Browsing by Author "Wessels, Bernard"

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    Alternatiewe benaderings ten opsigte van feitelike kousaliteit in die deliktereg
    (LitNet, 2013-12) Wessels, Bernard
    In Lee v Minister of Correctional Services is die eiser tydens sy aanhouding in die Pollsmoorgevangenis met tuberkulose (TB) geïnfekteer. Hy beweer dat die verweerder se werknemers op nalatige wyse versuim het om die bestaande gesondheidsmaatreëls toe te pas, welke versuim op onregmatige wyse sy infeksie veroorsaak het, en hy stel gevolglik ’n skadevergoedingseis teen die verweerder in. Weens die besondere aard van ’n TB-infeksie is dit onmoontlik om die bron daarvan te identifiseer en bygevolg op oorwig van waarskynlikheid te bewys dat die nalatige versuim van die tronkowerhede die die feitelike oorsaak van die eiser se skade is. Tog bevind die verhoorhof en die konstitusionele hof dat daar wel ’n kousale verband tussen die eiser se skade en die verweerder se nalatige versuim was. Die konstitusionele hof bevind voorts dat al die elemente van ’n delik deur die eiser bewys is en stel die verweerder deliktueel aanspreeklik. Die feite van hierdie saak illustreer die kompleksiteit wat die kousaliteitsvraag soms kan binnedring asook die uitdagings wat die gemeenregtelike conditio sine qua non- of but for-toets vir feitelike kousaliteit in uitsonderlike feitegevalle moet trotseer.
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    Legal and public policy considerations that justify legislative development of the law of delict
    (Southern African Society of Legal Historians, 2019) Wessels, Bernard
    An evaluation of the different ways in which the South African legal system currently provides compensation for crime victims suggests that an alternative form of crime victim compensation should be considered. The most common solution adopted in foreign jurisdictions is the enactment of a statutory crime victim compensation scheme. The crucial question is whether such legislative development could be justified in South Africa. To investigate the justifiability of a crime victim compensation scheme, the following approach is suggested. First, a theoretical framework must be developed to provide an outline for justifiable statutory reform of the law of delict insofar as the compensation of victims is generally concerned. Only once this has been done, can attention be given to the more specific question, namely whether the potential enactment of a statutory compensation fund for crime victims could fit into such a framework. This contribution focuses on the first issue, namely setting out a theoretical framework for future justifiable statutory development of the law of delict. This is done by identifying legal and public policy considerations that the legislature have used in the past to develop the law relating to the compensation of specific categories of victims. This contribution therefore looks at the historical development of three major statutes that have developed the law relating to the compensation of specific categories of victims: the Road Accident Fund Act 56 of 1996, the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993 and the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008.
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    Reconsidering the state’s liability for harm arising from crime : the potential development of the law of delict
    (Juta Law Publishing, 2019) Wessels, Bernard
    This article evaluates the compensatory relief South African law currently provides to crime victims. To obtain compensation for harm arising from crime, a victim may institute a common-law delictual claim against the perpetrator of the crime. Because the perpetrator is unlikely to be in a financial position to compensate, crime victims have had to develop an alternative strategy. Essentially, they have argued that it is the state, rather than the perpetrator, that should be held delictually liable for harm arising from crime. More specifically, they have argued that the state should be held vicariously liable in delict on the basis that its employees culpably and wrongfully caused the victim’s harm, either by action or inaction. This article evaluates this development of the common law and argues that the expanding delictual liability of the state for harm arising from crime is undesirable. The common-law delictual claim is not the crime victim’s only option for compensation. The Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 provides crime victims with a degree of procedural assistance in claiming compensation from the perpetrator and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998 seeks to introduce measures to combat organised crime activities and provides for the recovery of the proceeds of unlawful activities. The article analyses the existing statutory mechanisms to claim compensation for harm arising from crime and finds that it is unsatisfactory from a crime victim compensation perspective. Against this background, the article suggests that it may be sensible to consider an alternative method to secure compensation for crime victims. From a comparative legal perspective, the most popular alternative solution appears to be the enactment of a statutory crime victim compensation scheme. The article examines some of the theoretical concerns that require consideration, if such a proposal were to be taken seriously by the legislature.