Can the police search a person without a warrant of arrest?

Criminal , ,

This article focuses on primarily whether the police may search a person without a warrant of arrest. On the face of it, it would appear that the search and seizure of a person and premises are in contravention with the Bill of Rights, more specifically section 14 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.

 

With the enactment of the Constitution, there have been a number of constraints on search and seizure powers by police officials. Section 14(a) of the Constitution specifically protects the right not to have a person or their home searched. A person’s home, it is widely accepted, constitutes the highest expectation of privacy. According to section 36 of the Constitution, rights in the Bill of Rights may be limited by a law of general application, if the limitation is reasonable and justifiable in an open and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom.

 

The Criminal Procedure Act allows the police to search any person or any container or premise of that person without a search warrant. It also allows the police to seize any article reasonably believed to have been used to commit a crime or that is reasonably believed to be evidence that could assist the state in proving that an offence was committed. This can be done only if the owner gives consent for the search or if the police officer has reasonable grounds to believe that a search warrant would have been issued and a delay in conducting the search would have defeated the purpose of the search and seizure operation.

 

What this essentially means is that a police officer can search you personally or can search your car or house even when no search warrant was obtained and even when you did not give permission for such a search. However, such a type of search without a warrant can only be executed where there are reasonable grounds to believe that a search warrant will be issued to the relevant police official should he apply for it and that the delay in obtaining such warrant would defeat the object of the search.

 

According to the relevant case law, a police officer must have a reasonable suspicion that a person committed an offence or that a person is in possession of an article used or to be used in the commission of an offence. A mere assertion by a police officer that he or she had such a suspicion without any evidence to back it up will not do. This means that where a police officer stops you in the street and decides that you are a drug dealer merely because of your appearance, he or she will not be able to merely argue that there is a reasonable suspicion that you committed an offence or are in possession of an article used in the commission of an offence and, hence, will not be entitled to search you.

 

In terms of the South African Police Act 68 of 1995 the National or Provincial Commissioner may where it is reasonable in the circumstances in order to exercise a power or to perform a function of the service, authorise in writing a member under his command to set up roadblocks on any public road. Any member of the South African Police Service may, without a warrant, search any vehicle at such a roadblock. However, such a search without a warrant in a roadblock may only be conducted upon the written authorisation by the National or Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service.

 

It is of paramount importance that a police official exercise his or her discretion in conducting a search without a warrant carefully and does not infringe a person’s right to privacy as entrenched in section 14 of the Constitution. It is also important to note that a search and seizure by a police official must be reasonable and justifiable in terms of the Constitution.

 

Reference List:

  • The Criminal Procedure Act 57 of 1977

  • The South African Police Service Act 68 of 1995

  • The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,1996

  • Geldenhuys T,The Criminal Procedure Handbook, Juta, August 2010

 

 

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your financial adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

How binding are body corporate fines?

Property , ,

In an estate or sectional title scheme, it is challenging to ensure that everyone will stick to the conduct rules and to aid this, body corporates often fine the chancers. How far can the body corporates stretch their fining, and are these fines binding?

 

Each body corporate may choose what to impose formally in their code of conduct unless a rule is already part of the conduct rules in terms of the Sectional Titles Act. This is the only way the fines can be binding as enforceable, and they have to be reasonable and fair.

 

When fines are imposed, they cannot favour or benefit certain residents while leaving others out of mind. Substantially, they must serve the same purpose. The notification of a fine must be received by the owner or resident through writing. There is a correct way in which fines may be imposed:

 

  1. Complainants to lodge complaint

     

This must be lodged in writing or through an incident report to the trustees or the estate’s managing agent.

 

  1. Notice of particulars of the complaint

     

The owner and the tenant, or the resident, must be given a notice of the particulars contained in the complained as well as reasonable time to respond to the complaint. The resident/tenant must also be given enough information regarding the incident, including the rules that they may have broken.

 

  1. Second notice

     

Should the owner or resident not heed the first notice, a second notice may be issued mentioning the contravention is continuous or has been repeated. The transgressor must then be invited to a trustee meeting where they will be given a platform to present their case or defend themselves.

 

  1. The hearing before the fine

     

Before a fine is imposed, a hearing must have taken place. In the meeting, witnesses may be called to testify in favour of the transgressor and the transgressor may state their side of the story. Those who laid the complaint may also be cross-examined.

 

  1. Discussing evidence

     

Once the hearing is over, the trustees may then review the evidence presented to them and make a decision on whether or not to impose the fine.

 

If a fine is imposed, the amount should be reasonable, substantial and be proportionate to the purpose of the penalty.

 

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your financial adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

Korporatiewe beheer – ’n trust as ’n lid van ’n Beslote Korporasie

Business , ,

Die Wet op Beslote Korporasies No 69 van 1984 (“die Wet”) het voorsiening gemaak vir die oprigting van beslote korporasies wat eenvoudige, gedereguleerde en buigsame entiteite met beperkte aanspreeklikheid is wat veral vir klein ondernemings geskik is. Hulle het eie regspersoonlikheid en geniet die voordele van ewigdurende opvolging.

 

Die Maatskappywet No 71 van 2008, verbied egter die registrasie van enige nuwe beslote korporasies na 1 Mei 2011. Beslote korporasies kan omgeskakel word na maatskappye, maar maatskappye kan nie meer omgeskakel word na beslote korporasies nie. Reeds bestaande beslote korporasies word egter geadministreer deur die Wet.

 

’n Beslote korporasie het nie aandeelhouers nie, maar wel lede en aangesien ’n beslote korporasie afsonderlike regspersoonlikheid het, staan dit onafhanklik en verwyderd van sy lede. ’n Beslote korporasie kan uit ’n minimum van een lid tot ’n maksimum van tien lede bestaan. Die beperking op die aantal lede beklemtoon die wetgewer se bedoeling dat die beslote korporasie bedoel was vir kleiner ondernemings, waar die verhouding tussen die lede soortgelyk aan dié van vennote is.

 

Die Wet stipuleer in Artikel 29 dat slegs natuurlike persone lede mag wees van ’n beslote korporasie. Verder beklemtoon hierdie artikel dat ’n natuurlike of regspersoon in sy of haar kapasiteit as ’n trustee van ’n inter vivos trust ’n lid van ’n beslote korporasie kan wees as daar aan sekere vereistes voldoen word, naamlik:

 

  • Geen regspersoon mag direk of indirek ’n begunstigde wees van daardie trust nie;
  • Die lid sal dieselfde regsverpligtinge hê tussen homself of haarself en die beslote korporasie as wat ’n natuurlike persoon sou hê;
  • Die beslote korporasie is nie verplig, of het geen verpligting om enige ooreenkoms tussen die trust en die betrokke lid van die korporasie te onderhou of na te kom nie;
  • Indien die aantal natuurlike persone wat geregtig is om enige voordeel van die trust te ontvang, ter enige tyd wanneer hulle by die beslote korporasie gevoeg word, aanleiding gee daartoe dat die aantal lede van die korporasie meer as 10 word, sal die bepalings en voorwaardes waarvoor voorsiening gemaak word in hierdie artikel nie meer langer van toepassing wees nie.

 

Gevolglik sal die volgende persone gemagtig wees om as lede van ’n beslote korporasie te dien:

 

  1. ’n Natuurlike persoon
  2. ’n Natuurlike of regspersoon in sy of haar hoedanigheid as ’n trustee van ’n testamentêre of inter vivos trust wat as verteenwoordiger van daardie trust optree, behalwe indien: 
  • Die persoon ’n begunstigde van die trust is;
  • Die trustee ’n regspersoon is, en direk of indirek beheer word deur enige van die begunstigdes van die trust; en
  • ’n Natuurlike of regspersoon in sy of haar verteenwoordigende kapasiteit, insolvent, oorlede, verstandelik gestremd of andersins onbevoegd is om sy of haar eie sake te bestuur, ’n trustee van sy of haar eie boedel is of ’n administrateur, eksekuteur of kurator van sodanige boedel is.

 

Onderworpe aan die uitsonderings soos hierbo gestipuleer, mag slegs natuurlike persone lede van ’n beslote korporasie wees en mag geen regspersoon ’n ledebelang in ’n beslote korporasie hou nie. ’n Maatskappy of beslote korporasie kan dus nie ’n lid van ’n beslote korporasie wees nie en enige oortreding van hierdie verbod kan tot gevolg hê dat die regspersoon aanspreeklik sal wees vir sekere skulde van die beslote korporasie. ’n Beslote korporasie mag wel ’n lid van ’n maatskappy of vennootskap wees en ’n beslote korporasie kan selfs die beherende aandeelhouer van ’n maatskappy word.

 

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your financial adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

When should financial statements be audited, reviewed or compiled?

Finance News , ,

The Companies Act of South Africa (the Act) requires all companies to prepare financial statements within 6 months after the end of its financial year. A very popular question among business owners with regards to financial statements is whether the statements should be independently audited, reviewed or compiled. In determining the engagement type, the Act prescribes the following criteria to be applied:

 

Audited financial statements

 

  1. Any profit or non-profit company that, in the ordinary course of its primary activities, holds assets in a fiduciary capacity for persons who are not related to the company, and the aggregate value of such assets held at any time during the financial year exceeds R5 million;
  2. Any non-profit company, if it was incorporated:
  • directly or indirectly by the state, a state-owned company, an international entity or a company; or
  • primarily to perform a statutory or regulatory function in terms of any legislation, a state-owned company, an international entity, or a foreign state entity, or for a purpose ancillary to any such function;
  1. Any other company whose public interest score in that financial year is:
  • 350 or more; or
  • at least 100, but less than 350, if its annual financial statements for that year were internally compiled.

 

How to calculate your public interest score, to determine if you exceed 350 points or not:

  1. a number of points equal to the average number of employees of the company during the financial year;
  2. one point for every R1 million (or portion thereof) in third-party liabilities of the company, at the financial year end;
  3. one point for every R1 million (or portion thereof) in turnover during the financial year; and
  4. one point for every individual who, at the end of the financial year, is a member of the company, or a member of an association that is a member of the company.

 

Independent review of financial statements

 

The Act prescribes that an independent review of a company’s annual financial statements must be performed if the following apply and the company does not select to be voluntarily audited:

 

If, with respect to a company, every person who is a holder of, or has a beneficial interest in, any securities issued by that company is not a director of the company, that financial statements should be independently reviewed.

 

A company and its directors may choose to be voluntarily audited or reviewed if they wish to engage in an assurance engagement, although it has not been prescribed by the Act.

 

Compiled financial statements:

 

If none of the above-mentioned requirements has been met, the financial statements may be compiled.

 

With compilations, or compiled financial statements, the outside accountant converts the data provided by the client into financial statements without providing any assurances or auditing services.

 

If you need any assistance with your engagement in financial statements, do not hesitate to contact our friendly staff.

 

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your financial adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

From Xero to Hero

Business , ,

The internet and modern communications technology has changed everything, including the way that businesses keep their records up to date; one new approach we recommend has at its heart the cloud based accounting software, Xero.

 

In a nutshell, Xero allows you to update and view the financial state of your business in real time, from almost anywhere. And, as your appointed advisors, because we can see exactly the same information you can, we can give you the advice you need, when you need it.

 

Why do we like Xero so much? Because it’s so easy and convenient for our clients to use. Nobody knows more about your sales and purchases than you do. So it makes perfect sense for you to record your business transactions, as they happen, rather than months after the event.

 

With Xero, you don’t need to worry about data backup or software updates – it’s all in the cloud, so everything is always secure and up to date. And rather than paying for us to just typing in your data, you are able to pay us for providing you with valuable advice and guidance that will help you to make your business a success.

 

Contact Zuydam Konsult to see how we can help you implement Xero today.

 

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your financial adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

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