scholarly journals THE AWARDING OF POST-DIVORCE MAINTENANCE TO A MUSLIM EX-WIFE AND CHILDREN IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN COURTS: THE INTERACTION BETWEEN DIVINE AND SECULAR LAW

Obiter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Razaana Denson ◽  
Marita Carnelley

The article discusses the differences between the South African civil law and Islamic law with specific reference to post-divorce spousal maintenance as well as postdivorce maintenance of children in light of recent case law, Mahomed v Mahomed [2009] JOL 23733 (ECP). The issue of post-divorce spousal maintenance is especially controversial and it is noted that in both systems the issue should not beseen in isolation, but in conjunction with the other protection possibilities within each of these systems. The apparent conflict between the South African constitutional principles and the principles of Islam is noted and compared to the Indian legal and constitutional experience, although reference is also made to the Algerian legal position. Drawing an analogy with the South African legal developments vis-à-vis customary marriages, the article concludes and submits that any enactment by the South African legislature, dealing with the maintenance of spouses and children after divorce, whether in the format of the Muslim Marriage Bill as set out in the 2003 South African Law Reform Commission Report, or in any other format, should take cognizance of the rulings and teachings of Islam.

Obiter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marita Carnelley ◽  
Suhayfa Bhamjee

This article compares the South African civil-law and Islamic-law positions with regard to the financial protective measures available to a wife at the time of marriage and divorce. In this regard, the respective matrimonial property systems are discussed, with special emphasis on civil antenuptial and Muslim marriage contracts. In addition, other protective measures inherent to the two systems to prevent prejudice both during the marriage and at the time of divorce, are discussed. It is submitted that, although the provisions of Islamic law do not provide the same financial protection for wives compared to the South African civil law, the Islamic concept of mahr could potentially be used in the Muslim marriage contract to enhance financial security of a Muslim wife at the time of divorce. The article also considers dual marriages where the same spouses marry each other in terms of both civil and Islamic law. In particular, the incorporation of the Islamic concept of mahr into civil antenuptial contracts is discussed with reference to the legal position in Canada to illustrate potential legal problems. 


Author(s):  
L J Van Rensburg

This article focuses on the nature of legislative discretions in the hands of the executive authority of the state.Relevant concepts are analysed, followed by an exposition of the position regarding delegation of legislative authority to the executive under the previous constitutional dispensation when the country had a sovereign Parliament. This is followed by a discussion of the legal position in Germany, which shows similarities to the situation in South Africa. It appears that differences in approach to the problem exist worldwide, but one similarity is to be found in all, namely that a complete parliamentary abdication of legislative authority is always disallowed. What follows from this is that South African law seems to follow the German example regarding the delegation of legislative powers. It seems that the South African Constitutional Court considers the delegation of essential legislative authority as undesirable. Limits have to be placed on the extent of Parliament's competencies pertaining to legislative delegation. Furthermore the manner and form requirements in the Constitution must be met when legislation is adopted. This however does not occur in all instances of legislative delegation to the executive authority. When legislative delegation takes place, it is consistently done by granting the executive the authority to adopt subordinate legislation, which in any event has the same legal effect as legislation of Parliament itself.Next the Transitional Constitution of 1993 is considered against the background of relevant case law. It appears that the legal position was not changed by the promulgation of the ("final") Constitution of 1996. Empowering legislation that delegates any legislative authority must lay down guidelines providing direction regarding the exercise of the delegated authority. Delegated legislation may of course not contain substantive norms.Like the German Bundesverfassungsgericht, the South African Constitutional Court seems to require empowering legislation to lay down the content, extent and purpose of the empowering provisions before it will enjoy legal effect. This content, extent and purpose will not primarily be evident from the delegated legislation, but must be contained in the empowering legislation itself. If this is not the case, the delegation of authority will have exceeded constitutional limits. Therefore, a wide delegation of legislative authority without limitations regarding its exercise, at least as far as content, extent and purpose are concerned, will without doubt be unconstitutional.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Peni Rinda

Technological developments in medicine have provided an outlet for community issues with the discovery of a new method of artificial insemination is known as in vitro fertilitization (IVF). For couples who want to have children but due to medical reasons can not obtain offspring naturally, with IVF method can obtain offspring / children. But in its development appears IVF lease term or the surrogate mother's womb, the sperm and ovum from a legitimate married another woman entered in the womb. Therefore the aim of this study to determine the legal position of surrogacy agreement as an innominaat agreement in the perspective of civil law, Islamic law national law, This research used normative juridical approach, descriptive analytical research specification, method of data collection is done with a literature study on legal materials, both primary legal materials, as well as secondary materials, then analyzed by qualitative descriptive. The results showed that a good legal position surrogacy agreement according to the Civil Law, Islamic law and national law is as the agreement is not named (innominaat) and surrogacy agreement is not allowed or unlawful. While the legal consequences of surrogacy agreements either under Civil Law, Islamic law, and national law relating to the status of children, descent problems, inheritance and other rights. The legal status of children under civil law can be a legitimate child of the surrogate mother, it could be a child outside of mating recognized, while according to Islamic law status of the child as a child of the uterus rental yields laqith, while according to national law, the legal status of the child as a foster child. This inheritance rights issue depends the legal status of the child, there is nothing not inherit (civil relationship with his mother).


2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rudolph De Wet Oosthuizen

Allowing the (South) African context to inform the construction and enhancement of the comparative paradigm as a reading strategy for the interpretation of the Old Testament enables one to identify and appreciate aspects of significance for the contemporary reader, relating to the interpretation of the text. Bearing in mind the importance of music and its function regarding religious expression, various aspects pertaining to the function and significance of music are being explored in order to enrich the interpretation of Psalm 150, with specific reference to music and musical instruments. (Whilst the focus in Part one [Oosthuizen 2016] is more on some hermeneutical aspects as pertaining to a specific reading strategy, Part two explores the significance of music for the interpretation of the Old Testament from an African perspective with specific reference to the drum and its usage in Psalm 150). Music enables one to comprehend and articulate a very particular aspect of religious experience, and it is of the utmost importance that this be acknowledged and taken into account in the current debate regarding appropriate strategies for the interpretation of religious texts in an African context. Three aspects serve to illustrate how the comparative approach can be augmented by drawing attention to aspects of particular interest for an African reading of the Old Testament: �music as space to encounter the divine�, the infectious nature of music, and �drumming� as a point of contact between the Old Testament and Africa.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: In our encounters with the biblical text, the (South-) African context can inform a comparative reading of the Old Testament. In so doing, the �comparative paradigm� is augmented by allowing insights from various disciplines to inform the reader and to apprise a reading strategy that allows for the encounter with the text to be understood not merely in terms of a historical-descriptive or linguistic exercise only, but provides an opportunity to explore various perspectives pertaining to the appreciation and interpretation of the text (Psalm 150).


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-73
Author(s):  
Muneer Abduroaf

This paper analyses the right of Muslim adopted children to inherit from their deceased parents in terms of the laws of succession within the South African legal context. The status of adoption in South African and Islamic law is looked at first by way of an introduction. This is followed by looking at the rights of adopted Muslim children to inherit from their deceased parents (biological and adoptive) in terms of the South African and Islamic laws of intestate (compulsory) and then testate (optional) succession.1 The paper further looks at the possibility of applying relevant Islamic law of succession provisions applicable to enable adopted Muslim children to inherit from the estate of their deceased biological parents within the South African legal framework. The paper concludes with an analysis of the findings and makes a recommendation.


2009 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 142-170
Author(s):  
Sibo Banda

AbstractCompetent courts in Malawi must, as courts have done in South Africa, undertake a radical path in order to enhance the common law position of distinct categories of persons. This article discusses judicial appreciation of the common law-changing function of a bill of rights and its associated values, and judicial understanding as to when such a function may be brought into play. The article examines approaches taken by courts in South Africa in determining the circumstances in which the South African Bill of Rights applies to private relationships, when private parties owe each other duties arising out of the Bill of Rights and the scope of a court's authority to amend the common law in that regard. The article projects the debate, analysis and critique of these approaches onto the Malawian legal landscape through a discussion of the tenant worker contracted on the Malawi private estate.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
Rafał Mańko

ROMAN LAW AS A SOURCE OF LAW IN SOUTHERN AFRICASummary Roman law is usually regarded as an object o f historic study and not as a practical discipline of the legal science. However, the situation is different in six South African states - the Republic of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana and Namibia - which have preserved the uncodified ius commune europaeum brought by the Dutch to the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th century.The hierarchy of the fontes iuris oriundi in the South African legal system seems to be the following: the Constitution, statutes, customary law, case-law, Roman-Dutch law and Roman law. The position occupied by Roman law is in fact only subsidiary, however it is a source of law and is referred to from time to time in the case-law. On the other hand it permeates the whole legal system which is based on fundamental notions derived from Roman law, which have been preserved and developed in the treatises of the Roman-Dutch jurists and the case-law of the courts.The frequency o f citations of Roman law in the South African case-law has been an object of two major studies. One, conducted by Van Der Merve concerned the period 1970-1979, the other, by Du Plessis - took into account the cases of 1990-1991. The studies revealed that Roman sources are cited in 4,7-4,8% of the case-law. According to another study by Zimmermann, only in half o f those cases the Roman sources were relevant for deciding the case.Nevertheless, it is submitted that these figures should be treated as significant, especially when compared with the position occupied by Roman sources in the modern case law in other civilian jurisdictions. 


Author(s):  
Michel Marlize Koekemoer ◽  
Reghard Brits

This article analyses the South African legal framework governing security rights in movable property with the view to inspire law reform. The analysis is based on a comparison of the current South African framework with the UNCITRAL Legislative Guide on Secured Transactions, a soft-law instrument containing international best practice. The problematic aspects of the South African framework benchmarked against the UNCITRAL Guide are: (1) not having a common legal framework that equally applies to all types of (including quasi-) real security transactions; (2) the scope of the current framework not being comprehensive (inclusive) enough; (3) not having an efficient enough method of creating the security right; (4) the current publicity method, particularly concerning special notarial bonds, being overly cumbersome and not providing effective public notice to third parties; and (5) the current enforcement measures potentially not being the most efficient. Regarding each of these problem areas, the article makes proposals on how the South African legislature could reform the current framework into one that is legally efficient and in step with international best practice.


Obiter ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-135
Author(s):  
Muneer Abduroaf

This article investigates how the Islamic law of succession and administration of estates is applied in Singapore and South Africa with regard to the “Islamic will”. This kind of will includes a provision where the testator or testatrix states that his or her estate must be distributed in terms of the Islamic law of succession. This requires an Islamic law expert or an Islamic organisation to draft an Islamic distribution certificate stating who the beneficiaries of the person are. The distribution certificate is drafted after the testator or testatrix has died. An Islamic distribution certificate within the Singaporean context is specifically compared with one in the South African context. This article looks at whether features found in the Singaporean model can be applied to the South African context. An overview of the Muslim population in Singapore and South Africa is presented by way of introduction. This is followed by an examination of the constitutional and international obligations of the two countries in light of their equality provisions, and a comparative analysis of the Islamic law of succession and administration of estates in the two countries. The focus areas looked at are liability claims, testate succession claims and intestate succession claims. A brief analysis of the findings and concluding remarks are made at the end of the article.


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