COMMENT A deeply embedded patriarchal practice assumes that a married woman must change her surname to that of her spouse. This was standard practice at the department of home affairs. Officials would automatically change the surname of the newlywed wife to that of her husband, sometimes even in violation of the wife’s express intention to […]
The ‘unmasked’ are arrested during early morning patrols, taken to police stations and charged a ‘bond’
The Films and Publications Amendment Act aims to protect citizens, but new technology requires that the regulations and guidelines are updated
The fire of constitutional crisis burns in Mali, but observers shouldn’t ignore the smoke in Cote d’Ivoire.
Amendments to the Civil Union Act are unconstitutional for religious magistrates
The majority of previously dispossessed people choose money over property, while land reform has become the preserve of the affluent. Is there another way to think about land reform?
Religious beliefs are no longer allowed as on objection to solemnising same-sex partnerships and rightly so
‘Beliefs and convictions rested on religion should be allowed the freedom awarded by the law to share the public sphere with all the other non-religious beliefs and convictions’
Christian Life Private School barred a pupil because he wore a bracelet with cultural significance, but the decision — even in the private sphere — is constitutionally wrong
Senior South African politicians have not been spared the coronavirus. What happens if the head of state is not well enough to be at his desk?
The long list of committees and programmes addressing the issue look good on paper. In terms of achievements, however, none of them can be ticked off as successful
The poorly conceptualised and materially flawed proposed legislation was patched up instead of being rewritten. It will now go to Parliament, which should reject the Bill as unfixable
Reyno de Beer had ‘raised an attack … on unidentified regulations, on undisclosed grounds and for unknown reasons’
The high court ruling will delight gatvol South Africans but is unlikely to stand the test of time
The Constitutional Court said it welcomed robust debate but criticised the populist rhetoric in the battle between Busisiwe Mkhwebane and Minister Pravin Gordhan
With coalition politics on the rise, particularly in local government, this kind of court case is likely to become more common
The government has consulted widely on measures to restrict the spread of Covid-19, but rule by selective committees such as the National Coronavirus Command Council requires vigilance
Our government’s Covid-19 response and regulations must be subject to stringent monitoring to ensure womxn’s safety and security. This is why the Women’s Legal Centre will be an amicus curae in the case between the City of Cape Town and the SAHRC
More than a quarter of prisoners have not been convicted of anything, they just couldn’t meet bail requirements
This pandemic must pose an opportunity for serious introspection by all actors involved in taking the case to court, including religious legal fraternities
After ratifying the optional protocol of the relevant UN convention, South Africa is now in the process establishing a national preventive mechanism for the prevention of torture
For Jewish people, ‘You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt.’ South Africans should remember they were once strangers in their own country
Supporting the lockdown rules and holding the government to account is a delicate balancing act
The family of Collin Khosa — allegedly killed at the hands of SANDF and JMPD members — want the president to explain how he will ensure this never happens again
We need to work together regardless of our political ideologies to build the health system, stabilise the economy and protect the most vulnerable in society
Alassane Ouattara has finally committed to stepping down after his second term, but leaves behind a dangerous legacy for the region
In a letter, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng questions whether Justice Minister Ronald Lamola has acted constitutionally
Under a state of national disaster, some rights may be suspended. But it is critical to remember that the Constitution itself is not suspended
Occupants from buildings subjected to raids in Operation Fiela have taken the matter to court
The process of appointing the public protector is flawed, and led by politicians who don’t seem to have paid attention to the law. This has to change
The lack of accountability and consequences for deviant behaviour by government officials allowed the misuse of taxpayers’ money
Meanwhile, the City of Tshwane’s leadership is being dissolved due to collapsing service delivery