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civil procedure of the High Court
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second semester Civil Procedure Notes
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1INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL PROCEDURE
PART 1
2019
, 2
INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL PROCEDURE
PART 1
LIST OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE LAW OF CIVIL PROCEDURE
1 What is the law of civil procedure? ............................................................. 9
2 Civil law and criminal law .......................................................................... 9
3 Principles underlying the law of civil procedure ...................................... 11
4 Sources of the law of civil procedure ...................................................... 12
5 Institutions applying the law of civil procedure ........................................ 13
CHAPTER 2: STRUCTURE OF THE COURTS AND OFFICERS OF THE COURTS
1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 14
2 Hierarchy of the South African Courts .................................................... 15
2.1 The Constitutional Court ......................................................................... 15
2.2 The Supreme Court of Appeal ................................................................. 17
2.3 The High Courts ...................................................................................... 18
2.4 Magistrates’ Courts ................................................................................. 21
2.5 Courts of Chiefs and Headmen................................................................ 22
2.6 Small Claims Courts ................................................................................ 23
2.6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 23
2.6.2 Jurisdiction of the Small Claims Court .................................................... 23
2.6.3 Procedure in the Small Claims Courts .................................................... 25
2.6.4 Judgment and costs ............................................................................... 25
2.6.5 Review .................................................................................................... 26
3 Specialized courts ................................................................................... 27
3.1 Labour Courts ......................................................................................... 27
3.2 Land Claims Court................................................................................... 28
3.3 Special Income Tax Courts...................................................................... 28
3.4 Competition Appeal Court........................................................................ 28
3.5 Electoral Court ........................................................................................ 29
3.6 Special Consumer Court ......................................................................... 29
3.7 Divorce Courts ........................................................................................ 29
3.8 Children’s Courts ..................................................................................... 30
3.9 Maintenance Courts ................................................................................ 30
3.10 Equality Courts ........................................................................................ 31
4 Officers of the court .............................................................................. 31
4.1 Judges .................................................................................................... 31
4.2 Magistrates ............................................................................................. 31
4.3 Registrars of the High Court .................................................................... 32
4.4 Court Managers ………………………………………………………………31
4.5 Clerks and Registrars of the Magistrates Courts ...................................... 32
4.6 The Sheriff .............................................................................................. 32
4.7 The Master of the High Court................................................................... 33
4.8 Legal Practitioners................................................................................... 33
, 3
CHAPTER 3: CONSULTATION, LEGAL REPRESENTATION, DEMAND AND
PRESCRIPTION
1 The initial consultation ............................................................................ 35
2 The representation of parties .................................................................. 37
2.1 Representation in the High Court ........................................................... 38
2.2 Representation in the Magistrates’ Courts .............................................. 39
3 The action and application procedure ..................................................... 40
4 Demand .................................................................................................. 42
5 Prescription and time-limitations statutes ............................................... 44
5.1 General ................................................................................................... 44
5.2 The Prescription Act ............................................................................... 45
5.3 Legal Proceedings Against Organs of State Act ..................................... 46
5.4 Road Accident Fund Act ......................................................................... 47
5.5 Apportionment of Damages Act .............................................................. 48
6 Superannuation ...................................................................................... 48
6.1 Superannuation of judgments ................................................................. 48
6.2 Superanuation of summons .................................................................... 45
CHAPTER 4: JURISDICTION – THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES
1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 49
2 General principles................................................................................... 50
2.1 The principle of ‘actor sequitur forum rei’ ................................................ 50
2.2 The principle of effectiveness ................................................................. 51
2.3 The principle of convenience .................................................................. 52
2.4 The principle of consent (prorogation) .................................................... 52
3 Legal terminology ................................................................................... 53
3.1 Incola ...................................................................................................... 53
3.2 Peregrinus .............................................................................................. 53
3.3 Local peregrinus ..................................................................................... 54
3.4 Foreign peregrinus ................................................................................. 54
4 The meaning of ‘domiciled’ and ‘resident’ ............................................... 54
4.1 Natural persons ...................................................................................... 54
4.2 Juristic persons....................................................................................... 55
4.2.1 Principal place of business ..................................................................... 55
4.2.2 Registered office..................................................................................... 56
4.2.3 Where the corporation conducts business .............................................. 56
4.3 Foreign juristic persons .......................................................................... 57
4.4 Partnerships ........................................................................................... 57
4.5 The state................................................................................................. 57
5 Inherent and prescribed jurisdiction ........................................................ 58
6 General limitations on jurisdiction ........................................................... 58
7 Specific jurisdictional provisions ............................................................. 59
7.1 Insolvency Act ........................................................................................ 59
7.2 Companies Act ....................................................................................... 60
7.3 Close Corporations Act ........................................................................... 60
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CHAPTER 5: JURISDICTION OF THE HIGH COURTS
1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 61
1.1 The inherent jurisdiction of the high court ............................................... 61
1.2 ‘Inherent’ and ‘innate jurisdiction’............................................................ 62
1.3 Power to regulate its own procedure ...................................................... 62
1.4 Power to adjudicate non-procedural matters .......................................... 63
2 Jurisdiction with regard to the value of the claim .................................... 63
2.1 No limitation with regard to value............................................................ 63
2.2 The discretion regarding costs................................................................ 63
2.3 Removal of a matter to the magistrate’s court ........................................ 64
3 Jurisdiction with regard to the type of claim ............................................ 64
4 Jurisdiction with regard to territory .......................................................... 65
4.1 The various divisions of the high court ................................................... 65
4.2 S 21(1) of the Superior Courts Act.......................................................... 65
4.3 The common law rule in general terms ................................................... 66
4.3.1 The existence of a ‘link’ or a ‘ratio jurisdictionis’ ..................................... 66
4.3.2 Considerations of effectiveness .............................................................. 67
4.4 The rule in more specific terms............................................................... 67
4.5 Jurisdiction in divorce actions ................................................................. 67
4.5.1 The common law position ....................................................................... 67
4.5.2 The divorce act ....................................................................................... 68
4.5.3 The term ‘domiciled’ ............................................................................... 68
4.5.4 The term ‘ordinarily resident’ .................................................................. 68
4.5.5 The definition of ‘divorce action’ ............................................................. 68
4.6 Proceedings relating to property ............................................................. 69
4.6.1 Immovable property ................................................................................ 69
4.6.2 Movable property .................................................................................... 70
4.6.3 Incorporeal property ............................................................................... 71
4.7 Proceedings in which a money judgment is claimed .............................. 71
4.7.1 The rules regarding attachment .............................................................. 71
4.7.2 Miscellaneous issues relating to attachment .......................................... 77
4.7.3 The doctrine of submission ..................................................................... 79
4.7.4 Timing of submission .............................................................................. 81
5 Concurrent jurisdiction ............................................................................ 82
6 Jurisdiction for the purposes of counterclaims ........................................ 82
7 The ‘causae continentia’ doctrine ........................................................... 83
8 Removal of a matter to another division ................................................. 84
CHAPTER 6: JURISDICTION OF THE MAGISTRATES’ COURTS
1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 85
2 Jurisdiction with regard to the type of claim ............................................ 87
2.1 Matters excluded in terms of s 46 ........................................................... 87
2.1.1 Decrees of perpetual silence .................................................................. 88
2.1.2 Claims for ‘specific performance’ ............................................................ 88
2.2 Matters which may be adjudicated in terms of s 29 ................................ 90
3 Jurisdiction with regard to the value of claim .......................................... 92
4 Jurisdiction with regard to territory .......................................................... 93
5 Example of the application of the above principles ................................. 96
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