PORTFOLIO
Semester 1 2025
(Answer Guide) -
DUE 28 May 2025
QUESTIONS WITH 100%
VERIFIED AND
CERTIFIED ANSWERS.
,LJU4801 MAY/JUNE PORTFOLIO Semester 1 2025 (Answer Guide) - DUE 28 May
2025
QUESTIONS WITH 100% VERIFIED AND CERTIFIED ANSWERS. WRITTEN IN
REQUIRED FORMAT AND WITHIN GIVEN GUIDELINES. IT IS GOOD TO USE AS A
GUIDE AND FOR REFERENCE, NEVER PLAGARIZE. Thank you and success in
your academics.
UNISA, 2025.
Contents
QUESTION 1 .............................................................................................................................................. 2
Question 1.1: Identify and discuss the two philosophical approaches being used here. ............ 2
1. Natural Law Theory ....................................................................................................................... 2
2. Legal Positivism ............................................................................................................................. 3
Comparison and Implications ........................................................................................................... 3
Question 1.2: According to the positivist theory of adjudication, is the South African position
on prostitution based on law or immorality? Discuss........................................................................ 3
Understanding Positivist Theory of Adjudication ........................................................................... 4
Application to South African Context ............................................................................................... 4
Counterpoints and Constitutional Considerations ......................................................................... 5
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 5
QUESTION 2 .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Question 2.1: From the objectivist theories’ perspective, judges are part of a community of
interpreters and this community determines how judges must decide cases. Discuss what this
perspective entails. In your discussion, refer to Dworkin’s communalist theory. ......................... 6
Question 2.2: Based on your answer to question 2.1 above, discuss how the doctrine of
judicial precedent (stare decisis) resonates with the notion that judges are constrained in their
decision-making by the community of interpreters. .......................................................................... 7
Question 3.1: Discuss how the court’s remarks resonate with the notion of communitarianism
and reconciliation, which are central to African legal philosophy. .................................................. 8
Introduction.......................................................................................................................................... 8
Restorative Justice and Its Relevance to African Legal Philosophy .......................................... 9
Communitarianism in African Legal Thought ................................................................................. 9
Reconciliation as a Core Aim of Justice ....................................................................................... 10
, Restorative Justice as a Bridge Between African and Western Legal Systems .................... 10
Challenges and Limitations............................................................................................................. 11
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 11
QUESTION 4 ............................................................................................................................................ 12
Question 4.1: Discuss the four main ideas that form the basis for critical legal theory. ............ 12
Question 4.2: Mary Joe Frug argues that the law “encodes” the female body with meaning.
Briefly discuss how the law mandates the sexualisation of the female body. ............................ 14
QUESTION 1
Question 1.1: Identify and discuss the two philosophical approaches being used here.
Word limit: Not exceeding 750 words
Marks: 15
Answer Guide:
The two philosophical approaches presented in the scenario are:
1. Natural Law Theory
Natural law theory holds that law is inherently connected to morality. According to this
view, an unjust law is not a true law. Laws are derived from a set of moral principles that
are universal and can be discovered through human reason.
• Application to the scenario: Those who argue that prostitution should be
criminalised because it is immoral are relying on a natural law approach. They
believe that the law reflects societal morals and that immoral conduct should be
prohibited through legal sanctions.
• Key thinkers: St. Thomas Aquinas is often cited as a foundational thinker of
natural law. More recent proponents include John Finnis.
• Criticism: Critics argue that morality is subjective and culturally relative, thus it is
problematic to base laws strictly on moral standards.