Is a raid on Syria violating international law?

We are living through an event that will shape the future of international law. The use of chemical weapons in Syria has placed United States president Barack Obama in an invidious position. The leader of the so-called free worldhas previously stated that the use of chemical weapons is intolerable, and requires response. An attack on … Continue reading Is a raid on Syria violating international law?

Oscar Pistorius: Murder Trial Information

The Oscar Pistorius murder trial gathered pace in Pretoria on Monday when the indictment was made public by State Prosecutors. The indictment contains two charges, one for premeditated murder, and another for illegal possession of ammunition in terms of the Firearms Control Act. There were no charges relating to the reckless discharge of firearms, as … Continue reading Oscar Pistorius: Murder Trial Information

Oscar Pistorius: What next?

Oscar Pistorius is due to appear in court on Monday 20 August 2013. It is being widely reported by South African media that the South African National Prosecuting Authority (“NPA”) will bring two extra charges, both relating to separate incidents involving the reckless discharge of a firearm. According to E News Channel Africa, the additional … Continue reading Oscar Pistorius: What next?

Technology, Law and Legal Education

The Law Society of South Africa is hosting a discussion forum on the state of Information Communication Technology (“ICT”) relating to lawyers and the practice of law. This critical discussion follows the ICT Policy Colloquium held on 19thand 20th April 2012. The ultimate outcome of the latter policy discussion, facilitated by the South African Government’s … Continue reading Technology, Law and Legal Education

EU Parliament Review Individuals’ Rights to Privacy and Data Protection in light of Prism

On Thursday, 7 July 2013 the EU Parliament adopted a resolution directed at investigating US “surveillance and spying activities”. This came in the face of recent confidential disclosures by former National Security Agency (“NSA”) analyst Edward Snowden – the whistle-blower revealing the inner workings of US spy agencies. Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela are the first to … Continue reading EU Parliament Review Individuals’ Rights to Privacy and Data Protection in light of Prism

Prism: the right to privacy versus the right to national security in the Internet age

In June 2013 Edward Snowden, an American, former technical contractor to the United States National Security Agency (“NSA”) revealed classified information about a number of global, secret intelligence programs; the allegations have been startling and provided insight into the inner workings of global intelligence surveillance programs. The just of the revelations, documented by the UK … Continue reading Prism: the right to privacy versus the right to national security in the Internet age

Consumer Protection and the Internet

Buying goods or securing a service provider over the Internet is no longer taboo or overly risky. The security protocols that protect our personal information are maturing with age and the Internet market place is moving from a pimpled teenager into a sophisticated adult. What about consumer protection? This too has moved from the haphazard … Continue reading Consumer Protection and the Internet

Same-Sex Marriage Laws

America is on the verge of deciding on two key issues relating to same-sex marriage. Firstly, whether legislation prohibiting same-sex marriage is lawful, and secondly, whether it is lawful to withhold certain Federal State benefits on the basis of same-sex marriage. Put in a different way, America is deciding whether gay couples should be treated … Continue reading Same-Sex Marriage Laws

Responsible Bank Lending: check your deductions…

The Banking Association of South Africa (BASA), together with the Minister of Finance released a statement regarding “responsible market conduct for bank lending” at the back end of 2012. The full statement is available on the BASA website.The BASA is represented by South Africa’s major retail banks, and the review was necessitated by the tragic … Continue reading Responsible Bank Lending: check your deductions…