| Sunday
11 January
The
Land Affairs Minister has promised that the GOVERNMENT
WILL STUDY DEMANDS FOR FASTER LAND REFORM
(IOL 2004-01-10).
Saturday
10 January
Visitors
to websites that had NOT
UPDATED VERISIGN'S CERTIFICATES
ran into trouble towards the end of the week (CNet
News 2004-01-09).
SearchEngineWatch
reports on 2003'S
MOST WANTED SEARCH TERMS
(2004-01-07).
Need
to quantify your work or just timeout? Have a
look at A!K
MOUSE OFF-ROAD,
an odometer for your desktop assistant ; this
and other ideas for casual surfers at FIND
THE ANSWERS
(News24 2004-01-09).
Friday
9 January
President
Mbeki has APPROVED
THE BROAD-BASED BLACK ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT ACT OF
2003
(M&G 2004-01-09 and SUNDAY
TIMES 2004-01-09).
A
Durban magistrate has APOLOGISED
TO A GROUP OF INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS for
their ordeal at the hands of criminals (IOL
2004-01-08).
There's
another MORE
SOBERING SIDE TO THE RECENT HIGH MATRIC PASS RATE
(News24 2004-01-06).
A
British court is deciding whether to ISSUE
A WARRANT FOR THE ARREST AND EXTRADITION OF
PRESIDENT MUGABE
(Guardian
Unlimited 2004-01-08).
The
prosecutors in the 'cannibal' case currently being
heard in Germany have resorted to a lesser charge of
"DISTURBING
THE PEACE OF THE DEAD"
; the more obvious charge of murder has been
hampered by the fact that the victim agreed to be
killed and cannabilised (FindLaw 2004-01-08).
Those
gremlines, they get in everywhere. Maybe I've
been too busy to notice earlier in the week but
apparently a number of people are amusing themselves
by TYPING
"MISERABLE FAILURE" INTO GOOGLE'S SEARCH
ENGINE.
(Search Engine Watch 2004-01-06). Won't spoil
the surprise results by giving it away - try it
yourself.
Thursday
8 January
The
RICHTERSVELD
RESTITUTION HEARING
will take place between 3 and 21 May (Business
Report 2004-01-07).
Law
Reform Bill - UK
Lord Falconer has said that THE
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM BILL WILL NOT BE READY FOR
SCRUTINY BEFORE MARCH AT THE EARLIEST
(Telegraph 2004-01-06).
The
International Monetary Fund has WARNED
THAT THE GAPING US BUDGET DEFICIT, BALLOONING TRADE
IMBALANCE AND FALLING DOLLAR ARE POSING A SERIOUS
THREAT TO THE HEALTH OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
(M&G 2004-01-08).
The
DRAFT
CONVERGENCE BILL
is now available on the IOZ website.
According
to an international survey, more than 50 countries
have guaranteed their citizens the right to know
what their government is up to and more than half of
this legislation came into effect in the last
decade. Visit THE
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION.ORG GLOBAL SURVEY.
While
the public has been invited to comment on THE
DEMOLITION OF 'PROTECTED' BUILDINGS IN JOHANNESBURG
(M&G 2004-01-07), it is reported that ONE
OF THE OLDEST BUILDINGS IN PIETERMARITZBURG
which housed a law firm for many years may face
demolition if the authorities agree (Witness
2004-01-08).
Wednesday
7 January
The
article WHAT
SHOULD A PRIVCY IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR A DATA MINING
PROGRAM LOOK LIKE
suggests that more information should be made
available about the database itself and refers to
the recent report issued by the Department of
Defense's Inspector General on the Total Information
Awareness Program (FindLaw 2004-01-07 and GOVEXEC
2004-01-05
and 2004-01-06).
President
Bush has proposed to a PLAN
THAT WILL GIVE LEGAL STATUS TO FOREIGN WORKERS
(FindLaw 2004-01-07 and NEWSDAY
2004-01-06).
Tuesday
6 January
HIV/AIDS
The Aids Law Project intends to appeal a judgment
handed down in the Johannesburg High Court in
October 2003 which the ALP considers FAILED
TO ADDRESS MANY OF THE ISSUES CONCERNING CHILDREN
WITH HIV AND THEIR RIGHT TO ATTEND PRE-SCHOOL
(The Teacher 2004-01-05). In the meantime, it
is reported that a Kenyan High Court has insisted
that
SCHOOLS
ADMIT HIV POSITIVE CHILDREN
(M&G 2004-01-06).
Regulations
explaining HOW
SOUTH AFRICANS MAY VOTE ON FOREIGN SOIL
are due to be gazetted later this week (News24
2004-01-06).
The
visa office of the US consulate general in Cape Town
will begin COLLECTING
FINGERPRINTS FOR ALL VISA APPLICANTS
between the ages of 14 and 79 from January 12
(M&G 2004-01-06).
Iran
is considering MOVING
THE CAPITAL
away from Tehran which lies on a major seismological
fault ; an earthquake similar in intensity to
the one that devastated Bam last week could easily
cause the loss of 700 000 lives in Tehran, a city of
12 million people (Al Jazeera 2004-01-05).
Monday
5 January
Parliament
has passed an AMENDMENT
TO THE LAND RESTITUTION ACT OF 1994
that seeks to reverse the legacy of apartheid by
strengthening land tenure rights according to a land
affairs department spokesman. The bill has yet
to be signed into power by President Mbeki (Business
Day 2004-01-05).
The
REMOVAL
OF ROCKHOPPER PENGUINS FROM TRISTAN DA CUNHA AND
THEIR SUBSEQUENT SALE
to various zoos by a South African has caused an
outcry in Britain although the British Foreign
Office approved the deal (M&G 2004-01-04).
The
Law Society of Singapore is putting in place A
NEW PRACTICE MANAGEMENT MARK
to set minimum standards for local law firms
(Channel News Asia 2004-01-01).
Privacy
advocates and civil liberties groups are alarmed at
the NEGATIVE
IMPLICATIONS OF DATA-MINING,
including the potential for identity thieves and
terrorists to retrieve information as databases are
made more accessible as well as the devastating
consequences for individuals on the occasions when
misleading data is supplied (Seattle
Post-Intelligencer 2004-01-02).
Kerb
crawlers and other DRIVERS
IN THE UK WHO DISPLAY ANTISOCIAL TENDENCIES
face a lifetime ban under the Powers of Criminal
Courts Act 2000 ; laws relating to
prostitution are also to be reviewed (Telegraph
2003-12-31).
The
US Port Authority has released the FINAL
SET OF TRANSCRIPTS RECORDED ON SEPTEMBER 11 2001
(FindLaw 2003-12-30).
Restorative
justice is the subject of CRIMINALS
OWE DEBT TO VICTIMS, NOT SOCIETY
(American Daily 2004-01-04). A Canadian lawyer
is to face AN
INQUIRY BY THE LAW SOCIETY OF CANADA AFTER
APPARENTLY ABANDONING A NUMBER OF HIS CLIENTS
; the cases relate to national security issues
and the lawyer fears for his safety after anonymous
warnings (Media Monitors
Network 2004-01-05).
Sunday
4 January
Women
lawyers made headlines on a number of occasions last
year. Among these are SHIRIN
EBADI, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2003 and
BRENDA
HALE, the first woman to be appointed to the
House of Lords.
DE
REBUS'
homepage currently carries the news item
below. MS
POYO
and MS
ABRO
are both KwaZulu-Natal Law Society
Councillors.
 |
"Thoba
Poyo (left) and Susan Abro, respectively
Chairperson of the Law Society of South
Africa's (LSSA) Gender Affairs Committee and
Co-Chairperson of the LSSA, represented the
LSSA at the 'Wall of Solidarity' function at
Parliament on 10 December" |
An
American lawyer has been CONVICTED
OF MONEY LAUNDERING
despite claims by the prosecution lawyer that voodoo
magic was being used to influence the outcome
(Telegraph 2004-01-04).
Saturday
3 January
SCEPTICISM
IS BEING VOICED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN
SOUTH AFRICA
in the light of the substantial
increase in the matric pass rate in 2003 (NW 2004-01-03).
Others
should be equally concerned : Ananova.com
reports, quoting the DAILY
MIRROR, that the new edition of
ROGET'S
THESAURUS
has been published in which
"RUMPY
PUMPY JOINS THE WEAKEST LINK AND THE FULL MONTY AS
NEW FEATURED PHRASES
; also included are 24/7 instead of continuously and
yob culture for ill-breeding". On the
other side of the coin, PEOPLE
HAVE VOTED FOR SEVENTEEN WORDS AND PHRASES THEY
WOULD LIKE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
(Telegraph
2004-01-02).
Today's
diversion takes the form of a couple of fascinating 'circular' photos : visit http://www.theircircularlife.it/frameset.htm.
Friday
2 January
The
Judicial Service Commission has invited NOMINATIONS
FOR VACANCIES ON THE BENCHES OF SEVERAL COURTS
AROUND THE COUNTRY
(SABC News 2004-01-02).
In
the UK, BBC
listeners have voted in favour of legislation that
would PERMIT
THEM TO USE ANY MEANS TO PROTECT THEIR PROPERTY,
including killing intruders if necessary (Telegraph
2004-01-02).
@s
in their belfry
BBC News reports on a PROBLEM
THAT LOOKS SET TO BE AS MUCH A NUISANCE IN 2004
as it has been in the past - spam (2004-01-02).
Despite the international surge in anti-spam
legislation, the perpetrators continue to the extent
that one estimation says 50% of the e-mail sent last
year falls into the 'spam' category.
Thursday
1 January
2004
starts on a positive note for victims of domestic
violence and sexual abuse in Gauteng with the
opening of a 24-HOUR
ONE-STOP CENTRE
to cater for
their legal, medical, psychological and residential
needs (Business Day 2004-01-01).
The
Law Society of NSW has questioned a plan to create a
LAWYER-FREE
TRIBUNAL TO TAKE OVER SOME FAMILY COURT FUNCTIONS
(News.com.au 2003-12-30).
The
Labour Department has announced that the YOUNGEST
AND OLDEST WORKERS WILL NO LONGER CONTRIBUTE TO THE
UIF FUND FROM 1 JANUARY 2004
(IOL 2004-01-01).
According to a government media release, this
extends to PEOPLE
WHO ENTER INTO NEW LEARNERSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS
in terms of Section 1(1) of the Skills Development
Act (2003-12-31).
On
the matter of land claims, it is reported (SABC News
2003-12-24
and IOL 2003-12-28)
that President Mbeki is about to sign into effect
amendments to the RESTITUTION
OF LAND RIGHTS ACT 22 OF 1994
which will speed
up the process of expropriating white-owned
land. The NA
HAS CALLED FOR 'REASONABLENESS'
(News24 2002-12-24).
In
Australia
ESTATE
AGENTS HAVE BEEN WARNED ABOUT MAKING MISLEADING
MARKET PROJECTIONS (SMH
2003-12-29).
The UN's World
Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)
was held in Geneva last month with the intention of
'hastening the construction of a single, networked
world'. Gus Berger discusses the role of WSIS
in the growing architecture of globalisation
(pulling together facts ranging from the tabling of
the South African Convergence Bill and the
government's final decision about who will own the
new rival to Telkom) and makes reference to the
implications from media freedom and intellectual
property rights to Internet governance and cultural
diversity in WSIS
AND THE BIG PICTURE
(M&G
2003-12-30).
Net
pioneer VINT
CERF TAKES A LOOK AT WHERE THE INTERNET IS GOING
and he isn't thinking small (BBC News 2004-01-01).
SAA
has DECLINED
TO PROVIDE AIR MARSHALLS
on its flights to America (Business Day 2003-12-31).
Coming
a few weeks after the capture of Saddam Hussein, EVEN
SADDAM HAS LEGAL OPTIONS
(M&G
2003-12-30) makes interesting reading. A man was
arrested on the Moscow Metro during New Year
festivities after CLAIMING
TO BE OSAMA BIN LADEN
(BBC News 2004-01-01). |
