Walkers Attorneys

by Roxanne Ker

For centuries, in South Africa, a man who broke off an engagement, merely because he had changed his mind and now wished not to marry his fiancée, felt it in his wallet. He was liable under the common law to the jilted lady for 'breach of promise', including prospective losses, and it could cost him a sizable amount.

by Nosipho Madikiza

The basic facts in Barbieri v Barbieri, a judgement of the High Court, Durban, on 17 May 2013, are not unusual. The spouses married in 1999, have three minor children, and both respectively contend that the primary place of residence of the children should be with them.

by Jerome Veldsman

The statutory rights of a municipality under section 118 of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act of 2000, in respect of municipal duties, fees, levies, rates, surcharges, and taxes (municipal charges) in connection with the relevant immovable property acutely affect property buyers and sellers, so this article is more legalistic and longer than our usual format allows.

by Jerome Veldsman

In the May 2013 Talking Point we discussed this Act. The Act came into operation on 3 June 2013.

by Taryn Herbert

The Act was enacted on 21 April 2009, but only came into operation on 31 March 2013.

The Act is aimed at combating substance abuse through prevention, early intervention, treatment, and re-integration programmes. It establishes a Central Drug Authority, and guidelines for the establishment of Provincial Substance Abuse Forums and Local Drug Action Committees, as bodies tasked to combat substance abuse. The State has a duty to set up at least one treatment centre per province. Private treatment centres must be registered in accordance with the Act.

by Gunnar Dahl

The structure of legal practice has certain historical legacies, and law firms are also subject to market trends and vagaries.