The South African Law of Persons and Family Law

by D SP Cronje

Second Edition

Butterworths Professional Publishers (Pty) Ltd 1990

419 pages

Soft cover R87 excl. V A T

Casebook on the Law of Persons and Family Law

V onnisbundel oor die Persone- en Familiereg

by DSP Cronje and] Heaton

Butterworths Professional Publishers (Pty) Ltd 1990

544 pages

Soft cover R55 excl. V A T

The declared intention of the authors of the first edition (1986) of the textbook was to provide students, and particularly first-year students, with a primer on the law of persons and the family. As this second edition contains no preface of its own, and retains the preface to the first edition in which the above-mentioned intent is declared, it is safe to assume that this work has the same objective.

In attempting to read this objective, the author, professor of Private Law, University of South Africa, covers a wide

range of matters pertaining to the subject and ranging from a discussion on the concept legal subject to parental power. As declared in the preface to the first edi­tion, many of the topics, and also the authoritative sources, have not been covered extensively.

The work is divided into two parts, the first dealing with the law of persons and second with family law.

Under the heading "Law of Persons" , the author deals with the following: The concept legal subject; The beginning and end of legal subjectivity; Status; Domicile; Extra-marital children; Age; Insanity; Inability to manage own affairs; Prodigality; Sex; Race; and Insolvency.

Under the heading "Family Law", the following matters are discussed: Introduction to Family Law; The engagement; Legal requirements for the conclusion of a valid marriage; Void and voidable marriages; The consequences of marriage; Administration ofjoint estate; Marriage out of community of property; The dissolution of marriage; and Paren­tal power.

The textbook concludes with a biblio­graphy; a table of cases, including deci­sions up to and including those in the May 1990 edition of the South African Law Reports; a table of statutes in alpha­betical order; and an index.

For the practitioner the textbook affords an easy entry into the subject, but

little more, and the publication of the casebook is to be welcomed as a means by which the practitioner can delve deeper into his particular field of enquiry. In this regard it must also be mentioned that the textbook contains extensive footnotes which facilitate further research.

Although it is not expressly stated in either of the two works, the books are obviously meant to be used in conjunc­tion. This inference is drawn from the similarity in sequence of the subject mat­ter in each of the works, as well as the identical pictures on the covers .

The casebook is bilingual, containing a column in English and Afrikaans on every page. A short summary of the case is given, followed by an extract from the decision and a note, which is essentially a cryptic discussion of the theory relating to the particular case.

The casebook contains cases up to and including those in the October 1989 edition of the South African Law Reports, which is curious, considering that the textbook is updated to May 1990.

Ending with a bibliography and an index, the casebook is a welcome addi­tion which broadens the scope of the work in total.

SD Wagener Pretoria Bar

ODD

CONSULTUS OKTOBER 1992 162

Drietalige Regswoordeboek

VG Hiemstra en H L Gonin

Derde Uitgawe

Juta & Kie Bpk

498 bladsye

Hardeband R220,90 BTW en hantering ingesluit

Die belangrikste gereedskap van 'n regs­geleerde is taal, en die meeste suksesvolle regsgeleerdes is dan ook taalliefhebbers. Trouens, die status van enige regsgeskrif word grootliks bepaal deur sy taalsuiwer­heid of gebrek daaraan: indien so 'n stuk taalkundig beindruk, sal dit heelwaar­skynlik ook andersins beindruk, dog indien dit taalkundig gebrekkig is, sal die leser sonder meer die gevolgtrekking maak dat die stuk se inhoud ook ander­sins gebrekkig is.

Sedert die verskyning van Hiemstra en Gonin se Drietalige Regswoordeboek (Latyn-Afrikaans-Engels) in 1981, het Suid-Afrikaanse regsgeleerdes nie langer enige verskoning met betrekking tot slor­dige taalgebruik nie. 'n Verbeterde uit­gawe het in 1986 verskyn (met'n tweede druk in 1990), terwyl die derde uitgawe so pas die lig gesien het. Slegs twee groepe regsgeleerdes kan sonder hierdie Woordeboek klaarkom: die wat nooit enige woordeboek hoegenaamd hoef te raadpleeg nie en die wat nie omgee om risiko's met hul taalgebruik - en dus hul aansien as regsgeleerdes - te loop nie.

Die derde uitgawe is net soos sy voor­gangers netjies gebind en in alle ander opsigte mooi afgerond, met 'n indruk­wekkende en aantreklike harde buite­blad. Soos in die voorwoord gese word, bevat hierdie uitgawe meer woorde as sy voorganger, veral woorde uit die kom­mersiele lewe. Maar vanwee 'n nuwe styl wat toegepas is, is soveel ruimte bespaar dat die boek, ondanks die meer woorde, uit minder bladsye as die vorige uitgawe bestaan.

Dit is skaars nodig om hierdie boek by alle regsgeleerdes aan te beveeI: Ook reg­studente behoort dit - of minstens 'n eksemplaar van die tweede uitgawe ­aan te skaf, want dit is belangrik dat hulle vanjongs af die gewoonte aankweek om nougeset op hul taalgebruik te let.

JPJ Coetzer SC Pretoria-Balie

ODD

The Law of Agency

by AJ Kerr

Third Edition

Butterworths Professional Publishers (Pty) Ltd

386 pages

Soft cover R107,80 incl. V AT

The legal profession had to wait 13 years for this the third edition of The Law of

CONSULTUS OCTOBER 1992

Agency by Prof AJ Kerr; the second volume in the series of three from the same author, the others being The Prin­ciples of the Law of Contract and The Law of Sale and Lease.

This edition follows the tried and tested format used by the author in the second edition and the regular user of Prof Kerr' s previous work will soon find himself or herself in familiar territory. Accessibility to the work has been enhanced by the use of more prominent paragraph headings.

The work covers the subject in detail. Both the academic and practitioner will find that the work will satisfy their respec­tive needs. ProfKerr does not hesitate to enter into the fray of academic debate on the theory underlying the subject while, at the same time, providing valuable source material for the practitioner. Of particular importance to the court prac­titioner are those sections in the work which deal with the onus of proof, a sub­ject very often shunned by the authors of text books other than those writing on the law of evidence. Under these headings the author not only deals with the inci­dence of the burden of proof but provides ample examples and discussion of prac­tical problems encountered by litigants in proving the facts necessary to establish claims based on agency.

The work will be a valuable addition to the library of all those who have to advise on or litigate in connection with modern commercial practice since agency and the authority of agents to act on behalf of their principals play an important role in virtually every com­mercial transaction.

Leon Eekker Pretoria Bar

ODD

T~e Law of Contract in South Africa

by RH Christie

Second Edition

Butterworths Professional Publishers (Pty) Ltd 1991

798 pages

Soft cover R129,80 incl. V A T and handling

Hard cover R156,20 incl. V A T and handling

This book needs no introduction. Its first edition which appeared in 1981 was originally planned as a third edition of the well-known publication by Wessels, but the author decided to rewrite the entire work. It was reprinted in 1983, 1985 and 1987, which is indicative of its popularity with practitioners and stu­dents alike.

The author believes that the principles of the law of contract stem from judicial decisions and as is stated by him, in the

ten years since the first edition of this book , the courts have developed the law very substantially - probably more than in any other decade . The publication of the second edition is therefore timely and has been brought up to date with well over 3 000 case references. The law is stated as at 31 March 1991.

This book is indeed a thorough expo­sition of the general principles ofthe law of contract and is indispensable to the practitioner.

CM van Niekerk Pretoria Bar

ODD

Die Suid-Afrikaanse Kontraktereg en Handelsreg

lC De Wet & AH Van Wyk

5de Uitgawe, Vol 1

Butterworths Professionele Uitgewers (edms) Bpk 1992

Sagteband R126,50 BTW ingesluit

Meer as 40 jaar het verstryk sedert die eerste uitgawe van hierdie handboek die lig gesien het - toe nog bekend as De Wet & Yeats. Anders as wat die geval was met die vorige uitgawes, verskyn die werk nou in twee volumes waarvan volume een die algemene beginsels van die kontraktereg bevat, asook die koop­kontrak , huur van sake, die diens­kontrak, die lasgewingsooreenkoms en sekerheidstelling. Die handelsreg met insluiting van die vennootskapskontrak sal in die tweede volume behandel word.

Die bydrae wat hierdie werk oor die afgelope meer as 40 jaar gelewer het tot regsopleiding en regsvorming in die algemeen, vir Afrikaans as regstaal en vir regsopleiding in die besonder, is wel bekend en dit is derhalwe ook gepas dat hierdie jongste uitgawe as 'n huldeblyk aanJ C De Wet, wat op 19 Oktober 1990 oorlede is, gepubliseer word.

Alhoewel daar oor die jare heelwat aanpassings in die werk gemaak is en die werk ook inderdaad op sekere gebiede uitgebrei is, is in die huidige uitgawe nie afgewyk van die wyse waarop die inhoud van die werk aan die leser of navorser aangebied word nie . Ek meld hierdie aspek spesifiek omdat dit juis na my mening, 'n ernstige punt van kritiek is wat teen die werk geopper kan word.

Die teks wissel van een onderwerp na 'n ander sonder voorsiening van para­grawe en onderhoofde, soos byvoorbeeld die gedeeltes wat handel oor dwaling, vanafpp 9 tot 31; wanvoorstelling, vanaf pp 41 tot 48; skadevergoeding, vanaf pp 222 tot 234; verjaring, vanafpp 284-309; verpligtinge van die verkoper en koper, vanafpp 328 tot 347 en pand en verband , vanaf pp 401 tot 415. Hierdie wyse van aanbieding bring mee dat 'n persoon wat die werk raadpleeg en wat nie 'n gron­dige kennis van die inhoud van die werk

163

as geheel het nie, probleme ondervind om die toepaslike en tersaaklike gedeeltes op te spoor waaroor navorsing gedoen word. Navrae deur my by verskeie van my kollegas, het bevestig dat hulle probleme ondervind om die werk te raadpleeg, omdat dit 'n gedurige soektog afgee na bepaalde onderwerpe en dat dit inderdaad meebring dat hulle al hoe minder van die werk gebruik maak in die lig van die verskeidenheid van ander handboeke wat tans oor hierdie onder­werp beskikbaar is.

Die feit dat amper op 'n terloopse wyse na sake soos onder andere Isep Structural Engineering & Plating (Ply) Ltd v Inland Exploration Co (Ply) Ltd, 1981 (4) SA 1 (A) in verband met skadevergoeding as sur­rogaat van die prestasie, op p 212 en p 231; Du Toit v Atkinson 's Motors Bpk, 1985 (2) 893 (A) op p 29; Spindrifter (Ply) Ltd v Lester Donovan, 1986 (1) 303 (A) op p 29 in verband met dwaling; Visser ea v Ros­souw NNO, 1990 (1) 139 (A) op p 92 in verband met die par delictum reel; Magna Alloys & Research SA (Ply) Ltd v Ellis, 1984 (4) 874 (A) op p 93 in verband met ooreenkomste ter beperking van handels­vryheid; BK Tooling (Edms) Bpk v Scope Precision Engineering (Edms) Bpk, 1979 (1) 391 (A) op p 204 in verband met weder­kerigheid van verbintenisse, verwys

word, maak inderdaad nie die taak van die praktisyn wat die handboek raad­pleeg makliker nie, en mens sou verwag dat meer aandag aan belangrike sake gegee sou word.

Daarbenewens is daar na sake soos Bank ofLisbon & South Africa v De Ornelas and another, 1988 (3) 580 (A) oor die excep­tio doli, en Lillicrap, Wassenaar & Partners v Pilkington Brothers, 1985 (1) 475 (A) oor die concursus actionum van kontrak-en­delikaksies geen verwysing nie, en mens sou verwag dat sulke sake in 'n handboek soos die onderhawige, onder die loep geneem sou word.

Die benadering van die student, nog in opleiding en die dosent met betrekking tot die gebruik van' n handboek soos die onderhawige enersyds, en die van die praktisyn andersyds, sal uit die aard van die saak verskil, en met die enkele gedag­tes wat hierin geopper word, word gepoog om die oogpunte van die prakti ­syn uiteen te sit. Daarmee wil ek geen­sins te kenne gee dat die werk nie vir die praktisyn van waarde is nie. Inteendeel, dit is inderdaad veel meer as slegs "'n bruikbare regshandboek waarsonder ons studente en praktisyns baie armer sal wees" soos die mede-outeur in die voor­woord meld, en sal ek ook graag wil sien

dat Je De Wet se regskuns in Suid­Afrika as erflating bly voortleef.

Ek sou graag net wou sien dat daar groter begrip sal wees vir die heden­daagse en miskien veraljonger praktisyn wat nie soos 'n geslag ofwat gelede, veral op die Afrikaanse Universiteite, met De Wet en Yeats as feitlik enigste bron op die kontraktereg saamgeleef het nie, maar dit nou selfs slegs gebruik as een van ver­skeie bronne op die gebied en dat die huidige vorm van aanbieding - soos ek hierbo probeer aantoon het - meebring dat die boek in 'n mate ontoeganklik is wat daartoe lei dat dit as verwysingsbron al hoe minder gebruik sal word.

Ek persoonlik verwelkom die feit dat die werk in twee volumes uitgegee word sodat die kontraktereg-gedeelte in 'n afsonderlike volume vervat is, omdat dit die ideale geleentheid bied om die onder­werpe wat behandel word in toekomstige uitgawes uit te brei, en hopelik ook die vennootskapskontrak sal insluit; en omdat dit ook 'n ruimte laat vir die behoorlike voorsiening van geiden­tifiseerde sub-paragrawe en selfs verdere onder-paragrawe.

BC Van Den Reever SC Pretoria-Balie

• INTERNATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION

Human Rights Action Alliance The International Bar Association's Human Rights Action Alliance works to support bar associations, judges, lawyers

and human rights advocates whenever they are threatened, detained, imprisoned or otherwise abused, or where their independence is placed in jeopardy in violation of human rights principles

PRESS RELEASE Human Rights Action Plan

The International Bar Association has formally adopted aHuman trial, the fairness of the trial, or other deprivations of human Rights Action Plan. rights Initiated by a Conference for world bar leaders in Montreal in June o setting up a Human Rights Committee within each IBA member 1991, and subsequently approved by the IBA Council at a meeting organisation to promote and report on human rights activities held in Lisbon in May this year, the Human Rights Action Plan aims within its jurisdiction and to co-operate with the IBA in its to further the involvement of the International Bar Association and human rights activities its organisational members in endeavouring to enhance international o forming liaisons with other bar associations and non politicalhuman rights and a just rule of law. human rights organisations for exchange of Protest Letters and

for the co-ordination of human rights missions and trialIts objectives include: observations. o outlining procedures for protest against any situations where Jerome J Shestack, Chairman of the Human Rights Action

judges, lawyers, officials of bar associations and human rights Alliance, is Chairman of the IBA's Human Rights and the Rule ofadvocates are threatened, detained, imprisoned or otherwise Law Standing Committee, and a former US Ambassador to theabused, or where their independence or the independence of a United Nations on Human Rights.bar association is placed in jeopardy, in violation of human

The International Bar Association is the world's foremost associationrights principles of lawyers with over 14500 individual lawyer members from 147 o despatching human rights missions for the investigation of any countries and 137 member bar associations and law societies,

protested situation together representing over 2,5 million lawyers. It is renowned for its o establishing a Trial Observer Corps to observe trials of lawyers work in the field of human rights and its consistent help and support

and judges where there is concern about the basis for the for the bar associations in developing countries.

For further information please contact Lorna Macleod Chairman: Jerome J Shestack Press Office Wolf Block Schorr and Solis-Cohen International Bar Association Twelfth Floor, Packard Building.~. ' 2 Harewood Place, Hanover Square 15th and Chestnut Street, Philadelphia(I)London W1 R9HB England IBA Pennsylvania 19102, USA Tel: +44 (0)71 629 1206 Tel: (215) 977 2290 Fax: +44 (0)71 409 0456 Fax: (215) 977 2346

CONSULTUS OKTOBER 1992 164