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Summary LAW OF DELICT FAULT
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!FAULT!
• With%fault%the%focus%shifts%more%to%the%participation%or%role%of%the%defendant% !!!
–!can$he$be$legally$blamed$$2!in#this#sense#fault#is#subjective!(it$is$concerned$
with%the$persons$attitude$or$disposition)!
• The$law$blames$him$if$he$directed'his'will'at#the#damage#caused,#
conscious'of'the'wrongfulness'of'his'conduct!(i.e.%if%he%acted%
intentionally)(dolus)),)or)where)he)caused)the)damage)by)negligent'
conduct'(i.e.%something%for$which$a$person$can$be$blamed$for$(culpa))$–!
These%2%forms%of%fault%generally%
NOTE%that%test$for$negligence$is#objective!
refer$to$the$legal$blameworthiness$
• Two$forms$of$fault$=$ INTENTION!and$NEGLIGENCE! or#the#reprehensible#state#of#mind#of#
conduct'of'someone'who'has'acted'
wrongfully
• A"controversial"issue"is"whether"wrongfulness"or"negligence"should"be"determined!first!
• There%are%2%opposing%schools%of%thought:!
SUPPORT'FOR'VIEW'THAT' SUPPORT'FOR'VIEW'THAT'
WRONGFULNESS+DETERMINED+ NEGLIGENCE'CAN'BE'DEALT'
FIRST: WITH%BEFORE%WRONGFULNESS
• Fault&can&only&be&present&if&a&person& • The$inquiry$into$negligence$can$be$dealt$with$before$
has$acted$wrongfully$since$it$would$ the$wrongfulness$issue,$either$because$the$inquiry$
be#illogical#to#blame#someone#(find# into%negligence%is%“the$logical$starting$point$to$any$
fault&on&their&part)&when&they&have& enquiry(into(the(defendant's(liability”!or#because#it#is#
not$acted$for$the"purposes"of"delict" convenient(to(focus(on(negligence(first&–!in#the#
©!Alda!Vorster!
or#they#act#lawfully.! absence'of'negligence'the'issue'of'wrongfulness'does'
! !
not$arise.!
Gouda&Boerdery&Bk&v&Transnet&
FACTS:!
!
• Plaintiff!(appellant)!was!owner!of!a!farm,!bisected!by!a!20m!wide!railway!reserve!along!the!center!of!which!a!railway!line!runs.!
• A!fire,!the!cause!of!which!could!not!be!established,!had!started!on!the!reserve!and!was!fanned!by!a!stiff!wind.!
• It!spread!beyond!the!reserve!and!jumped!several!firebreaks,!causing!considerable!damage.!
• The!plaintiff!claimed!damages!from!the!defendant!(respondent)!in!the!Cape!High!Court.!!
• One!of!the!causes!of!action!was!the!defendant’s!negligence,!which!was!allegedly!constituted!by!its!failure!to!keep!the!reserve!free!from!
combustible!vegetation,!to!take!reasonable!steps!to!prevent!a!fire!from!breading!out!in!the!reserve!and!to!establish!and!maintain!firebreaks!on!
the!edge!of!the!reserve!
• To!alleviate!its!burden!of!proof,!the!plaintiff!alleged!that!the!fire!in!question!constituted!a!‘veldfire’!in!terms!of!the!National!Veld!and!Forest!Fire!
Act!and!that!s34(1)!applied,!placing!a!reverse!onus!on!the!defendant!to!prove!that!it!had!not!been!negligent!
COURT!HELD:!
• Trial!court!held!that!the!plaintiff!had!failed!to!establish!negligence!on!the!defendant’s!part,!mainly!because!it!rejected!the!argument!!that!the!fire!
constituted!a!veldfire.!
• The!reverse!onus!was!therefore!not!applicable!
• The!SCA!upheld!the!trial!court’s!judgment!in!full!
• Scott!JA!opined!that!“it#is#equally#so#that#without#negligence#the#issue#of#wrongfulness#does#not#arise#for#conduct#will#not#be#wrongful#if#
there#is#no#negligence.”!
• Can!conclude!from!this!judgment!that!since!certain!factors!relevant!in!ascertaining!negligence,!in!particular!foreseeability!and!preventability!of!
harm!may!also!be!relevant!in!determining!wrongfulness,!a!degree!of!conflation!(blending)!of!wrongfulness!and!negligence!is!inevitable!
• This!however!should!not!negate!that!fact!that!negligence!and!wrongfulness!are!distinct!elements!
!
!
• In#First&National&Bank&of&South&Africa&Ltd&v&Duvenhage&2006&5&SA&319&(SCA),&Nugent&JA&explained&the&approach&as&follows:&
“whatever(sequence(doctrinal(logic(dictates,(the(human(mind(is(sufficiently(flexible(to(be(capable(of(enquiring(into(each(element$separately,$
in#any#order,#with#appropriate#assumptions#being#made#in#relation#to#the#others,#and"that"is"often"done"in"practice"to"avoid"prolonging"
litigation(for(though(the(elements(are(naturally(interrelated,(each(involving(a(distinct(enquiry.”!
• The$existence$of$either$intent$or$negligence$on$the$part$of$the$defendant$is$sufficient$to$blame$him$i.e.$to$find$
reprehensible*attitude*or*reprehensible*conduct*on*his*part.!
• Remember%for%the%Actio&Legis&Aqiliae&and$Action'for'Pain'and'Suffering,"either"intention&or&negligence&suffices'
(negligence(is(the(lessor(form(of(fault(and(easier(to(prove)(for(liability(but(for(the(Actio(Iniuriarum((generally(intention(
required'–!NOTE%generally$required$because$there$are$exceptions$where$the$action$iniuriarum$can$be$instituted$without$
having'to'prove'intent'i.e.'liability'of'the'press'for'defamation!
NOTE:&&No&person&can&be&said&to&have%fault,"that"is"to"be"legally&blameworthy!unless&he&has&the$
mental'ability'to'distinguish'between'right'and'wrong'and'the'ability'to'act'in'accordance'
with%such%appreciation%–!such%a%person%is%said%to%be%accountable.
ACCOUNTABILITY++therefore'a'prerequisite'for'fault'in'either'of'its'2'forms
©!Alda!Vorster! ! !
, • Person'is'accountable'if'he'has'the'
! necessary(mental'ability!to#distinguish)
between&right&and&wrong&and$if$he$can$
ACCOUNTABILITY! also%act$in$accordance$with$such$
appreciation*!
(CULPAE%CAPAX) • He#must#have#the#required#mental#ability#
!
! at#the#time#of#the#commission#of#the#act!
! !
• If#person#lacks#accountability#at#the#
relevant(time(=(NO(FAULT(on(his(part!
• Accountability,therefore,the,basis%of%
fault!
FACTORS(AFFECTING(ACCOUNTABILITY(
(Factors)that)affect)mental)capacity):
1. YOUTH!
2. MENTAL'DISEASE'OR'ILLNESS!
3. INTOXICATION(OR(A(SIMILAR"CONDITION"INDUCED"BY"
DRUGS!
4. ANGER&DUE&TO&PROVOCATION!
• Accountability,plays,a,less,prominent,role,in,the,law,of,delict,than,in,criminal,law.!
• In#criminal#law#great#importance#is#placed#on#extenuating#circumstances#which#are#related#to#diminished#accountability%–!this%
concept'unknown'to'law'of'delict!
• Where%a%person%is%not%accountable,%he%cannot%have%fault%and%therefore%not%delictually%liable!
• The$only$role$of$diminished$accountability$may$perhaps$play$in$delictual!liability'is'to'reduce'the'quantum'of'satisfaction'
(damages))claimable)in)terms)of)the)action)iniuriarum!
• Van$der$Merwe$and$Olivier$submit$diminished$accountability$may$reduce$the$extent$of$blame$in$the$case$of$contributory$
negligence'of'children!
©!Alda!Vorster! ! !
1. YOUTH#
• Child!Justice!Act!changed!the!
! FACTORS!INFLUENCING!ACCOUNTABILITY!
common!law!position!re!
accountability!of!children!
• Our!law!distinguishes! 2.##MENTAL#ILLNESS#
!
between!3!different!age! • Where!because!of!mental!
groups:! 4.##PROVOCATION#
disease!of!illness!a!
1. 0!–!7!!(infans)!=!child!who! • Where a person who is provoked loses his
person!cannot! temper and becomes angry he may lack
has!not!completed!his!ninth! distinguish!between!
year!is!culpae!incapax! accountability and therefore not be blamed for
right!and!wrong!or!he! his conduct.
(lacks!capacity).!It!is!an! can!make!distinction!but!
irrebuttable#presumption# • Also remember: provocation is often regarded
not!exercise!restraint!!=! as ground of justification
that#child#is# culpae!incapax!and!
unaccountable;! therefore!no!delictual!
2. 7!–!14!(impubes)!=! liability!
rebuttable#presumption# !
that!child!over!the!age!of!9!
but!under!14!lacks# 3.##INTOXICATION#
accountability.##It!is! • A!person!under!influence!of!drugs!and!or!alcohol!may!be!
presumed!that!a!child!is! culpae!incapax!
culpae!incapax!until!the! • NOTE:!the!consumption!of!alcohol!or!drugs!may!be!a!
contrary!is!proved! negligent!act!for!which!defendant!could!be!held!liable!i.e.!
3. 14!–!18!=!considered!to!be! driver!of!vehicle!consumes!alcohol!before!he!commences!his!
adults!for!the!purpose!of! journey!but!the!alcohol!only!takes!effect!after!the!journey!
accountability! has!started!and!he!then!causes!damage!while!in!a!state!
! where!he!is!no!longer!able!to!distinguish!between!right!and!
wrong!or!between!safe!or!unsafe!conduct!or!to!act!in!
accordance!with!such!appreciation.!!He!may!be!liable!=!
©!Alda!Vorster!
reason!=!consuming!alcohol!may!be!seen!as!negligent!act!
! !
performed!at!a!time!when!he!was!accountable!
#
, !
1. YOUTH!
!
2.##MENTAL#ILLNESS
FACTORS#AFFECTING#ACCOUNTABILITY!
3.##INTOXICATION
4.##PROVOCATION
©!Alda!Vorster! ! !
1.#DIRECTION#OF#WILL!
INTENT
!
This!element!refers!to!direction!of!wrongdoer’s!will!to!a!result!which!was!
! either!his!principal#object#or!one!which!he!foresaw!might!follow!from!his!
conduct.!
DEFINITION:! Consists!of!3!forms:!
• An accountable person acts intentionally if his will is directed at 1. DOLUS#DIRECTUS#(DIRECT#INTENTION);!
a result which he causes while conscious of the wrongfulness of
his conduct
2. DOLUS#INDIRECTUS#(INDIRECT#INTENTIO);!
3. DOLUS#EVENTUALIS!
Intention (animus iniuriandi dolus) therefore has 2 elements: !
1. Direction of will NOTE:!where!wrongdoer!foresees!possibility!that!he!
2. Conscious (knowledge) of wrongfulness may!cause!result!but!for!some!reason!(even!
unreasonable!one)!comes!to!the!conclusion!that!result!
will!not!happen!=!there!is!no!dolus!eventualis!but!rather!
conscious#negligence#(luxuria)
1. DOLUS&DIRECTUS:&! 2.##DOLUS&INDIRECTUS:& 3.##DOLUS&EVENTUALIS:
• causing!a!particular!result!is!not!the!wrongdoers!main!aim!but!he!
• A"wrongdoer"directs"his"will" • A!wrongdoer!directs!his!will!at!a!
foresees#it#as#a#possibility#and!reconciles!himself!to!that!fact.!
at#a#particular#result#or# particular!consequence!but!in!
• Sometimes!this!form!of!intent!is!defined!by!stating!wrongdoer!foresees!a!
consequence.))Wrongdoer) achieving!that!consequence!
consequence!but!“recklessly”!carries!on!with!conduct!–!use!of!!“reckless”!
actually'desires&a& another!result#or#consequence#
should!be!avoided!because!recklessness!refers!to!serious!degree!of!
particular)consequence!of# must#necessarily#happen#i.e.!X!
negligence!so!confusion!between!gross!negligence!and!dolus!eventualis!
his$conduct$i.e.$X$shoots$Y$to$ shoots!at!Y!through!glass!window.!
may!occur!
take%this%money.%It%is%X’s%plan% X’s!main!goal!is!to!kill!Y!–!in!this!
• Distinction!between!dolus!eventualis!and!negligence!explained!as!
that$Y$should$die! regard!he!has!direct!intention!re!Y’s!
follows:!in!negligence!!QUESTION!=!whether!the!consequence!
!! death!but!X!did!not!intend!to!break!
objectively#seen,!was!reasonably!foreseeable!whereas!in!dolus!
the!window!but!in!achieving!his!
eventualis!QUESTION!=!whether!wrongdoer!actually!subjectively#
main!aim!the!window!must!
foresaw#possibility!of!consequence!
necessarily!shatter.!!X!has!dolus!
• Fact!that!a!particular!result!was!reasonably!foreseeable,!may!be!of!
indirectus!re!the!shattered!window!
importance!in!deciding!whether!actor!actually!foresaw!the!result!–!i.e.!
!
objective!foreseeability!test!may!provide!evidentiary!material!for!
determining!what!was!actually!foreseen!by!the!wrongdoer!–!where!
wrongdoer!alleges!that!he!did!not!foresee!consequences!that!are!
©!Alda!Vorster! ! !
reasonably!foreseeable,!he!must!demonstrate!factual!circumstances!that!
make!his!version!reasonably!acceptable!
!
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