UP Journals (Univ. of Pretoria)
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A new role for crime victims? An evaluation of restorative justice procedures in the Child Justice Act 2008: ’n Nuwe rol vir Slagoffers? ’n Ondersoek na Herstellende Geregtigheidsprosedures in die Wet op Kinderberegting 2008
No full textHierdie artikel ontleed die herstellende geregtigheidsprosedures in die Wet op Kinderberegting 75 van 2008. Die oogmerk hiermee is om te evalueer in welke mate slagoffers ingesluit is en of, in lyn met vorige akademiese opinie, hulle werklik ’n sentrale posisie in so ’n benadering tot die strafregstelsel beklee. Vervolgens word voordele vir slagoffers wat ’n groter rol speel ondersoek, sowel as kritiek daarteen. Alhoewel bevind word dat slagoffers van kinderoortreders nie sentraal staan in hierdie nuwe regsparadigma nie, word aanbevelings gemaak vir die optimale uitleg en toepassing van herstellende geregtigheidsprosedures in die Wet op Kinderberegting. Op so ’n wyse kan die terapeutiese uitkomste wat vir slagoffers in die wet beoog word, verwesenlik word
Exploring character strengths among South African university students: Insights from a WhatsApp-based intervention
No full textCharacter strengths, such as resilience, justice, and appreciation of beauty, play a key role in student well-being and academic engagement. This study explores the strengths profiles of 302 students at a South African university and evaluates the effectiveness of a six-week WhatsApp-based intervention designed to enhance self-awareness and strengths application. Using the VIA Character Strengths Survey, we found Kindness, Love of Learning and Fairness were the most highly endorsed strengths, while Zest, Bravery and Self-regulation were lowest. Daily reflective prompts encouraged students to apply their strengths in different contexts. Post-intervention survey results from 55 participants indicated that most found the course beneficial for increasing self-awareness (90%) and understanding how to apply their character strengths in daily life (87%). Additionally, 93% of respondents reported that the daily messages helped them understand how to use their strengths to achieve their goals. Findings are discussed in relation to South Africa’s social and cultural landscape, highlighting the potential of low-cost, digital interventions to support student development. While limited to a single institution, this study suggests promise for culturally responsive, strengths-based courses in higher education
Widening university access and participation in the Global South: Using the Zambian context to inform other developing countries by E. Mboyonga (2025). London/New York: Routledge Publishers.
No full textAn empirical content analysis of posts made to the r/depression subreddit
Get PDFOnline fora are one of the oldest spaces for internet communication. These fora provide internet users the opportunity to connect with others of similar interests and experiences. Online mental health communities are fora for individuals that wish to connect with others based on a shared mental health experience. These digital ecosystems offer an avenue for seeking advice or validation, as well as for freely sharing experiences with similar others within a culture of reduced stigma and social support.
Reddit is a popular and readily accessible platform that hosts moderated communities known as subreddits, which include communities for mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, trauma and eating disorders. This study is an analysis of data collected by way of the Reddit application programming interface (API) from the r/depression subreddit. A conceptual framework was developed for preparing and evaluating the data by way of an empirical content analysis. The content analysis was conducted on 11975 posts made by 9593 unique user accounts over a 56-day period.
The analysis of user behaviour in this subreddit relates to general engagement, the temporal attributes of the dataset, and the demographic and geographic attributes of the users. This investigation provides insights into the words most frequently used in posts made to this subreddit, the time of day and day of the week that most individuals posted to the forum, the age and locational distribution of r/depression subreddit users accounted for in the dataset and how these insights relate to the global prevalence of depression
Molao wa tšhireletso ya leago ka mo go ditšhaba tšeo di hlabologago tša borwa bja Afrika
Get PDFThe Code on Social Security in the Southern African Development Community (Code) was approved by the Integrated Committee of Ministers in June 2007 in Windhoek Namibia. This contribution critically examines how the Code attempts to develop sound social security systems in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. It pays special attention to the approach adopted by the Code in its quest to address pertinent issues such as the right to social security, social protection framework, and social risks as well as vulnerable groups and categories of persons protected. It concludes by observing that the ratification record of SADC member states of the officially current conventions in the field of social security is unsatisfactory. Accordingly, member states must be encouraged to ratify these important instruments. Secondly, preventative and (re)integrative measurers are a part and parcel of a social security system. Thus, the call by the Code for the introduction of these measures is to be welcomed. Furthermore, social security coordination is an integral part of regional integration and the free movement of labour and persons. To this end, the provisions in the Code aimed at these matters are timely. Finally, the Code is not legally binding. Nonetheless, its adoption is commendable for it is a right step towards the improvement of social security systems in the SADC region which are largely undeveloped and, in some instances, underdeveloped
The legal validity of an advance refusal of medical treatment in South African law (part 1)
Get PDFMediese tegnologie het sodanig ontwikkel dat dit vandag moontlik is om die lewe van ’n persoon byna onbepaald te verleng in omstandighede waarin hy of sy andersins ’n natuurlike dood sou sterf.
Sommige mense verkies om sodanige behandeling te vermy, onder meer omdat hulle met waardigheid wil sterf. Mediese gebeurlikheidsaanwysings stel persone in staat om mediese behandeling in die toekoms, wanneer hulle nie meer in staat is om wilsbesluite te neem nie, te weier. ’n Mediese gebeurlikheidsaanwysing is ’n lewende testament waarin die outeur weier om mediese behandeling in bepaalde omstandighede in die toekoms te ondergaan. Dit kan ook bestaan uit ’n volmag waarin die outeur ’n ander persoon aanstel om namens hom of haar in die toekoms mediese behandeling te weier. In Suid-Afrika is die regsgeldigheid van sodanige gebeurlikheidsaanwysing onseker. ’n Oorweging van grondwetlike kernwaardes dui egter daarop dat mediese gebeurlikheidsaanwysings in beginsel as regtens afdwingbare wilsbesluite erken behoort te word. In die eerste gedeelte van hierdie bydrae word die huidige regsposisie en die etiese norme wat in die mediese beroep geld, bespreek. Die toepaslike grondwetlike kernwaardes word dan ontleed en teen bepaalde belange van die gemeenskap opgeweeg. In die tweede gedeelte van hierdie bydrae word aandag geskenk aan die etiese oorwegings wat ’n rol behoort te speel by beantwoording van die vraag of ’n gebeurlikheidsaanwysing in bepaalde omstandighede as regtens afdwingbaar beskou behoort te word. Die ontwikkeling in buitelandse regstelsels word dan oorweeg en empiriese navorsing wat aldaar onderneem is om die doeltreffendheid van gebeurlikheidsaanwysings in die praktyk te evalueer, word krities ontleed. Die studie lei tot die gevolgtrekking dat die SuidAfrikaanse parlement oorweging moet skenk aan die destydse voorstelle van die Suid-Afrikaanse Regskommissie in hierdie verband, en dat statutêre erkenning aan die regsgeldigheid van gebeurlikheidsaanwysings verleen moet word. Die ondervinding in buitelandse regstelsels dui egter daarop dat blote statutêre erkenning van die regsgeldigheid van gebeurlikheidsaanwysings nie enige noemenswaardige verandering in die praktyk teweeg bring nie. Daar dus word aan die hand gedoen dat ’n holistiese benadering gevolg moet word wat beteken dat die staat self betrokke moet raak by die implementering van doeltreffende strategieë om groter bewuswording van die reg op selfbeskikking van pasiënte by gesondheidsorg-werkers sowel as die breë publiek te bewerkstelling
Forget me not: Thoughts on the crossroads between law and medicine in assessing claims of amnesia
Get PDFMental health professionals are frequently utilised within our criminal justice system to reconstruct criminal behaviour. One of the major obstacles facing such assessment process relates to the situation where the evaluee claims total or partial memory loss (“amnesia”). The latter presents a challenge to both forensic practitioners attempting to meet specific legal standards, as well as legal practitioners towards the effective presentation of their cases. The most difficult aspect pertaining to the assessment of amnesia is ascertaining its authenticity and as such distinguishing true from malingered or “feigned” amnesia. In this article an overview will be provided as to the nature of amnesia, the major sources of amnesia as well as the legal approach to amnesia canvassed against the backdrop of the interplay between law and medicine in the assessment of amnesia
The Citizen v McBride 2011 4 SA 191 (CC): Defamation – the defence of “fair” comment and media defendants
Get PDFWhere does mining stop and manufacturing commence? A critical analysis of section 15A of the Income Tax Act
Get PDFThe aim of this article was to report on a critically evaluation of the clarity and guidance provided to taxpayers in the mining industry regarding the distinction between mining and manufacturing in the context of section 15A of the Income Tax Act of South Africa. To achieve this purpose, a literature review was conducted that outlined the broad differences between a process of mining as opposed to a process of manufacturing. The article highlights the fact that in reality, the mining of a mineral and the subsequent manufacturing of the mineral into something new often occur in a continuous process, which could be difficult to distinguish from one another (as was highlighted in the case of CSARS v Foskor). The literature review was further based on the applicable sections of the Income Tax Act, as well as relevant case law, with the emphasis of the reported case of CSARS v Foskor. It was found that, despite the introduction by the legislator of section 15A (a section introduced into the Act, as a result of the problems experienced in CSARS v Foskor), the distinction between mining and manufacturing still remains unclear and in need of further clarification when something will actually be “won” as part of a mining operation as opposed to as part of a manufacturing operation. It is suggested that the concept “won”, which is included in the existing definition of what constitutes mining for purposes of the Income Tax Act, should be included as an additional definition in section 1 of the Act, and read together with the current definition of “mining” provided for in the ITA. A suggested definition for “won” was proposed as part of the current article. This proposed addition might add substantial value to the inserted section 15A as this section only applies to taxpayers conducting mining operations. Therefore, only where a taxpayer is certain of actually conducting “mining operations” do the clarity and guidance intended by the legislator with the introduction of section 15A become available and applicable to the taxpayer. Stated otherwise, where it is easier for the taxpayer to determine if a “process of mining” is in fact conducted, by the insertion of a separate definition for “won” for purposes of mining, it will be clearer for the taxpayer to determine if the guidance provided in section 15A of the ITA is available and applicable to the taxpayer
S v Matyityi 2011 1 SACR 40 (SCA): Compliance with mandatory sentencing, and placing the victim at the centre of the criminal justice system
Get PDFIn the case of S v Matyityi 2011 1 SACR 40 (SCA), the SCA emphasised the importance of a victim-centred approach to sentencing. The SCA held that by accommodating the victim during the sentencing phase, the court would be better informed about the impact of the crime on the victim, and thus better able to achieve proportionality and balance between the interests of society and of the accused. In the judgment, the SCA also commented on the need for courts to comply with prescribed sentencing legislation - observing that prescribed sentences are frequently deviated from for the flimsiest of reasons. The SCA found this to have been the case in the court a quo, where the accused’s age and purported remorse were incorrectly regarded as “substantial and compelling circumstances” justifying a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence. The SCA considered that the court a quo had also erred in failing to take account of the accused’s previous conviction, and in finding that the rape victim had sustained no injuries