Portfolio (COMPLETE
ANSWERS) Semester 2 2025 -
DUE 30 October 2025
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, QUESTION 1: NATURE AND ASSESSMENT OF NON-PATRIMONIAL LOSS
(INJURY TO PERSONALITY)
1.1 Approach to Comparable Cases when Assessing General Damages (Based on General
Principle)
The assessment of general damages (non-patrimonial loss) in South African law, particularly for
bodily injury, is a matter of judicial discretion aimed at awarding a fair and adequate amount.
The court $a quo$ (the lower court) should have approached comparable cases not as binding
precedents, but as a general guide to determine what is a fair and reasonable award in the
context of the specific injury sustained by the plaintiff ($MEC$ for Health, Gauteng Provincial
Government v AAS obo CMMS (401/2023) [2025] ZASCA 91 (20 June 2025) likely reiterated
this well-established principle).
Judicial Discretion: The primary principle is that the amount of general damages is a
matter of the trial judge's discretion, which must be exercised judicially and
reasonably ($\mathbf{S}_{\text{t}}o\mathbf{ke}$ $v$ $\mathbf{M}c$
$\mathbf{C}a\mathbf{r}t\mathbf{hy}$ $\mathbf{a}\text{nd}$
$\mathbf{A}n\mathbf{o}t\mathbf{he}r$ $\mathbf{1958}$ ($\mathbf{3}$)
$\mathbf{SA}$ $\mathbf{686}$ ($\mathbf{A}$)). The overriding consideration is
fairness to both sides.
The Role of Comparables: The function of comparative awards is merely to provide
assistance to the court and to indicate the general pattern of awards in similar cases.
They help ensure a degree of uniformity and predictability without rigidly binding the
court ($\mathbf{S}o\mathbf{ut}h$ $\mathbf{B}r\mathbf{it}\text{ish}$
$\mathbf{I}n\text{surance}$ $\mathbf{C}o$ $\mathbf{L}t\mathbf{d}$ $v$
$\mathbf{U}l\mathbf{m}a\mathbf{n}$ $\mathbf{1963}$ ($\mathbf{2}$)
$\mathbf{SA}$ $\mathbf{120}$ ($\mathbf{A}$)).
Need for Caution: Courts must be cautious because no two cases are ever exactly
alike. The assessment depends on the unique facts and circumstances of the injured
party, including their age, sex, lifestyle, nature of the injury, and the effect it has had on
their life ($\mathbf{V}\text{an}$ $\mathbf{D}e\mathbf{r}$
$\mathbf{P}l\mathbf{a}\text{n}k$ $v$
$\mathbf{G}o\mathbf{v}e\mathbf{r}n\mathbf{m}e\mathbf{n}t$ $\mathbf{49}$
($\mathbf{9}$) $\mathbf{A}t\mathbf{t}o\mathbf{r}n\mathbf{e}y$
$\mathbf{G}e\mathbf{n}\text{eral}$ $\mathbf{1942}$ $\mathbf{AD}$ $\mathbf{26}$
$\mathbf{5}$).
Adjustment for Time: When using older awards, the court must adjust the monetary
value to account for the decrease in the purchasing power of money (inflation) since
the date of the comparable award ($\mathbf{S}\text{igourn}\text{ey}$ $v$
$\mathbf{G}\text{o}u\mathbf{l}d\text{ing}$ $\mathbf{1953}$ ($\mathbf{2}$)
$\mathbf{SA}$ $\mathbf{515}$ ($\mathbf{N}$)).