This summary contains notes on the lectures, notes on important cases, a case list and a summary of all the semester 1 sections. These notes helped me achieve a distinction on the June exam.
Constitutional Law comprehensive notes including
lectures, cases, textbook + potential questions
(PBL2000W)
Alphabetical list of cases
1. Albutt v Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation 2010 (5) BCLR 391
(CC).
2. Corruption Watch (RF) NPC and Another v President of the Republic of South Africa
and Others; Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution v
President of the Republic of South Africa and Others 2018 (1) SACR 317 (GP).
3. Democratic Alliance v Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs
and Others (22311/2020) [2021] ZAGPPHC 168 (24 March 2021)
4. Democratic Alliance v President of South Africa and Others (CCT 122/11) [2012]
ZACC 24 (5 October 2012).
5. Democratic Alliance v Public Protector; Council for the Advancement of the South
African Constitution v Public Protector (11311/2018; 13394/2018) [2019] ZAGPPHC
132;
6. Democratic Alliance v Speaker of the National Assembly and Others 2016 (5) BCLR
577 (CC).
7. Doctors for Life International v Speaker of the National Assembly and Others 2006
(6) SA 416 (CC).
8. Economic Freedom Fighters v Speaker of the National Assembly and Others;
Democratic Alliance v Speaker of the National Assembly and Others [2016] ZACC
11; 2016 (3) SA 580 (CC).
9. Economic Freedom Fighters v Speaker, National Assembly and Another (CCT76/17)
[2017] ZACC (judgment of 29 December 2017).
10. Helen Suzman Foundation v Judicial Service Commission (CCT289/16) [2018]
ZACC 8; 2018 (4) SA 1 (CC).
11. In re Constitutionality of the Liquor Bill 2000 (1) BCLR 1 (CC).
12. Justice Alliance of SA v President of the RSA and Others and Two Similar
Applications 2011 (10)BCLR 1017 (CC).
13. Minister of Health and Others v Treatment Action Campaign and Others 2002 (10)
BCLR 1033(CC).
14. Mwelase and Others v Director-General for the Department of Rural Development
and Land Reform and Another 2019 (11) BCLR 1358 (CC).
15. President of the Republic of South Africa and Another v Hugo 1997 (6) BCLR 708
(CC).
16. President of the Republic of South Africa v Office of the Public Protector and Others
2018 (5) BCLR 609 (GP) (13 December 2017).
17. President of the Republic of South Africa and Others v South African Rugby Football
Union and Others 1999 (10) BCLR 1059 (10 September 1999).
18. Singh v Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and Others (2013) 34 ILJ
2807 (EqC)(23 January 2013).
, 19. The Helen Suzman Foundation v Speaker of the National Assembly and Others
(32858/2020) [2020] ZAGPPHC 574 (5 October 2020).
20. Tongoane and Others v Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs and Others 2010
(8) BCLR 741 (CC).
21. United Democratic Movement v Speaker, National Assembly [2017] ZACC 21.
22. Van Rooyen and Others v S and Others 2002 (8) BCLR 810 (CC).
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................4
Pius Langa “Transformative Constitutionalism”.................................................................4
Joel Modiri “Conquest and Constitutionalism”....................................................................5
Firoz Chachalia: Democratic constitutionalism in the time of the post-colony.....................6
Chirwa & Ntliziywana: Political Parties and their Capacity to provide Parliamentary
Oversight...........................................................................................................................7
A brief history of South Africa pre-democracy....................................................................8
Constitutionalism...............................................................................................................8
South African Constitutionalism.........................................................................................9
Separation of Powers.........................................................................................................9
Rule of law.......................................................................................................................11
Democracy.......................................................................................................................12
2. THE LEGISLATURE.........................................................................................................12
South Africa’s National Legislature...................................................................................13
Functions of the National Assembly..................................................................................13
Parliamentary privilege....................................................................................................14
Electoral systems..............................................................................................................15
Passing Legislation...........................................................................................................16
Public involvement in the legislative process: Doctors for Life..........................................17
Unlawful delegations: Justice Alliance..............................................................................17
Democratic Alliance v Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs.........18
5. THE EXECUTIVE.............................................................................................................18
Executive authority..........................................................................................................19
Executive power & transformation...................................................................................19
Election of the Executive...................................................................................................19
Cadre deployment............................................................................................................20
Presidential Power...........................................................................................................20
The President as the Head of State and the Head of the Executive....................................21
,President of the Republic of South Africa v Office of the Public Protector and Others 2018
........................................................................................................................................22
Limiting the exercise of the President’s power..................................................................22
Introduction to rationality review.....................................................................................26
Rationality Review: the Albutt case..................................................................................27
6. THE JUDICIARY.............................................................................................................28
Transformation tensions in the judiciary..........................................................................29
Judicial authority..............................................................................................................30
The counter-majoritarian dilemma and judicial overreach...............................................30
Political questions doctrine..............................................................................................30
Exclusive jurisdiction........................................................................................................31
Approaches to the separation of powers and the courts...................................................31
Judicial independence......................................................................................................32
Individual judges’ independence (impartiality).................................................................33
Judicial bias......................................................................................................................33
Structural independence of the judiciary..........................................................................34
Judicial independence: Judicial appointments..................................................................36
7. CHAPTER 9 INSTITUTIONS.............................................................................................37
The nature, powers & functions of some ch9 institutions..................................................37
Are ch9 institutions a fourth branch of government?........................................................38
Securing the independence of chapter 9 institutions.........................................................39
The Public Protector.........................................................................................................41
Democratic Alliance v Public Protector; Council for the Advancement of the South African
Constitution v Public Protector (‘the Estina Judgement’)..................................................43
8. MULTI-LEVEL GOVERNANCE.........................................................................................43
Introduction.....................................................................................................................43
The players.......................................................................................................................44
Legislative competence....................................................................................................44
Tagging of bills.................................................................................................................46
Resolving conflicts............................................................................................................47
9. ALL CASE LAW..............................................................................................................49
Potential questions..........................................................................................................57
Key:
, Cases are in pink
Readings are in green
Constitutional provisions are in red
1. INTRODUCTION
Readings:
1. Pierre de Vos and Warren Freedman South African Constitutional Law in Context (2021)
Chapters 1 (especially pp 15-39) and Chapter 2
2. Pius Langa “Transformative constitutionalism” (2006) 17(3) Stell L R 351-360
3. Joel M. Modiri “Conquest and constitutionalism: first thoughts on an alternative
jurisprudence” (2018) South African Journal on Human Rights pp 303-313
4. Firoz Cachalia “Democratic constitutionalism in the time of the postcolony: beyond
triumph and betrayal” (2018) South African Journal on Human Rights pp 375-389
5. D Chirwa and P Ntliziywana ‘Political Parties and their Capacity to Provide
Parliamentary Oversight’ in H Thuynsma et al (eds) (2017) Political Parties in South
Africa: Do they Underpin or Undermine Democracy?
6. United Democratic Movement v Speaker, National Assembly [2017] ZACC 21 paras 57-
88
7. EFF v Speaker, National Assembly [2017] ZACC (judgment of 29 December 2017)
Pius Langa “Transformative Constitutionalism”
The Constitutional Court views the Constitution as transformative in nature
This is confirmed by the Preamble and Epilogue (in terms of its goals and
foundational principles)
The core principles of transformative constitutionalism are that there must be
economic transformation and a change in legal culture, which means:
— Societal change based on substantial justice and equality
— Active eradication of the systems that perpetuate oppression
— Fulfilment of socio-economic rights
— The Constitution is not static
— Affirmative action measures
Transformative constitutionalism requires an acknowledgment of the politics of law
Challenges to transformation in South Africa:
1. Access to equal justice
2. Legal education
3. Conservative legal culture
4. Responsibility for transformation and reconciliation (borne by all 3 arms of
government)
The biggest obstacle to transformative constitutionalism is the existence of severe
wealth and power disparities
The legal culture in SA:
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