hoofbelange’ by oorgrens insolvensies: Is die Parmalat-benadering voldoende om die behoeftes van moderne handel te bevredig?

Incorporating Africanness into the legal curricula: The case for criminal and procedural law

Reflections on South Africa’s continued absence from the WTO dispute settlement system

The juridification of sport: A comparative analysis of children’s rugby and cricket in England and South Africa1

Noodtoestand en die aksie van afhanklikes: Maimela v Makhado Municipality 2011-5-20 Saaknr 269/10 (HHA)

The juridification of sport: A comparative analysis of children’s rugby and cricket in England and South Africa¹