ASSIGNMENT 1 SEMESTER 1 2025
UNIQUE NO.
DUE DATE: MARCH 2025
, CSL2601
Assignment 1 Semester 1 2024
Unique Number:
Due Date: March 2025
Constitutional Law
Question 1: Judicial Overreach and Section 89 of the Constitution
1.1 The Concept of Judicial Overreach
The term "judicial overreach" refers to situations where the judiciary exceeds its
constitutional mandate by interfering in the roles and functions assigned to the
legislative or executive branches of government. It occurs when courts go beyond
interpreting the law to actively creating or altering it, encroaching on the principle of
separation of powers. This principle, enshrined in South Africa’s Constitution, is
foundational to a functioning democracy and ensures checks and balances among the
three branches of government.
In Economic Freedom Fighters & Others v Speaker of the National Assembly & Others
2018 (3) BCLR 259 (CC); 2018 (2) SA 571 (CC), the Constitutional Court was tasked
with interpreting section 89(1) of the Constitution, which deals with the removal of a
President. The majority judgment held that the National Assembly had failed to establish
rules for holding the President accountable and, as such, violated its constitutional
obligations. The dissenting opinion labeled this finding as "judicial overreach,"
suggesting that the court imposed an obligation not expressly stated in the Constitution.
Relevant Case Law
1. Doctors for Life International v Speaker of the National Assembly 2006 (6)
SA 416 (CC): The Constitutional Court emphasized the judiciary’s role in