Table of contents
Legal Personality...............................................................................................................................2
Legal Capacity...................................................................................................................................2
Remedies..........................................................................................................................................2
Elements of delict.............................................................................................................................2
Types of intention.............................................................................................................................2
Accountability..................................................................................................................................2
Negligence?......................................................................................................................................3
Transfer of ownership:.....................................................................................................................3
Breach of valid contract:...................................................................................................................3
Restitutio in integrum:......................................................................................................................4
Emancipation:...................................................................................................................................4
Termination of minority:..................................................................................................................4
Limping contract...............................................................................................................................4
Actions for unjustified enrichment:..................................................................................................5
enrichment by deliberate conferral of enrichment:..........................................................................5
Resultant:.........................................................................................................................................5
Edelstein and the limping contract, transfer of ownership, enrichment:..........................................6
De Villiers, J......................................................................................................................................6
Liability of the unassisted minor:......................................................................................................7
Baddeley, Fouche, and the question of assistance............................................................................7
Tatham, J..........................................................................................................................................7
Dove-Wilson, J.P...............................................................................................................................7
Fouche v Battenhausen & Co. 1939 CPD 228.....................................................................................8
Davis, J..............................................................................................................................................8
Wood v Davies 1934 CPD 250...........................................................................................................8
Sutton, J............................................................................................................................................8
Dickens v Daley...............................................................................................................................10
Selke, J.:..........................................................................................................................................10
1
, Legal Personality
Legal persons must be born alive: separated from mother and have lived upon separation.
Types of rights: real (tangible), personal, personality, constitutional
Legal Capacity
Active: can acquire rights and duties (delict, litigate, juristic acts)
Passive: can bear rights and duties
Capacity is based on age, marital status, mental capacity.
Infants (0-7): no capacity, may transfer ownership when guardian acts on their behalf.
Minors (7- 18): limited capacity, may receive ownership, or may transfer it if assisted.
Majors (18+): full capacity to act
Delict (civil wrong)
Remedies
1. Aquilian action (patrimonial loss)
2. action for pain and suffering (non-patrimonial loss: disability, disfigurement, loss of
amenities of life, pain and suffering, shortened life expectancy)
3. action iniuriarum: personality rights (dignity, integrity, privacy, etc) (requires intention)
Elements of delict
1. Act
2. Causation
3. Harm
4. Fault (blameworthy state of mind: negligence or intention)
Types of intention
Direct intention: deliberately brings about outcome through act. Does X (act) so as to
directly bring about Y (delictual wrong/result)
Indirect/Eventual intention: did not wish for outcome but could have predicted it will result
from actions. Does X so as to bring about Y, knowing full well that it will also result in Z
(delictual wrong)
Accountability
Is defendant accountable? (Can hey tell the difference between right and wrong?)
Infants: Infants have an irrebuttable presumption of unaccountability (they do not have the
capacity to be deemed accountable)
Minors: below puberty- rebuttable presumption of unaccountability (onus falls on plaintiff to prove
accountability)
Above puberty- rebuttable presumption of accountability (onus falls on defendant to prove
accountability)
2
Legal Personality...............................................................................................................................2
Legal Capacity...................................................................................................................................2
Remedies..........................................................................................................................................2
Elements of delict.............................................................................................................................2
Types of intention.............................................................................................................................2
Accountability..................................................................................................................................2
Negligence?......................................................................................................................................3
Transfer of ownership:.....................................................................................................................3
Breach of valid contract:...................................................................................................................3
Restitutio in integrum:......................................................................................................................4
Emancipation:...................................................................................................................................4
Termination of minority:..................................................................................................................4
Limping contract...............................................................................................................................4
Actions for unjustified enrichment:..................................................................................................5
enrichment by deliberate conferral of enrichment:..........................................................................5
Resultant:.........................................................................................................................................5
Edelstein and the limping contract, transfer of ownership, enrichment:..........................................6
De Villiers, J......................................................................................................................................6
Liability of the unassisted minor:......................................................................................................7
Baddeley, Fouche, and the question of assistance............................................................................7
Tatham, J..........................................................................................................................................7
Dove-Wilson, J.P...............................................................................................................................7
Fouche v Battenhausen & Co. 1939 CPD 228.....................................................................................8
Davis, J..............................................................................................................................................8
Wood v Davies 1934 CPD 250...........................................................................................................8
Sutton, J............................................................................................................................................8
Dickens v Daley...............................................................................................................................10
Selke, J.:..........................................................................................................................................10
1
, Legal Personality
Legal persons must be born alive: separated from mother and have lived upon separation.
Types of rights: real (tangible), personal, personality, constitutional
Legal Capacity
Active: can acquire rights and duties (delict, litigate, juristic acts)
Passive: can bear rights and duties
Capacity is based on age, marital status, mental capacity.
Infants (0-7): no capacity, may transfer ownership when guardian acts on their behalf.
Minors (7- 18): limited capacity, may receive ownership, or may transfer it if assisted.
Majors (18+): full capacity to act
Delict (civil wrong)
Remedies
1. Aquilian action (patrimonial loss)
2. action for pain and suffering (non-patrimonial loss: disability, disfigurement, loss of
amenities of life, pain and suffering, shortened life expectancy)
3. action iniuriarum: personality rights (dignity, integrity, privacy, etc) (requires intention)
Elements of delict
1. Act
2. Causation
3. Harm
4. Fault (blameworthy state of mind: negligence or intention)
Types of intention
Direct intention: deliberately brings about outcome through act. Does X (act) so as to
directly bring about Y (delictual wrong/result)
Indirect/Eventual intention: did not wish for outcome but could have predicted it will result
from actions. Does X so as to bring about Y, knowing full well that it will also result in Z
(delictual wrong)
Accountability
Is defendant accountable? (Can hey tell the difference between right and wrong?)
Infants: Infants have an irrebuttable presumption of unaccountability (they do not have the
capacity to be deemed accountable)
Minors: below puberty- rebuttable presumption of unaccountability (onus falls on plaintiff to prove
accountability)
Above puberty- rebuttable presumption of accountability (onus falls on defendant to prove
accountability)
2
