scholarly journals SUPERFLUOUS LITIGATION, IN A WRONG FORUM ABOUT NOTHING: WHEN LAWYERS AND EXPERTS COLLUDE Motswai v RAF 2012 SA (GSJ) Case No: 2010/17220

Obiter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Magda Slabbert

The case of Motswai v RAF (2012 SA (GSJ) Case No: 2010/17220, not yet reported) is a clear indication of how lawyers and experts should not act in a case against the Road Accident Fund (RAF). From the facts of the case it is clear that there was no need to institute an action, yet the lawyers proceeded and experts even wrote lengthy opinions on a bruised ankle. The only inference the judge drew from this was that the lawyers (and experts) were only concerned about being paid even if it meant being paid from the funds intended to compensate road accident victims. Satchwell J therefore after analysing all the evidence made a cost order that neither the plaintiff’s nor the defendant’s attorneys should receive any fees at all in respect of this claim or litigation. The expenses incurred in respect of “experts” should not be a burden on the public purse and therefore the attorneys should meet these disbursements de bonis propriis. She further stated that counsel should be paid only on a scale of the Magistrate’s Court and it should not include trial fees.

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 216-220
Author(s):  
Victor Kline

The processes for administrative, judicial and appellate challenges to a visa refusal are difficult, time consuming and costly. It is not uncommon for an applicant to be involved in processes in excess of five or 10 years. The cost to the public purse can be exorbitant. This article suggests a system whereby the process would be confined to a two-stage judicial process. As such it would be much more discernible to the litigant, many of whom are unrepresented. It would also result in significant savings to the litigant and to the taxpayer.


Author(s):  
Muhammad Idrees Ahmad

The Road to Iraq is an empirical investigation that explains the causes of the Iraq War, identifies its main agents, and demonstrates how the war was sold to decision makers and by decision makers to the public. It shows how a small but ideologically coherent and socially cohesive group of determined political agents used the contingency of 9/11 to outflank a sceptical foreign policy establishment, military brass and intelligence apparatus and provoked a war that has had disastrous consequences.


1981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milton Silverman ◽  
Philip R. Lee ◽  
Mia Lydecker
Keyword(s):  

2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 003685042110337
Author(s):  
Elena Beccegato ◽  
Angelo Ruggeri ◽  
Massimo Montisci ◽  
Claudio Terranova

A comparative case study (2017–2020) was conducted to identify demographic, social, medico-legal, and toxicological variables associated with non-fatal accidents in driving under the influence (DUI) subjects. A second aim was to identify the factors predictive of substance use disorders among subjects. Drivers charged with alcohol DUI (blood alcohol concentration (BAC) > 0.5) and/or psychoactive substance DUI were included; cases included those involved in an accident while intoxicated, and the comparison group included DUI offenders negative for road accident involvement. Significance was determined by chi-square and Mann–Whitney tests. To prevent confounding effects, a multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was performed. Our sample encompassed 882 subjects (381 in the case group and 501 in the comparison group). Parameters such as psychoactive substances and BAC at the time of the road crash/DUI and the day of the week, when subjects were involved in the road accident or found DUI, resulted in significant differences ( p < 0.01) between groups. The model’s independent variables of BAC > 1.5 g/L ( p = 0.013), BAC > 2.5 g/L ( p < 0.001), and concurrent alcohol and psychoactive substance use ( p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for an accident. Smoking >20 cigarettes/day was an independent risk factor for unfitness to drive ( p < 0.01). Unfitness to drive was based primarily on ethyl glucuronide levels >30 pg/mg. Our results suggest a detailed assessment of DUI subjects with variables associated with accidents (BAC > 1.5 g/L and concurrent intake of psychoactive substances). Hair analysis, including ethylglucuronide (EtG) concentration, should be always performed. Based on our results, nicotine use should be investigated in cases of driving license regranting.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Jevtic ◽  
C Bouland

Abstract Public health professionals (PHP) have a dual task in climate change. They should persuade their colleagues in clinical medicine of the importance of all the issues covered by the GD. The fact that the health sector contributes to the overall emissions of 4.4% speaks to the lack of awareness within the health sector itself. The issue of providing adequate infrastructure for the health sector is essential. Strengthening the opportunities and development of the circular economy within healthcare is more than just a current issue. The second task of PHP is targeting the broader population. The public health mission is being implemented, inter alia, through numerous activities related to environmental monitoring and assessment of the impact on health. GD should be a roadmap for priorities and actions in public health, bearing in mind: an ambitious goal of climate neutrality, an insistence on clean, affordable and safe energy, a strategy for a clean and circular economy. GD provides a framework for the development of sustainable and smart transport, the development of green agriculture and policies from field to table. It also insists on biodiversity conservation and protection actions. The pursuit of zero pollution and an environment free of toxic chemicals, as well as incorporating sustainability into all policies, is also an indispensable part of GD. GD represents a leadership step in the global framework towards a healthier future and comprises all the non-EU members as well. The public health sector should consider the GD as an argument for achieving goals at national levels, and align national public health policies with the goals of this document. There is a need for stronger advocacy of health and public-health interests along with incorporating sustainability into all policies. Achieving goals requires the education process for healthcare professionals covering all of topics of climate change, energy and air pollution to a much greater extent than before.


Author(s):  
Arielle Kaim ◽  
Maya Siman-Tov ◽  
Eli Jaffe ◽  
Bruria Adini

In the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, maintenance of protective behavior is a continued challenge in the effort to contain the spread of the virus. A cross-sectional study via an internet questionnaire was utilized to elucidate changes in compliance to protective behavior among the Israeli population (n = 1120), after the beginning of the vaccination campaign. Comparison was made between individuals who were previously infected with the virus, those who received one dose of inoculation with the vaccine, and individuals that were neither infected or vaccinated. The study results indicate that those who were previously infected with the COVID-19 virus were less careful about mask wearing (18.8%) and social distancing (29.7%), as compared to the other examined groups (regarding mask wearing, 8.2% and 11.6% respectively, and with regard to social distancing 12.8% and 19.2%) and may require targeted risk communication campaigns to address this population. Furthermore, the study revealed that those that were non-Jewish (as compared to Jewish study counterparts) or that were older (19+) were more vigilant in their protective behavior (29.6% vs. 11.2% respectively for social distancing and 29.6% vs. 11.1% respectively for mask wearing). Despite a successful initial vaccination campaign in Israel, public health officials need to engage all members of the public to unremittingly observe compliance to directed health guidelines, to ensure that the results of previous governmental efforts in fighting the pandemic (such as lockdowns) will be effectively sustained, and the road to containment will be hastened.


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