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Specifically speaking |
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| CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE |
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Offenders
to get handcuffs, not handshakes - 5 December
Company executives who deal with fraud or corruption by
quietly getting rid of the perpetrator and sweeping the mess
under the carpet will now be liable for prosecution
Financial Mail
website |
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| CRIMINAL
LAW |
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Gauteng
Provincial Government
1 December 2003
Gauteng
MEC Ramokgopa and nurses orientated about court proceedings, 2
Dec
includes
"The nurses, who received their certificates in
medico-legal practice last month, are the first group of
health professionals in the province to be trained to treat
victims of violence and rape in a way that preserves
evidence that may be used during police investigations and
in court to get a conviction"
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MRC
slams rape treatment - 2 December
It is not up to doctors or
nurses to decide whether rape victims are telling the truth or
not. They should leave the facts about the attack to the
courts and involve themselves rather with the victim's welfare
News24 website |
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INTERNATIONAL - |
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Victim
advocates want names, addresses, records offline
- 1 December
As
part of a sweeping computer system upgrade, New Hampshire is
considering how much public access to grant to electronic
court records. Here and elsewhere, privacy and victim
advocates want either a ban or strict limits on electronic
posting of records involving divorces, domestic violence and
sex crimes. But advocates for public access say victims
already have many protections
USA
Today
website |
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Trial
exposes Jimmy Ryce law flaws
- 1 December
After living four years in a 7-foot-by-10-foot cell at a
detention center for sexually violent predators in Arcadia,
Hershel Meadows proved at a trial last week that he didn't
belong there after all
Sun-Herald
(USA)
website |
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No
witness intimidation problem : Law Society
- 1 December
The
president of the Law Society of Ireland said that he was not
aware of an increasing pattern of witness intimidation and he
said that the Law Society is not recommending that legislation
be changed to deal with the issue
RTE
News
website |
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| CUSTOMARY
LAW |
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Nurse
takes on African customary law - 28 November
In a move set to further enhance the rights of black women,
the Pretoria High Court has ruled that the provisions of
customary law, which exclude females from inheriting from an
intestate estate, were inconsistent with the constitution
IOL website |
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| CYBERLAW |
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Court
tries first software piracy case - 21 November
A Russian sailor accused of copying computer software in his
Sea Point flat is on trial in the Cape Town Regional Court in
the first test case of its kind against rampant software
piracy in South Africa
All Africa website |
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INTERNATIONAL - |
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For
your information : How Can The Public Sector Provide People
With Information on, and Build Confidence in, the Way it
Handles their Personal Details?
- April 2003
Department
of Constitutional Affairs (UK)
website
see also
Response
- November 2003
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| DOMESTIC
PARTNERSHIPS |
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INTERNATIONAL - |
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No
ring, no rights : cohabiting couples left out in the cold
- 1 December
Same-sex couples in England and Wales in long-term
relationships will soon have the same legal rights as husbands
and wives, under a proposed new Bill announced in the Queen's
Speech last Wednesday
Independent
(UK)
website |
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| ENVIRONMENT |
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INTERNATIONAL - |
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Great
Barrier Reef protection to increase sevenfold
- 4 December
One-third of the Great Barrier Reef - an area almost the size
of Japan - is to be turned into a protected area under
conservation plans announced yesterday by the Australian
government
Mail
& Guardian
website |
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| EQUALITY |
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Edgemead
schoolgirl wants her day in court - 3 December
The black schoolgirl at the centre of last month's alleged
racist attack at Edgemead High School in Cape Town on
Wednesday formally applied for an equality court hearing into
the incident
IOL website |
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INTERNATIONAL - |
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Alert
over religious belief law
- 1 December
The
West Midlands will bear the full brunt of new employment laws
which govern religious beliefs due to the region's ethnic
diversity, say legal experts. The warning from the Law Society
comes as the region gears up for the introduction of the new
Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003
aimed at closing loopholes in the UK's existing equality and
discrimination laws
IC
Birmingham
website |
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| FAMILY
LAW |
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Leaving
your abusive spouse
You've had enough of the relationship, the abuse, the
threats, the jealousy and the rigid 'Thou shalt nots'. It's
time to go, but you are really scared of what your husband or
partner may be capable of doing to stop you
Health24 website |
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INTERNATIONAL - |
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New
bill proposes strengthening domestic violence laws
- 2 December
People accused of domestic violence will face new court orders
forcing them to stay away from their partners, even if they
are acquitted by a court, it was confirmed today
Guardian
Unlimited
website |
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Ministers
at odds over domestic violence bill
- 2 December
Legislation introducing the biggest overhaul of the domestic
violence laws for 30 years is to be published today. The
domestic violence bill will also contain a controversial
proposal for a "stay-away" order which courts may
impose even when the defendant has been acquitted and which
will carry a prison sentence of up to five years
Guardian
Unlimited
website |
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Reform
of family law proves no incompatibility between Islam and
democracy, ambassador
- 29 November
The new Family law announced by Moroccan King Mohammed VI at
the opening of the parliament session last month, proves that
there is "no incompatibility between Islam, a religion of
justice, and democracy" for which Morocco has opted since
its independence, said, in Washington Monday, Moroccan
ambassador to the United States
Arabic
News
website |
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16
percent of Chinese wives beaten by husband : survey
- 30 November
A recent survey by the All-China Women's Federation shows that
16 percent of married women have been beaten by their spouses,
while five percent and 2.6 percent of women, respectively,
said that they have been mentally or sexually hurt by their
husbands
China
View
website |
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| JUDICIARY
AND COURTS |
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Farewell
to constitutional law champion - 4 December
In A glowing tribute to retiring Constitutional Court Judge
Laurie Ackermann, Adv Gilbert Marcus said "he is one of
those judges who makes the practice of law worthwhile"
Business Day website |
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SAHRC
2 December 2003
SAHRC
assists learner in taking school to court |
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Shaik's
lawyer botches NPA court challenge
- 2 December
The Constitutional Court has rejected businessman Schabir
Shaik's application to strike down parts of the National
Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Act that he believed violated his
right to silence - apparently after his lawyers appealed the
constitutionality of the wrong sub-section of a law
Mail & Guardian website
see
also
Shaik
loses ConCourt bid - 2 December
News24 website
Schabir
loses his bid for silence - 3 December
Witness website
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| LABOUR
LAW |
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Department
of Labour
2 December 2003
Mdladlana
heads South African delegation to ILO African meeting |
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Landmark
ruling on disciplinary hearings - 30 November
A Pretoria high court judge has given a landmark ruling that
the labour court has no jurisdiction to review matters
resulting from internal disciplinary hearings
Business Report website |
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| LEGAL
PROFESSION |
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Laws
in limbo
- 28 November
As Parliament closed this week for its year-end recess,
several key Bills - on child welfare and justice, communal
land rights, sexual offences and others - remain pending
Mail & Guardian website |
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-
INTERNATIONAL - |
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Downside
seen in regulation of immigration consultants
- 1 December
As regulation reduces the number of consultants, some law
firms may well see business increase in the short term,
especially those with a wide network of overseas contacts and
representatives, because foreign-based consultants will be the
hardest hit by new regulation
Globe
and Mail
website |
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Charlie
is thrust into centre stage for end of the peer show's grand
finale
- 29 November
With his wig and frock coat, the constitutional affairs
secretary should be one of the most traditional members of the
Government, but Lord Falconer is something of a radical
Telegraph
(UK)
website |
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| PROPERTY
LAW |
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Nine
developments sent to prosecutors' office - 2 Decr
Nine Western Cape developments thought to be illegal have been
referred to the authorities for possible criminal prosecution
IOL website |
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H'berg's
clearance backlog to be cleared by December 5 -
5 December 2003
The City of Cape Town will be rid of its rates clearance
backlog by the end of this month, according to Alderman Maatje
Malan, the city's mayoral committee member responsible for
finance
News24 website |
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| TAX |
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No
litmus test to define assets - 1 December
The Eastern Cape Tax Court recently had to determine whether
proceeds from the sales of properties should form part of the
taxpayer's "gross income" for the years of
assessment in question
Business Day website |
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Crackdown
on tax evaders -
30 November
Sars is fully aware of the need to maintain a responsible
balance between law enforcement and ensuring that intervention
in commercial operations does not obstruct the flow of legal
trade
Finance24 website |
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News on the Net |
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| Business
Day |
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Maduna
considers future in new role - 2 December
Justice Minister Penuell Maduna says he is considering offers
from two law firms after he quits politics after next year's
election |
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| Finance24 |
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SA's
top employers named - 28 November
SABMiller has been named South Africa's best employer in the
latest edition of The Best Companies to Work for in South
Africa 2004 |
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| Mail
& Guardian |
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Telkom
could appeal least-cost ruling - 2 December
South African telecommunications group Telkom has reportedly
been granted leave to appeal the ruling made last year that
least cost routing (LCR) systems and equipment are not, as
Telkom contested, illegal and do not infringe the national
carrier's rights under the relevant legislation |
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Durban
first African port with US customs post - 3 December
The port of Durban is the first African port to have a United
States customs post as part of the Container Security
Initiative (CSI), the US embassy in Pretoria said |
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Two
men arrested in Durban for organ trafficking - 4
December
Two men believed to be involved in an international human
organ trafficking network were arrested in Durban on Wednesday |
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Apartheid
victims 'treated like third-class citizens' - 1
December
Still waiting for long-promised reparations payments, members
of an apartheid victims support group disrupted a symbolic
healing ceremony held in their honour on Sunday by lawmakers
and religious leaders |
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Buying
and selling cars the fun way - 3 December
WesBank have come up with a concept that will allow people to
test drive, finance and buy a used or new car on the same day
at the same venue |
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US
fires Guantanamo defence team
- 3 December
A team of military lawyers recruited to defend alleged
terrorists held by the US at Guantanamo Bay was dismissed by
the Pentagon after some of its members rebelled against the
unfair way the trials have been designed, The Guardian
has learned |
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| Scotsman |
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Sounding
out the trademark laws
- 27 November
Sounds can be registered as trademarks
– but only under certain conditions, European judges ruled
today.
The verdict came at the end of
the strange case of Beethoven’s Fur Elise and
cock-a-doodle-doo |
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| Telegraph
(UK) |
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Curate's
victory on cleft palate abortion
- 12
December
A Church of England curate who says that doctors committed an
"unlawful killing" by aborting a 24-week-old baby
with a cleft palate won the right yesterday to challenge a
police force's decision not to prosecute the doctors
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Useful links and a couple of others |
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