Please also note that the author of this document will not be responsible for any plagiarism you
commit.
Read the following and answer the questions below:
Four assailants, A, B, C and D are engaged in an armed robbery at Shiny Things, a jewellery store
located inside the Mall For All shopping centre in Kimberley, Northern Cape. During the ensuing
fracas, a firefight ensues, as the security guards employed by the shopping centre attempt to foil the
robbery. A is arrested inside the jewellery store by F, one of the security guards. However, B, C and D
manage to escape with an undisclosed amount in fine jewellery and cash.
1. B and C are subsequently arrested two weeks later in Cape Town, Western Cape, in the
process of committing another robbery.
A) Briefly state the court(s) (according to the hierarchy of courts, not the location) which should
enjoy trial jurisdiction in respect of the charges set out above, and the reason why the case may
be heard in the jurisdiction(s) concerned.
The High Court has the authority to hear cases involving serious crimes such as armed robbery. It
can hear cases in the location where the crime took place. Therefore, the High Court in Kimberley,
Northern Cape, would be the appropriate venue for the case against A, as that is where the crime
occurred. Likewise, since B and C committed another robbery in Cape Town, Western Cape, the
High Court in Cape Town would have jurisdiction over their case.
The Regional Court also has jurisdiction over some serious offenses, but it typically handles cases
that are not as severe as those tried in the High Court.
Magistrates' Courts are generally responsible for less serious offenses and are not typically involved
in cases like armed robbery.
In the context of the scenario:
The High Court in Kimberley would be the correct court to try A for the armed robbery at
Shiny Things, as this is where the crime took place.
The High Court in Cape Town would have jurisdiction to try B and C, given that they were
arrested during the commission of another robbery in Cape Town.
The Regional Court could also potentially have jurisdiction over some of the charges,
depending on the exact nature of the offenses.
A Magistrate’s Court, however, would likely not have the jurisdiction to try these armed
robbery cases due to their severity.
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