Fritz braid defamation 109-111 summary

INTRODUCTION

109NatureandscopeofthelawofdefamationThefoundationstonesofdelictualliabilityaretheAcquilianaction
andtheactioiniuriarum.1WhiletheactiolegisAcquiliaeisaimedattherecoveryofpatrimoniallossorfinancial
damagescausedbythewrongfulconductofanother,the actioiniuriarumistheappropriateremedyfortherecovery
ofcompensationasasolatiumforthewrongfulinvasionoftheindividual'spersonalrights.2Theactionfor
defamationisaspeciesofthegenusiniuria.3Itseekstoprotectoneofthepersonalrightstowhicheverypersonis
entitled,thatistherighttoagoodname,unimpairedreputationandesteembyothers.4Inournewconstitutional
order,reputationformspartoftheconceptofhumandignitywhichisafundamentalconstitutionalvalue. 5Inthe
resultthelawofdefamationliesattheintersectionoftwofundamentalvalues,bothprotectedbytheConstitution,6
namelytherighttofreedomofexpression,includingfreedomofthepressandothermedia,7andtheprotectionof
reputationorgoodname.8
Incommonwithallotherdelictsderivedfromtheactioiniuriarumtheprimaryobjectofdefamationproceedingsis
toenablethepersondefamedtovindicatehisorhercharacterbywayofcompensationasasolatiumforthe
damagedonetohisorhergoodnameintheformofgeneraldamages.9Specialdamagesforpatrimoniallosscan
onlybeclaimedundertheactiolegisAquiliae.Bothformsofdamagescanbeclaimedinthesameaction,provided
thattherequirementsofbotharesatisfied.10Athreateneddefamationorcontinueddefamationcanbeprevented
throughaninterdict.11
Defamationisalsoacrime.12Apartfromthecivilremediesofaninterdictoraclaimformonetarycompensationit
maythereforealsogiverisetocriminalprosecution.Atsomestageinthepastamatterofsomecontroversyrelated
towhethertheseriousnessofthedefamationisanelementofthecrimeorwhethereventrivialdefamationis
criminal,butshould,asamatterofpolicy,notbeprosecuted.13Thatcontroversyhasnowbeensettledinfavourof
thelastmentionedpointofview.14Seriousnessisthereforenotanelementofthecrime.
1 McKerronDelict10.
2 SeeegMatthewsvYoung1922AD492,DieSpoorbondvSARailways;VanHeerdenvSARailways
1946AD9991011;Neethling,PotgieterandVisserLawofDelict5.
3 LeRouxvDey(FreedomofExpressionInstitute&RestorativeJusticeCentreasamicicuriae)20116
BCLR577(CC);20113SA274(CC)141.
4 DeVilliersInjuries24referredtowithapprovalinArgusPrinting&PublishingCoLtdvEsselen'sEstate
19942AllSA160(A);19942SA1(A)23DIandthecasestherecited.
5 S e e  e g HolomisavArgusNewspapersLtd1 9 9 6  1  A l l  S A  4 7 8  ( W ); 1 9 9 6  6  B C L R  8 3 6  ( W );
19962SA588(W)606EF;NationalMediaLtdvBogoshi19984AllSA347(SC A); 19991BCLR1
(SCA); 1 9 9 8  4  S A  1 1 9 6(SCA)1216J 1217B;KhumalovHolomisa2 0 0 2  8  B C L R  7 7 1  ( C C );
20025SA401(CC)418F419D;andseetitleCONSTITUTIONALLAW.
6 ConstitutionoftheRepublicofSA,108of1996.
7 S16.
8 KhumalovHolomisasupra.
9 UpingtonvSaulSolomon&Co(1879)9Buch204260;ArgusPrinting&PublishingCoLtdvEsselen's
Estatesupra;Media24LtdvSATaxiSecuritisation(Pty)Ltd20114AllSA9(SCA);20115SA329
(SCA)8.
10 Media24LtdvSATaxiSecuritisation(Pty)Ltdsupra8and9.Althoughtheissuewasleftopenin
CaxtonLtdvReevaForeman(Pty)Ltd19902AllSA300(A);19903SA547(A)560I561A,itwas
finallydecidedinMedia24LtdvSATaxiSecuritisationsupra8and9.
11 SeeegVorstervStrydpersBpk19731AllSA30(T);19722SA928(T);HixNetworkingTechnologies
vSystemPublishers(Pty)Ltd19964AllSA675(A); 19971SA391(A).Astothequestionwhether
theremedyofamendehonorablewherethedefendantisorderedtoretractandapologiseisstill
partofourlaw,seeMineworkersInvestmentCo(Pty)LtdvModibane20026SA512(W)522B527A;
YoungvShaikh20043SA46(C)56H57G;HvW20132AllSA218(GSJ);20135BCLR554(GSJ);
20132SA530(GSJ).Seealsopar136post;seetitleINTERDICT.
12 SeeegSvHoho20091AllSA103(SCA); 20091SACR276(SCA)1536;MiltonSouthAfrican
CriminalLawandProcedureVol2(3ed)ch27;SnymanStrafreg(4ed)473etseq.
13 SeeegRvFuleza19511AllSA420(A);19511SA519(A)525EF(VandenHeeverJA)ontheone
hand;and529(HoexterJA)and532EG(FaganJA)ontheother.
14 SvHohosupra36.



110SourcesofthelawofdefamationTheSouthAfricanlawofdefamationisderivedfromtheRomanand
RomanDutchlawofiniuriae.1
ThecourtsinSouthAfricahavefromtheearliesttimesattemptedtoapplyRomanDutchprinciples.2Theyhave
assertedtheseparateidentityoftheSouthAfricanlawofdefamationanditsdifferenthistoricalroots,andhavein
generalattemptedtoresisttheimportationofaspectsofEnglishlawwhichconflictwithRomanDutchprinciples.3
However,conceptsofEnglishlawwhichwereconsideredcompatiblewiththeprinciplesofRomanDutchlawwere
adopted,4andthecourtshave"forthesakeofconvenienceofexpression"madeuseoftheterminologyusedin
Englishlawdecisions.5DecisionsoftheEnglishcourtscontinuetobeinvokedwheretheymayillustrategeneral
principlesofthelawofdefamationorexplainconceptsadoptedinSouthAfricanlaw.6
1 VoetCommentarius4710deiniuriisetfamosislibellisinparticularhasbeenfrequentlyinvoked;see
GaneTheSelectiveVoet7201.SeealsoDeVilliersInjuries.Thederivationhasbeenacknowledged
b y interaliosWesselsJAinNasionalePersBpkvLong1930AD8799andSchreinerJAinDie
SpoorbondvSARailways,VanHeerdenvSARailways1946AD9991010.SeealsoMaraisvRichard
19811SA1157(A)1166andBurchellDefamationchs23.
2 SeeegMackayvPhilip(1830)1M455462.
3 Thusthecourtsdonotdistinguishbetweenlibelandslander;seeegANicolsonvARoberts(1904)25