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FAKULTEIT NUUS
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Law and Poverty Project provides research support for the amicus curiae intervention in the case of Maphango v Aengus Lifestyle Properties (Pty) Ltd
Participants of the Law and Poverty Research Project as well as the South African Research Chair in Constitutional Property Law provided research support to the Inner City Resource Centre for its intervention as amicus curiae in the case of Maphango v Aengus Lifestyle Properties (Pty) Ltd CCT57/11, heard in the Constitutional Court on 3 November, 2011. The applicants in the case are tenants who leased residential property in the Johannesburg inner city (in a building occupied predominantly by low-income tenants who have benefitted from government support and welfare payments) for periods of up to seventeen years. The property was bought by the respondent, Aengus Lifestyle Properties ('Aengus'); a company that buys inner city properties, effects cosmetic renovations and rents out the renovated units at increased rates. After purchasing the property, Aengus demanded rentals from the applicants at rates double to triple of those previously paid. The applicants, who are poor, could not afford these rentals and in response, Aengus terminated the leases. Alternative accommodation of the same price and standard is not available to the tenants and seven of the residents will be rendered homeless if they are evicted from the property.
The issue that arose was whether it was lawful and constitutionally permissible, in light of the Rental Housing Act and section 26 of the Constitution (which provides that everyone has the right to access to adequate housing), for the landlord to circumvent protective 'escalation clauses' contained in the leases by simply terminating the contracts in terms of a cancellation clause with the purpose of entering into new lease agreements at much higher rentals.
In an appeal from the Supreme Court of Appeal, the applicants argued before the Constitutional Court that the tenants' right to access to adequate housing in terms of section 26(1) of the Constitution had been infringed by the cancellation and that the cancellation was therefore contrary to public policy; that the termination of the leases constituted an 'unfair practice' in terms of the Rental Housing Act; and that the leases contain a tacit term that rent could not be increased beyond the limits set out in the escalation clauses.
The amicus curiae proceeded to argue that the horizontal application of the section 26 right to access to adequate housing should be recognised and 'hardwired' into the relationship between landlords and tenants by interpreting the Rental Housing Act in a manner that protects constitutional rights or, alternatively, by developing the common law of lease. In particular, it was argued that section 4(5)(c) of the Rental Housing Act, which prohibits 'unfair practices', prohibited the respondent from cancelling the lease agreements. If the Rental Housing Act could not be interpreted so as to vindicate the section 26 right of the applicants, it was argued that the common law should be developed so as to recognise an implied term whereby a lessor may not cancel a lease agreement in order to circumvent protective clauses where the termination of the lease would cause disproportionate hardship to the lessee.
The respondent relied on its contractual right to cancel the contract and argued that if this right was denied, the effect would be to create a lease in perpetuity. In addition to contravening the doctrine of pacta sunt servanda, this would constitute a grave infringement of the landlord's property rights.
Members of the Court actively engaged all parties on diverse issues including questions as to who should bear the social cost of the tenants' right to access to adequate housing; how the rights of landlords and tenants should be balanced in practice; and how the Rental Housing Act could be interpreted and the common law developed so as to ensure that that an appropriate balance is struck between the right to access to adequate housing and property rights of private parties. Judgment was reserved.
The intervention of the Inner City Resource Centre as amicus curiae aimed to provide further insight as to the substantive content of the right to access to adequate housing as including elements of security of tenure and affordability, the correct interpretation of the Rental Housing Act and the possible need to develop the common law in the light of constitutional rights and values. In addition, significant comparative research, which focussed on rental housing practice in Germany and Canada, was conducted to illustrate how the relationship between landlords and tenants could be infused with fairness while simultaneously striking an equitable balance between the rights and interests of all parties concerned.
Amicus curiae submissions are available here
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Ciucci family and Stellenbosch Law Faculty partner to support transformation
Access to the legal profession, socially relevant research to uphold constitutional rights and legal resources for rural areas will be the emphasis of the Ciucci Law Development Initiative established in the Faculty of Law at Stellenbosch University (SU).
"The Faculty is proud to announce that Giuseppe and Kathleen Ciucci have made a significant pledge to the Stellenbosch Foundation to fund the Ciucci Law Development Initiative (CLDI)," says Prof Gerhard Lubbe, Dean of the Faculty and Director of the Ciucci Centre for Law and Social Development. "Developed in the context of the University's HOPE Project, the Ciucci family and the Law Faculty will partner to support the Faculty in a way that best contributes to positive transformation in South Africa."
Mr Ciucci was appointed Chief Executive of the Stonehage Group in London in May 1997. Giuseppe and his wife, Kathleen, are both alumni of Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Law. Stonehage is a leading independent Multi Family Office offering wealth management and advisory services to an international clientele.
"Kathleen and I would like to assist disadvantaged learners to access the legal profession, and to support Stellenbosch University to expand its legal resources in rural areas," Mr Ciucci said. "The Ciucci Centre for Law and Social Development will act as a hub to facilitate socially relevant research and law-related projects that will directly benefit rural communities and disadvantaged learners. We believe this initiative will contribute to the realisation of the University's HOPE Project and establish the University as a catalyst for positive social transformation."
The first pillar of the CLDI - launched in 2011 - will facilitate access to legal education through the Undergraduate Training Initiative providing Giuseppe & Kathleen Ciucci Scholarships for First Year students at the Faculty of Law, matched by the Dean's Fund. These scholarships extend the existing Recruitment Scheme initiated by the Stonehage Charitable Trust and the Dean of the Faculty of Law in 2009, resulting in 22 scholarships being available annually to recruit qualified students from disadvantaged groups. Further funding has been earmarked for a Career Guidance Initiative in the Western Cape area, as well as a First Year Academic Support and Mentoring Programme of the Faculty of Law.
The second pillar of the CLDI is a Developmental Law Initiative, which has attracted three leading faculty members, Prof Sandra Liebenberg, Prof Geo Quinot and Prof André van der Walt, to become the first Fellows of the Ciucci Centre for Law and Social Development, focused on post-graduate research and training in the areas of Socio-Economic Rights, Administrative Justice and Constitutional Property Law. The Centre will co-fund the post-graduate assistantships of the abovementioned participants in the Faculty of Law's HOPE project in 2011.
For further information on this Initiative, please contact Prof Gerhard Lubbe, Director of the Ciucci Centre for Law and Social Development. Tel: +27 (0)21 808-3784 or gfl1@sun.ac.za.
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Kathleen & Giuseppe Ciucci |
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NUWE STAATSVERKRYGINGSREG EENHEID
Die stigting van 'n Afrika staatsverkrygingsreg eenheid is aangekondig deur Prof Geo Quinot van die Universiteit Stellenbosch op 24 Oktober tydens die Public Procurement Regulation in Africa konferensie. Die eenheid (waarvan die presiese naam nog gefinaliseer moet word) sal in 2012 begin funksioneer en sal gehuisves word in die Regsfakulteit van die Universiteit Stellenbosch. Die oogmerk van die eenheid sal wees om die werk in staatsverkrygingsreg in Afrika wat deur die UK Africa Public Procurement Project in vennootskap tussen die Public Procurement Research Group (PPRG) by die Universiteit van Nottingham en die Stellenbosch Regsfakulteit begin is voort te sit. Dit sal insluit voortgesette navorsing in staatsverkrygingsreg in Afrika, opleiding in staatsverkrygingsreg en die bou van netwerke op die kontinent en met ander eenhede elders, soos die PPRG. Tydens die aankondiging het Prof Quinot opgemerk dat die skep van die eenheid krities is om die momentum van die huidige projek te behou en om 'n permanente platform te skep vir in-diepte navorsing in hierdie area van die reg wat 'n sleutelrol te speel het in ontwikkeling in Afrika, maar waarin tans baie min navorsing gedoen word. Meer inligting oor die nuwe eenheid sal binnekort beskikbaar wees op die UK Africa Project se webwerf by www.sun.ac.za/procurementlaw
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MORTI MALHERBE GEDENKLESING
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Manfred Weiss het op 18 Oktober 2011 die Morti Malherbe Gedenklesing oor "Law and Social Dialogue in the European Union: Lessons for Southern Africa" aangebied.
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Prof Gerhard Lubbe (Dekaan) en Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Manfred Weiss |
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Prof Sandy Liebenberg, Adv Thuli Madonsela, Prof Arnold van Zyl & Prof Gerhard Lubbe |
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Professore Gerhard Lubbe, Arnold van Zyl en Owen Dean, en Dr Frederick Mostert. Foto: Stefan Els |
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JURIDIESE VERENIGING 2011 / 2012
Die nuwe lede van die Juridiese Vereniging is in Augustus vanjaar aangewys.
Voor van links: Stefanie Grosche (Onder Voorsitter), Demi Cyster (Bemarking), Tosca Ferndale (Openbare Skakelwese)
Agter van links: JJ Arries (Studenteverryking), Maurice Ellis (Sosiaal), Eckhardt de Kock (Akademiese Belangeraad), Handrie Calitz (Tesourier), Shomane Mathiba (Voorsitter)
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REGSTELLENDE AKSIE WERKSWINKEL
'n Internasionale werkswinkel oor Regstellende Aksie het by die Stellenbosse Instituut vir Gevorderde Navorsing (STIAS) op Vrydag, 22 Julie 2011 plaasgevind. Die projek word deur Proff Ockert Dupper (SU) en Kamala Sankaran (Delhi, Indie) gekoördineer. Ander deelnemers sluit Prof Dr Ingo Sarlet (Brasilie), Prof Moshe Cohen-Eliya (Israel), Dr Tzehainesh Teklè (ILO), Prof Alexander Graser (Duitsland) en Prof Sir Bob Hepple, (Verenigde Koningryk) in. Die referate word saamgestel en volgende jaar as boek gepubliseer.
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Agter vlnr: Dr Tzehainesh Tekle (International Labour Organiszation); Prof Ockert Dupper (Stellenbosch), Prof Ingo Sarlet (Brasilie); Prof Moshe Cohen-Eliya (Israel)
Voor vlnr: Prof Hendrik Geyer (Direkteur:STIAS); Prof Gerhard Lubbe (Dekaan, Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid, Stellenbosch), Prof Kamala Sankaran (Indie)
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STUDENT WEN ISMAIL MAHOMED OPSTELKOMPETISIE
Sanita van Wyk, doktorale student aan die Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid is op 22 Julie 2011 bekroon as die wenner vir 2010 in die LLM kategorie van die Suid-Afrikaanse Regshervormingskommissie se Ismail Mahomed opstelkompetisie. Sanita het 'n prys ten bedrae van R10 000 ontvang vir haar inskrywing gebaseer op haar LLM skripsie a Comparative study of Crimes against life in South Africa and Germany met Me Mary Nel van die Departement Publiekreg as studieleier.
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Aall-Stigting skenkings vir behoeftige swart US-regstudente bereik $100 000 mylpaal
Die Aall-Stigting, 'n internasionale liefdadigheidsorganisasie, het onlangs bekend gemaak dat dit $25 000 gaan skenk vir beurse aan behoeftige swart US-regstudente in 2012. Die Stigting het die afgelope twee jaar reeds $75 000 vir hierdie doel beskikbaar gestel.
Die skenkings is gemaak aan die Amicus-fonds, wat sedert 1993 beurse van meer as R1 miljoen aan behoeftige regstudente toegeken het, en wat die beursgeld sal administreer.
Op die foto verskyn Mnr Steven Georgala (middel), wat die Aall Stigting verteenwoordig, Prof Jacques du Plessis, tesourier van die Amicus-fonds, asook Prof Gerhard Lubbe, Dekaan van die Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid en beskermheer van die Amicus-fonds.
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From left to right: Mr Wolfgang Kleine, Hanns Seidel Foundation Namibia; Mr Theo Nghitila, Director in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism; and Prof Oliver C. Ruppel |
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