Defending Yourself: What Weapons Can You Legally Carry? “The right of self-defence is the first law of nature.” (St. George Tucker, Blackstone’s Commentaries, 1803) South Africa’s chronically high crime rates have left many of us wondering what the limits are when defending ourselves and our families from criminals. What weapons does the law allow us...Read More

Mortgage Bond Arrears: Can You Challenge a Certificate of Balance? “O, I do not like that paying back.” (Falstaff, in Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part I) A standard clause in loan agreements, suretyships and the like is the “certificate of balance” or “COB” clause. Typically, it will read something like this (but normally with a lot...Read More

From the Horse’s Mouth: “Should You Use AI for Legal Advice?” “If you didn’t hear it from the horse’s mouth, it came from the other end of the horse.” (Anon) The rapid rise of AI is hard to ignore. DeepSeek’s AI assistant, only launched on 10 January this year, has grown to rival ChatGPT in...Read More

Employers: How to Avoid Paying Severance Pay on Retrenchment “Only in our dreams are we free; the rest of the time we need wages.” (Terry Pratchett) Retrenching employees can be an expensive business. You’ll have to pay each employee a minimum of one week’s pay for each completed year of ongoing service, and that total...Read More

Braai Chain Hauled Over the Coals for Hidden Service Charges and Fined R1m “The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing… If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” (Groucho Marx) We’ve all had this experience – meal over, relaxed and happy, you call for the bill and decide to reward your friendly...Read More

Do You Need a Second Will for Your Overseas Assets? “Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” (Pablo Picasso) If you own assets outside South Africa, you may have wondered: Is my local will enough? This is a question many South Africans are asking, and the answer will...Read More

A Complex Issue: Beware Late Building Penalties “Home wasn’t built in a day.” (Jane Ace, radio comedian) You find the perfect plot on which to build your dream home in a security estate. Your offer is accepted and transfer proceeds – happy days! So, imagine your distress when, having proudly taken ownership, you are suddenly...Read More

Revenge Porn and a Fake Facebook Profile – Online Defamation Costs a Couple R3.55m “The scariest thing about digital abuse is how a victim can never know how far it went, how many people it reached, and how much those who saw it bought it.” (Psychology Today) Our laws are always protective of our rights...Read More

Revenge Porn and a Fake Facebook Profile – Online Defamation Costs a Couple R3.55m “The scariest thing about digital abuse is how a victim can never know how far it went, how many people it reached, and how much those who saw it bought it.” (Psychology Today) Our laws are always protective of our rights...Read More

A New School Year Dawns – Can Unpaid Fees Bar Your Child From Enrolling?               “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” (Mark Twain) Our Constitution guarantees everyone rights to education, but that doesn’t mean parents can necessarily pick and choose which schools they send their children to. Nor does it mean that...Read More