NUUSBLAD VAN DIE FAKULTEIT REGSGELEERDHEID, UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT NOMMER 20: 2007
NEWSLETTER OF THE FACULTY OF LAW, UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE NUMBER 20: 2007
The UFS Council
re-appoints the Dean of the Faculty of Law
K K OVSILEX OVSILEX
Sixteenth African Human Rights Moot Court...
cont. p. 2 From the left are: Ms Thapi Matsaneng, Mr Johnny Modipa, and Ms Qaqamba Vellem.
P
rof. Henning was appointed by the UFS Council for a further five years as dean of the Faculty of Law. This appointment continues an association with this Faculty for almost thirty years. Prof Henning was registered for the B.Iur in 1968. After obtaining this degree, the LL.B degree and completing his articles as professional assistant, he was admitted as an attorney of the Supreme Court of South Africa in 1974. He started his professional association with this Faculty as a part time lecturer in mercantile law in 1974, while continuing to practice as an attorney. He was promoted to senior lector in 1976.He also completed his doctorate in law at this University. For a brief period Prof Henning left the Faculty for the Department of Mercantile Law at Unisa. He however returned to the Faculty in 1982 as professor in mercantile law and soon thereafter established the Centre for Business Law. In 1988 Prof Henning was appointed as the head of the Department of Mercantile Law and from 1991 and onwards he also headed the Department of Roman Law, Legal History and Comparative Law. He was promoted to Distinguished Professor by the Council of the UFS in 1994, at that time only the second appointment of this kind in the history of the UFS. Prof Henning was appointed as Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of the Free State in 1998. Prof Henning was elected as Honorary Fellow of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies in the United Kingdom, as well as Honorary Member of the Coif in the United States of America. He is also a member of the NEDLAC Task Team on Corporate Law Reform. The Faculty of Law under his guidance has blossomed over the last ten years and reaffirmed itself as one of the leading institutions in law on a national as well as an international level.
Winners of Sixteenth
African Human Rights
Moot Court Competition
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Sixteenth African Human Rights Moot Court... from p. 1
The University of the Free State Legal Clinic relocated to the Vista Campus
T
he Legal Clinic of the Faculty of Law at the University of the Free State (UFS) has been relocated from the Bloemfontein city centre to the Vista Campus. To coincide with this, the Clinic presented a moot court competition last week to give senior students the opportunity to develop their practical trial skills. Three teams from the UFS and one team from the University of Pretoria competed in the semi-final. Thecompetition was won by one of the teams from the UFS.
Attending the award ceremony were, from the left: Jabulani Tshabalala (fifth-year L.L.B. student and member of the winning team), Dr Neels Swanepoel (Director of the UFS Legal Clinic), Innocent Nxele (fourth-year L.L.B. student and member of the winning team) and Prof. Johan Henning (Dean of the Faculty of Law at the UFS).
O
n 6 to 11 August 2007 the African Human Rights Moot Court Competition, organized by the Centre for Human Rights, Pretoria and the Université Gaston Berger, Senegal was held at the Université Gaston Berger, Saint Louis, Senegal. The Moot Court Competition is an event where students from 71 faculties across the African continent argue a hypothetical court case dealing with human rights issues pertinent to the African continent. The 2007's hypothetical case dealt with refugee status, nationality, HIV/AIDS and the right to education.The teams were divided into 61 English speaking teams and 10 French/ Portuguese speaking teams. All the teams first competed in four preliminary rounds to establish the best team in the preliminary rounds, which teams then proceed to the final round to compete against the second best team of the preliminary rounds. The UFS team competed in all of the four preliminary rounds and won all their rounds. The team was selected as the best English speaking preliminary rounds team and proceeded to the final round where it was paired up with the best French speaking preliminary rounds team to compete against the
runner-ups from both language groups. The University of the Free State team together with the team from the Université Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, were announced as the overall winners of the 2007 African Human Rights Moot Court Competition after arguing the court case as the Defendant for nearly two hours against the runner ups.
The UFS team also won first place in the best written memorials category out of all the 71 teams. Memorials are a set of arguments for the Applicant and the Respondent, which are submitted to the Centre for Human Rights a month before the actual competition takes place.
The UFS team consisted of Ms Lucy Nthotso, a fourth year LLB student, Ms Qaqamba Vellem, a fourth year LLB student and Mr Johnny Modipa, a third year LLB student. Ms Vellem and Ms Nthotso came 10th and 11th respectively in the best oralists category out of 142 oralists.
The team was assisted by a number of Faculty members, namely Prof Loot Pretorius, Ms Thapi Matsaneng, Mr Ebenezer Durojaye and many others over a period of four months.
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INTERNATIONAL TRAFFICKING CONFERENCE HELD AT UFS
T
he Unit for Children's Rights Trafficking Initiative hosted a confe- rence on Trafficking in Human Beings: National and International Perspec- tives on August 17th at the CR Swart Auditorium. Two hundred representatives from all relevant stakeholders, including academic institutions, the National Prose- cuting Authority, the South African Police Service/Scorpions, governmental organiza- tions and departments, NGOs and others from around the country assembled for the all day conference. Representatives were also present from Lesotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and UNESCO. The purpose of the conference was two-fold: to raise awareness among the public and the professionals working with these cases, as well as our law students, and; to encourage further research on this topic.Adv Beatri Kruger convened the conference and gave opening remarks, followed by presentations from Prof. Susan Kreston with the Unit for Children's Rights on A Global Overview of Trafficking, and Wiesje Zikkenheiner with the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime, who spoke on the Role of Organized Crime in Trafficking. Other speakers included Marija Nikolovska, with the International Organization for Migration, discussing Identifying and Assisting Victims of Trafficking and Dawood Adams, from the
South African Witness Protection Program, who addressed The Role of Witness Protection in Trafficking Prosecutions.
The topic of Prosecuting Trafficking without Trafficking Laws was handled by Nolwandle Qaba, from the Sexual Offences & Community Affairs Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority, followed by Lowesa Stuurman from the South African Law Reform Commission focusing on Recommendations for New Legislation in South Africa. The final two speakers represented NGOs who work with children who are victims of trafficking. Judith Mthombeni from Pretoria spoke on The
Role of Terre Des Homes in Fighting Trafficking in Children and Patrick Solomons with Molo Songololo in Cape Town presented on Trafficking in Children in South Africa - A Front Line Perspective.
The closing remarks were made by Prof Hennie Oosthuizen, Head of the Department of Criminal & Medical Law.
The conference was funded through the US Department of State and held in con- junction with the Centre for Continuing Education. The conference was also a national precursor to a regional conference on Trafficking in Human Beings to be held in Mozambique later this year.
From the left: Marija Nikolovska, Wiesje Zikkenheiner, Dawood Adams, Lowesa Stuurman Nolwandle Qaba, Judith Mthombeni, Patrick Solomon and Susan Kreston
Bobbert Penninghouersverening vergader
D
ie Vereniging van Morritz Bobbert Penninghouerhouers het hul alge- mene jaarvergadering gehou en ’n ontbyt is soos gebruik na die vergadering gehou. Tydens die geleentheid is die sertifikate aan die nuwe lede oorhandig en is hulle as lede van die Vereniging ver- welkom. Die Verening beywer hom vir die bevordering van akademiese uitnemend- heid en studente wat hul graad met lof behaal ontvang die Penning en kan lede van die Vereniging word. Die ere-president van die Vereniging is regter Joos Hefer.4 KOVSILEX
D
ie regsfakulteite van die Univer- siteit van die Vrystaat (UV), Rhodes Universiteit en beidekampusse van die Noord-Wes Universiteit het ’n navorsingsberaad op die hoofkam- pus van die UV gehou. Die doel van die
Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid bied navorsingsberaad aan
Van links: Mnr Bradley Smith (organiseerder); Prof Rob Midgley (dekaan: Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid, Rhodes Universiteit); Sy Edele Appèlregter Ian Farlam (gasspreker); Prof Johan Henning (dekaan: Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid, UV); Sy Edele Appèlregter Fritz Brand (gasspreker); Prof Elizabeth Snyman-Van Deventer (organiseerder); Prof Christa Rautenbach (UNW: Potchefstroomkampus) en Prof Philip Iya (UNW:
Mafikengkampus).
Handelsreg se nuwe dosente
Die Departement Handelsreg het drie nuwe dosente verwelkom. Mnr Pieter Brits, me Alme Stanton en me Maralize Conradie het hulle by die Fakulteit aangesluit. Al drie nuwe kollegas is toegelate prokureurs met praktyksonder- vinding en hulle word die beste toegewens met hul nuwe loopbane.
beraad was om gesprek te voer oor die bevordering van navorsing in die onderskeie fakulteite.
Tydens die beraad is verskeie onderwerpe soos internasionalisering van navorsing, gradering van navorsers en die bevorde- ring van jong navorsers bespreek. Daar is ook klem gelê op moontlike samewerking tussen hierdie fakulteite. In dié verband is
’n gesamentlike navorsingsprojek reeds vir die volgende jaar geloods.
Sy Edele Appèlregter IG Farlam het die openingstoespraak gelewer oor die belang van regsnavorsing vir die regbank.
"Kwaliteit navorsing is noodsaaklik vir die ontwikkeling van die Suid-Afrikaanse reg deur ons howe", het Farlam gesê.
Volgens hom toon ondervinding dat goeie navorsers gewoonlik ook goeie leermeesters is.
Die beraad is afgesluit met ’n dinee waar- tydens Sy Edele Appèlregter FDJ Brand
’n regterlike perspektief geplaas het op die uitdagings wat navorsing vir beide die regbank en die akademikus inhou.
Judge Joos Hefer elected as new
President
J
udge Joos Hefer was elected as new President of the Convocation of the University of the Free State (UFS).More than 100 old Kovsies and staff members were present at the meeting to elect a new president. The convocation is representative of all persons who have obtained a university qualification at the UFS, as well as a certain group of academic and support service staff members. Judge Hefer was elected in the place of Prof. François Retief, former rector of the UFS. Judge Hefer is an extraordinary professor in the Department of Private Law.
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E
en van die Fakulteit Regsgeleerd- heid se grootste gemeenskaps- gerigte projekte het op 7 Maart 2007 plaasgevind met die aanbieding van’n simposium oor geweldsmisdaad in Suid-Afrika. Tydens hierdie simposium is gepoog om ’n akademiese perspektief te bied, maar ook om insette van die breë publiek te kry.
Die simposium het plaasgevind onder die voorsitterskap van Sy Edele Regter Faan Hancke en Sy Edele Appèlregter Frits Brand. Die sprekers tydens die simposium was: Dr Matthews Phosa (Besoekende professor, Bestuurskool, UV); Adv André du Toit SC (Waarnemende direkteur, Openbare Vervolging, Vrystaat); Prof Dap Louw (Senior professor, Departement Sielkunde, UV); Mnr Roelf Meyer (Voorsitter van die Civil Society Initiative);
Dr Leon Wessels (Nasionale kommissaris
Simposium oor geweldmisdaad in Suid-Afrika
van die Menseregtekommissie Suid- Afrika); Mnr Kiewiet Ferreira (AGRISA);
Adjunk-kommissaris André Pruis (Adjunk- Kommissaris Operasionele Dienste SAPD); Sy Edele Regter Nathan Erasmus (Regtelike Inspektoraat van Gevangenis).
Tydens hierdie symposium is verskeie probleemareas, maar ook oplossings geïdentifiseer. Dr Phosa het daarop gewys dat daar ’n behoefte aan groter samewerking tussen die verskillende rolspelers is. Hy het dit beklemtoon dat die privaatsektor ’n belangrike rol het om te speel in die stryd teen misdaad. Regter Erasmus (Geregtelike Inspektoraat van Gevangenis) het dit duidelik gestel dat in vonnisoplegging die belang van die gemeenskap, die misdaad en die misdadiger self in aggeneem word. Die vraag is of die gemeenskap wil hê dat wraak, voorkoming of rehabilitasie of ’n
integrasie van hierdie doelwitte in ’n vonnis weerspieël moet word. Volgens dr Wessels, Nasionale Kommissaris van die Mensregte Kommissie, moet die staat die voorbeeld stel deur die reg op lewe en die reg op menswaardigheid te respekteer, ook die reg van die misdadiger op lewe en waardigheid. Die doodstraf moet nie opgelê word uit wraak of politieke oortuiginge nie. Die regstelsel moet ’n billike en regverdige verhoor verseker.
Die Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid het met hierdie simposium ’n eerste stap geneem om rolspelers en die publiek by mekaar te bring en gaan dit opvolg met verdere werkwinkels en simposia. Die Fakulteit gaan ook poog om ’n groter rol te speel in die stryd teen misdaad deur onder meer betrokke te raak in onder meer multi- diisiplinêre opleiding deur die stigting van
’n Sentrum vir Geregtelike Uitnemendheid.
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Floris Coetzee: 12 Januarie 1984 - 7 Julie 2007
Dit is met groot leedwese dat ons verneem het van die voortydige afsterwe van Floris Coetzee, ’n oudstudent van die Fakulteit wat in April 2007 gegradueer het.
Floris will be remembered as a diligent student who was a pleasure to teach. He was always quick with a joke and eager
to learn as much as he could. He loved a good debate, and the sight of him engaging in an intense debate with a lecturer or a fellow student long after the lecture had ended was not at all uncommon. In short, it was plain for all to see that Floris had a passion for the law and all its intricacies.
Floris was also a fine sportsman. I will never forget his keen, competitive and humorous spirit on the cricket field. In addition, his soccer team-mates will always remember his enthusiasm for using the sport as a vehicle for bridging cultural gaps and learning from others.
Een van Floris se uitstaande eienskappe was sy lojaliteit. In hierdie verband was hy nie net teenoor sy vriende lojaal nie, maar ook teenoor sy alma maters - ’n meer getroue oud-Grey en oudstudent van hierdie Fakulteit sou mens nie makilk aantref nie.
Die Fakulteit betuig sy innige simpatie met sy gesin, familielede en vriende.
Bradley Smith
D
ie Fakulteit het met leedwese ken- nis geneem van die afsterwe van Sy Edele Regter MM Corbett, voormalige hoofregter van Suid-Afrika.Regter Corbett het diep spore in die Suid- Afrikaanse reg getrap en onskatbare bydrae tot die ontwikkeling van die reg gelewer. Die Fakulteit betuig sy meegevoel met Regter Corbett se familie en vriende.
Die Fakulteit betuig ook innige meege- voel met die familie en vriende van Wendy-May Petzer, ’n geliefde student, vriendin en kollega.
Die Fakulteit het met leedwese kennis geneem van die afsterwe van adv Tertius Oosthuizen in 2006. Hy was onder meer regsadviseur van Eskom, Posmeester- generaal en Telekommunikasiereguleer- der. Die Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid se innige simpatie word hiermee betuig aan sy familie en vriende.
Die Fakulteit se medelye word ook hier- mee betuig aan die familie en vriende van mnr PW Botha se afsterwe in Oktober 2006. Mrn Botha was in 1934 ’n student aan die Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid.
Sentrum kry borgskap
D
ie Sentrum vir Boedelbeplan- ningsreg van die Fakulteit Regs- geleerdheid aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV) het onlangs ’n borgskap van BoE Trust Bpk. ontvang.Die borgskap, wat R50 000 per jaar beloop, sal die sentrum in staat stel om sy werksaamhede uit te bou, veral met betrekking tot navorsing en voortgesette opleiding oor praktyksgerigte aspekte van boedelbeplanning.
In memoriam
Hier is, van links: prof. Elizabeth Snyman-Van Deventer (Hoof van die Sentrum vir Boedel- beplanningsreg aan die UV), prof. Johan Henning (Dekaan van die Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid aan die UV), Adv. Louis van Vuren (BoE Trust Bpk.) en mnr. Franklin Dikgale (BoE Trust Bpk.).
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UFS law students rates among the top in the world
A
team of eight students from the Faculty of Law has put the university among the top universities in the world when it was ranked 46th out of 177 universities that recently took part in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot competition in Vienna, Austria.Universities from more than 55 countries took part in the competition and 1 800 arguments were delivered over a period of seven days. The team competed against teams from Switzerland, Russia, Lapland and France.
The team did exceptionally well in all the arguments and was complimented on their oral performance and litigation skills. In the final round, one of the arbitrators, who is a practising international trade lawyer and arbitrator, said that the team's oral arguments were of exactly the same standard as that of practising international trade lawyers in real arbitrations.
To put the cherry on top, one of the team members, Deman Smit, received an individual oralist award and an honourable mention as one of the best speakers. His score of 138 out of 150 placed him within three (3) points of the international individual winner.
The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof Johan Henning said of this achievement: "The fact that Deman missed out on receiving the top speaker award with a couple of points is a striking example of the world class students this faculty is delivering. It also shows that the faculty need not stand back for law faculties such as those at the universities of Harvard, Freiburg, Munchen, Stanford and Sorbonne."
The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot is an annual competition organised by the Institute of International Commercial Law at the Pace University School of Law in New York, United States of America. The goal of the competition is to foster the study of international commercial law and to train students in methods of alternative dispute resolution.
The Faculty of Law also sees this competition as part of its development strategy to develop skilled arbitrators for commercial disputes. There is a need in Africa for commercial lawyers to facilitate international trade. This programme is also in line with the development strategies of the African Union.
The UFS team comprised of: Dee Leboela, Deman Smit, Lucien Companie, Vicky Olivier, Sunette Visser, Qaqamba Vellem, Hanno Bekker and Lucy Nthotso.
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Briewe / Letters
Rig u skrywe aan/
submit your letters to:
[email protected]
T
he Twenty-fifth International Symposium on Economic Crime was held September 2-9 at Jesus College, University of Cambridge, England. This annual meeting attracted over 1,000 attendees from around the world. UFS was both an organizing institution for this symposium and had four faculty presenters at the conference. Dean Johan Henning made numerous presentations, speaking on “Executive Responsibility in Controlling Corporate Crime”; “Market Abuse-the Risks forUFS at Twenty-Fifth International Symposium on Economic Crime
those in the Market; Corporate Insolvency related Crime”;
and “The Next Twenty-Five Years”. Jaco de Bruin's paper was on “Making the Regulators Pay - Civil Liability for Regulatory Errors”. Advocate Beatri Kruger and Professor Susan Kreston both spoke on aspects of trafficking in persons. Advocate Kruger addressed laws in South Africa that may be applied to trafficking scenarios, with Professor Kreston speaking on services provided to victims of trafficking.
Die UV Regskliniek se personeel bestaan tans uit, Dr CF Swanepoel, me M Karels en adv I Bezuidenhout. Laasgenoemde het gedurende April 2007 diens aanvaar as toesighoudende advokaat. Die UV Regskliniek is onlangs meegedeel dat die Departement van Justisie die aanstelling van 5 kandidaatprokureurs en 1 toesighoudende prokureur sal befonds in terme van ’n samewerkingsooreenkoms tussen die Departement en die AULAI Trust.
UV regskliniek kry nuwe personeel
Guest lecturers in
LLM programme VSA sielkundige besoek Fakulteit
Prof Norman Poythress van die VSA het die Fakulteit op 7 November 2007 besoek. Hy het met personeel van die Fakulteit gesprek gevoer.
The LL.M programme in Sexual and Health Rights in the Department of Constitutional Law and Legal Philosophy had a number of visitors form abroad to present lectures in the programme. Seated from left: prof Rebecca Cook of the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto and prof Charles Ngwena, of the Faculty of Law, University of the Free State. At the back from left: Prof Fatouh El Chazli of the Faculty of Law, University of Alexandria, Egypt; prof Barry Rider of the University of Cambridge; prof Bernard Dickens of the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto and prof Johan Henning, Faculty of Law, University of the Free State.
