This book introduces students to the distinct legal traditions that make up the South African legal system.

The Land Is Ours tells the story of South Africa’s first black lawyers, who operated in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In an age of aggressive colonial expansion, land dispossession and forced labour, these men believed in a constitutional system that respected individual rights and freedoms, and they used the law as an instrument against injustice.

The book follows the lives, ideas and careers of Henry Sylvester Williams, Alfred Mangena, Richard Msimang, Pixley ka Isaka Seme, Ngcubu Poswayo and George Montsioa, who were all members of the ANC. It analyses the legal cases they took on, explores how they reconciled the law with the political upheavals of the day, and considers how they sustained their fidelity to the law when legal victories were undermined by politics.

The Land Is Ours shows that these lawyers developed the concept of a Bill of Rights, which is now an international norm. The book is particularly relevant in light of current calls to scrap the Constitution and its protections of individual rights: it clearly demonstrates that, from the beginning, the struggle for freedom was based on the idea of the rule of law.

In these vibrant narratives, 25 of the world’s most accomplished movement lawyers and activists become storytellers, reflecting on their experiences at the frontlines of some of the most significant struggles of our time. In an era where human rights are under threat, their words offer both an inspiration and a compass for the way movements can use the law – and must sometimes break it – to bring about social justice.

The contributors here take you into their worlds: Jennifer Robinson frantically orchestrating a protest outside London’s Ecuadorean embassy to prevent the authorities from arresting her client Julian Assange; Justin Hansford at the barricades during the protests over the murder of Black teenager Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri; Ghida Frangieh in Lebanon’s detention centres trying to access arrested protestors during the 2019 revolution; Pavel Chikov defending Pussy Riot and other abused prisoners in Russia; Ayisha Siddiqa, a shy Pakistani immigrant, discovering community in her new home while leading the 2019 youth climate strike in Manhattan; Greenpeace activist Kumi Naidoo on a rubber dinghy in stormy Arctic seas contemplating his mortality as he races to occupy an oil rig.

The stories in The Revolution Will Not Be Litigated capture the complex, and often-awkward dance between legal reform and social change. They are more than compelling portraits of fascinating lives and work, they are revelatory: of generational transitions; of epochal change and apocalyptic anxiety; of the ethical dilemmas that define our age; and of how one can make a positive impact when the odds are stacked against you in a harsh world of climate crisis and ruthless globalization.

In Rule Of Law, Glynnis Breytenbach reflects back on her career as a prosecutor, including specific cases she has tried, and on her life to provide a fascinating commentary on the importance of the independence of judicial institutions and the precariousness of this independence.

Her current challenges are directly linked to how outspoken she is and how she continues to campaign fiercely for the rule of law in this country.

Speurder-sersant Luna Joubert van die Stellenbosch polisiediens word gestuur om die eienaardige dubbele moord op die eienaar van ’n kwekery en sy vrou te ondersoek. Die De Winters is beide met ’n skerp voorwerp aangeval, maar daar was geen teken van ‘n struweling of enige getuies om sin te maak van die voorval nie.

Terwyl Luna sukkel om ’n moord sonder verdagtes of leidrade op te los, maak Mike Grant weer sy onverwagte verskyning. Hierdie keer is hy op ’n geheime sending onder die geledere van ’n plaaslike dwelmsindikaat. Ten spyte van sy nuwe voorkoms vind Luna dit onmoontlik om nie die deur oop te maak wanneer hy klop nie.

Soos Mike homself in die onderwêreld ingrawe, begin Luna op tone trap om haar eie raaisel op te los. Was die De Winters wie almal dink hulle was? Weet die kinders dalk meer as wat hulle voorgee? Wat gaan aan by die studentehuis oorkant die straat? En wie is die man in die sportmotor wat so op die buitewyke van haar ondersoek beweeg?

Om antwoorde te kry sal Luna die donkerte en als wat daarin skuil moet trotseer. Bloedbande is die vierdie boek in Jeanette Stals se Luna Joubert-reeks.

Interpretation of statutes is about understanding enacted law-texts, that is, making sense of the legislative scheme applicable to the situation at hand. Statutory Interpretation: An Introduction for Students aims to teach students to interpret and apply legislation within the total legal environment.

Part 1 (‘Statute law’) introduces students to the different types and categories of legislation, the structural components of legislation, the sometimes confusing ‘codes’ used in legislative texts, and the challenges of applying old order legislation together with new legislation. Part 2 (‘How legislation is interpreted’) comprises a chapter on the theoretical foundations of interpretation and an overview of the basic approaches to statutory interpretation in South Africa, and a chapter dealing with the practical application of the rules of interpretation. Part 3 (‘Judicial law-making during interpretation, and peremptory and directory provisions’) deals with day-to-day applications, and Part 4 is a basic introduction to constitutional interpretation. Students are also introduced to less well-known aspects of statutory interpretation, such as deeming clauses, the suspension of legislation, sunset clauses, legalese, and the counter-majoritarian difficulty.

The 6th edition of Statutory Interpretation: An Introduction for Students is a user-friendly introduction to the basic principles of statutory interpretation. It is aimed mainly at undergraduate students, but practitioners will also find it useful. The rules and principles of statutory interpretation are explained using hypothetical situations and practical examples from case law and legislation.

The book introduces students to the general principles of the law of succession in South Africa, integrating the common law, statutory law, constitutional perspectives, and the related customary law principles. It addresses the Civil Union Act 17 of 2006, and the Reform of Customary Law of Succession and Regulation of Related Matters Act 11 of 2009 and other legal developments.

The Law of Commerce in South Africa 2/e provides a clear and practical introduction to various fields of commercial law, for students of accounting and other business disciplines. The text conveys concepts and principles of commercial law in a manner which is accessible and vibrant, clearly demonstrating the practical relevance and application of the legal principles in the commercial world. The text provides clear explanation and extensive illustrative examples to support understanding, as well as a clear pedagogical structure which includes end-of-chapter questions to assess comprehension.

Wilfrid Cooper was a rare man during the dark days of apartheid: an advocate whose career coincided almost perfectly with the rise and fall of the Nationalist government, intersecting eerily with that of its “architect” HF Verwoerd, and yet a man whose enlightened principles and liberal thinking saw him regularly defending those less fortunate.

His storied legal career saw him embroiled in numerous political affairs throughout the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. He represented, among others, Verwoerd’s assassin Dimitri Tsafendas; the SWAPO Six in Swakopmund; the families of Imam Abdullah Haron, Mapetla Mohapi and Hoossen Haffajee and others who died “jumping down stairwells while in detention” or hanged by their own jeans in their cells; and Steven Biko and other activists who were arrested by the security police in the dead of night. There were also the highprofile criminal cases, including the original Kebble-style “assisted suicide” of Baron Dieter van Schauroth and the scandalous case of the Scissors Murderess Marlene Lehnberg.

Wilfrid Cooper reached the peak of his considerable legal prowess in a time when South Africans led a parallel existence, the majority downtrodden while white privilege reigned serenely in the suburbs – a time that could have easily provided him a less controversial career had he desired. And yet even as he and his gregarious wife Gertrude enjoyed wonderful and very sociable years in their Newlands home in Cape Town – an area that was itself remodelled under the Group Areas Act – he chose to walk the path less taken in the shadow of Devil’s Peak. This is his story.

English For Law Students has been written by experts in communication and aims at encouraging dialogue and interaction between lecturer and student. The methodology used is not only useful to law students but also to those lecturers who do not have a legal background.

This third edition has been updated and includes an audio CD, containing exercises for listening practice, aimed at developing and refining note-making skills.

The Law Student's Dictionary is an invaluable reference work for all law students. The terms have been chosen with the specific needs of the undergraduate student in mind, providing a full insight into legal terminology and ensuring students are familiar with terms they will encounter during their studies.
The dictionary includes substantial entries on core student topics which outline the conceptual importance of key areas, to give students an idea of how these terms have been shaped by, and in turn shape, how lawyers think. Some older terms are also included - -although they are not used to frame the current law, students will come across these words of historical significance in the course of their studies.
The text features cross-referencing of terms and definitions, giving students the opportunity to expand and contextualize their knowledge, and the material is presented in a new two-color page design, which allows for quick and easy navigation.

Throughout the past 50 years, the courts have been a battleground for contesting political forces as more and more conflicts that were once fought in Parliament or in streets, or through strikes and media campaigns, find their way to the judiciary.

Certainly, the legal system was used by both the apartheid state and its opponents. But it is in the post-apartheid era, and in particular under the rule of President Jacob Zuma, that we have witnessed a dramatic increase in ‘lawfare’: the migration of politics to the courts.

The authors show through a series of case studies how just about every aspect of political life ends up in court: the arms deal, the demise of the Scorpions, the Cabinet reshuffle, the expulsion of the EFF from Parliament, the nuclear procurement process, the Cape Town mayor…

This book provides candidate attorneys with the practical information that they need when starting articles.

The information in this guide bridges the gap between the university environment, where the emphasis is on theoretical knowledge, and the candidate attorney’s new working environment, where the emphasis is on the practical, hands-on application of this knowledge and learning fast! It covers the candidate attorney’s relationship with his or her principal, with counsel and clients, registering and ceding articles, issuing, serving and filing, the courts, how to prepare for applications and actions, being admitted as an attorney, ethics and etiquette.

Features and Benefits

• A practical handbook intended for the new candidate attorney covering everything from working with principals, counsel and clients, to etiquette, actions and applications
• Plain language approach

There is already ample evidence that the new constitutional order has triggered an unprecedented flowering of South African jurisprudential debate. The aim of this book is to provide a sensitive and intuitive understanding of these debates. In addition, lecturers will be given an innovative approach to what has been previously regarded as a difficult, boring and irrelevant subject.

Sydney Kentridge carved out a reputation as South Africa’s most prominent anti-apartheid advocate – his story is entwined with the country’s emergence from racial injustice and oppression. He is the only advocate to have acted for three winners of the Nobel Peace Prize – Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Chief Albert Lutuli.

Already world-famous for his landmark cases including the Treason Trial of Nelson Mandela and the other leading members of the ANC, the inquiry into the Sharpeville massacre, and the inquest into the death of Steve Biko, he then became England’s premier advocate.

Through the great set-pieces of the legal struggle against apartheid – cases which made the headlines not just in South Africa, but across the world – this biography is a portrait of enduring moral stature.

Are the courts against the people of South Africa?

Since populist factions claim to be the people, judges confronting them do not just decide against the people; they are against the people.

The judiciary faces a barrage of attacks not just from the ruling ANC but from other political parties clamouring for power. There comes a predictable phase in the cycle of politics where this is most likely to occur. Why does it benefit political parties to deflect from their failure to deliver with calls for parliamentary sovereignty? Why do so many myths circulate about the nature of our courts and constitution?

Dan Mafora answers these questions and more in an inspired analysis. He takes us through the historical ideological clashes within the ANC that make judicial independence up for debate, how administrations since '94 have responded to judicial decisions and why this phenomenon is important to watch globally. He also examines how disinformation campaigns play a big role.

Lawyers must be able to do research and should be able to do it well in order to honour their obligations, be those obligations commercial, in the field of criminal justice, constitutional, judicial or academic. Yet much confusion surrounds the nature of research, the need for lawyers and law students to undertake research projects, the requirements for the dissemination of the results, and their impact on policy and practice. Why is legal research needed? What does it entail? Where should one begin? What methods are used for legal research? What are the ethical issues involved? How does one go about publishing the results of one’s research in law, and which are the appropriate publication platforms? How should the quality of legal research be judged?

Legal Research: Purpose, Planning and Publication seeks to begin answering these questions, to introduce law students to legal research, and perhaps even to open up some new perspectives for those in the legal community who wish to sharpen their research skills.

The guidelines and views in Legal Research are not offered as hard doctrine, but rather as a route map for a journey of discovery, in the course of which readers may develop their own approach to the production of valuable legal research results.

Legal Research provides an introduction to ease the way of legal researchers, especially those with little expertise and experience, and perhaps to open a debate among the more experienced lawyers, who have not yet given much thought to the matter, about developing and improving our understanding of legal research in South Africa.

Principles of Competition Law in South Africa offers an accessible, applied and rigorous introduction to the general principles of competition law and policy in South Africa. The text presents the fundamental principles of competition law within a clear and practical framework, and supports enquiring engagement with critical and reflective issues. Providing a comprehensive foundation of knowledge, the text introduces relevant, key concepts and perspectives of competition economic theory, inviting readers to deepen their understanding of the core subject matter in an accessible manner. Principles of Competition Law in South Africa is suited as course material for students who are studying competition law as a module of the LLB degree programme, or at postgraduate level. It is also a useful resource for practitioners who may wish to engage with foundational and current principles of the field.

Bulelwa Mabasa was born into a ‘matchbox’ family home in Meadowlands, Soweto, at the height of apartheid. In My Land Obsession, she shares her colourful Christian upbringing, framed by the lived experiences of her grandparents, who endured land dispossession in the form of the Group Areas Act and the migrant labour system.

Bulelwa’s world was irrevocably altered when she encountered the disparities of life in a white-dominated school. Her ongoing interest in land justice informed her choice to study law at Wits, with the land question becoming central in her postgraduate studies. When Bulelwa joined the practice of law in the early 2000s as an attorney, she felt a strong need to build on her curiosity around land reform, moving on to form and lead a practice centred on land reform at Werksmans Attorneys. She describes the role played by her mentors and the professional and personal challenges she faced.

My Land Obsession sets out notable legal cases Bulelwa has led and lessons that may be drawn from them, as well as detailing her contributions to national policy on land reform and her views on how the land question must be inhabited and owned by all South Africans.

Reflecting the most recent changes in the law, the third edition of this popular textbook provides a fully updated, comparative introduction to the law of contract. Accessible and clear, it is perfectly pitched for international students and courses with a global outlook. Jan Smits' unique approach treats contract law as a discipline that can be studied on the basis of common principles and methods without being tied to a particular jurisdiction or legal culture. He puts contract law in context by discussing empirical and economic insights. Notable updates include the consequences of Brexit, the implementation of new European directives 1999/770 and 2019/771 as well as coverage of the effect of COVID-19 on contracts. Key features of the third edition include: Introduces key principles by comparing solutions from different jurisdictions, illustrating for students the international nature and substance of contract law Draws from a wide variety of sources including German, English, French and Dutch law, European and international instruments, and examples from Central and Eastern Europe and Islamic contract law, making this an ideal textbook for students across Europe and beyond Focuses on legal method as well as substantive law Attractive and accessible design with text boxes, colour and graphics to help students navigate easily and identify key information. With its innovative approach and engaging design, this textbook has proved an essential companion to introductory courses on contract law across a multitude of jurisdictions.

This accessible textbook provides an introductory guide to tort law, with a structured explanation of the key concepts and doctrines. Using a comparative approach, the discussion is illustrated with case law and provisions from three key jurisdictions: England, France and Germany. With liberal reference to other codes and cases from around the world, the book gives readers a contextual understanding and will appeal to classes with a global outlook. Key Features: Examples of different solutions show how tort law is implemented in a variety of jurisdictions Direct comparison of legal systems helps readers to match different kinds of property or damage in civil and common law systems Translated provisions from codes and statutes facilitate access to the systems of French and German law in particular Clarification of corresponding concepts and terminology, as well as guidelines and examples to help readers find their way in a legal environment that is not restricted to a single jurisdiction Introductory guidance to tort law systems outside Europe Providing readers with a working knowledge of major tort law systems as well as a greater understanding of the main concepts in tort law, this textbook will be an important resource for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

This significantly revised and expanded third edition of Comparative Contract Law brings together extracts from legislation and court practice in a way that enables students to experience comparative law in action. Promoting a 'learning-by-doing' approach to comparative contract law and comparative methodology, this unique guide to European and international contract law is marked out by the following features: A comparative perspective on highly topical, real-life issues of contract law; Materials from some 30 jurisdictions in both their original languages and in high quality translations, with information on smaller and medium-sized jurisdictions further diversified; An opportunity for students to solve scenarios according to the laws of different jurisdictions, to compare and evaluate the solutions and approaches they identify, and to better understand the diverse approaches to modern contract law; NEW! Concise introductions to the history of each country and its private law system, informing readers about the key data before they are invited to work with material from that jurisdiction; NEW! A chapter on 'contractual penalty clauses', a frequent occurrence in contractual practice; NEW! Full integration of the Chinese Civil Code which entered into force in 2021. Essential reading for all students of comparative contract law and methodology, thi the s third edition remains a vital teaching and learning resource, and a practical guide for those seeking to familiarise themselves with real-world materials and to better understand the diverse approaches to modern contract law.

Now part of the Juta’s Property Law Library series, the third edition provides a comprehensive discussion of the core aspects of South African planning law.

The second edition, Planning Law (2012), reflected more of the new constitutional dispensation that brought with it not only a focus on values and equity, but also the development of an entirely new vision and structure for planning in the three spheres of government. It introduced some basic principles, addressed the apartheid roots of planning law in South Africa and gave detailed attention to the core of planning law.

Since the publication of the second edition, planning law has received increasing attention and the constitutional, legislative and jurisprudential framework has undergone significant contextual development. Evolving constitutional insights are providing a better perspective on the content of planning law and the impact of planning frameworks and decisions on government, in its three spheres, as well as owners and neighbours.

The Constitutional Court has, to a large extent, clarified the different planning competences and how these are allocated to each of the spheres of government. The enactment of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act 16 of 2013 (SPLUMA) has paved the way for the discipline to develop considerably and to be more integrated. The resultant effect on planning law has been immense and has necessitated this new edition that has been reworked and updated in its entirety. Since planning law is multi-faceted, the book also deals with related administrative, environmental, local government and informal settlement issues. All the relevant legal principles and legislative provisions are amplified by discussions of applicable court decisions.