Case Law[2025] ZACC 9South Africa
Blind SA v President of the Republic of South Africa and Others (CCT 300/24) [2025] ZACC 9; 2025 (7) BCLR 757 (CC) (7 May 2025)
Constitutional Court of South Africa
7 May 2025
Headnotes
Summary: Copyright Act 98 of 1978 — direct access — urgent relief after lapse of section 13A reading-in order — interim order to protect rights of persons with visual and print disabilities — section 19D reading-in order
Judgment
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## Blind SA v President of the Republic of South Africa and Others (CCT 300/24) [2025] ZACC 9; 2025 (7) BCLR 757 (CC) (7 May 2025)
Blind SA v President of the Republic of South Africa and Others (CCT 300/24) [2025] ZACC 9; 2025 (7) BCLR 757 (CC) (7 May 2025)
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sino date 7 May 2025
FLYNOTES:
INTELLECTUAL – Copyright –
Blind
and visually impaired
–
Access
to materials by providing an exception to copyright for such
persons and those assisting them on a non-profit basis
–
Amendment to
Copyright Act 98 of 1978
– As interim measure,
court read in
section 13A
– Suspension period expired
without promulgation of legislation curing defect – Lapsing
creating rights vacuum
– Act shall be deemed to include
section 19D
pending legislation remedying the constitutional
defects.
CONSTITUTIONAL
COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA
Case
CCT 300/24
In
the matter between:
BLIND
SA
Applicant
and
PRESIDENT
OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
First Respondent
SPEAKER
OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Second Respondent
CHAIRPERSON
OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL
OF
PROVINCES
Third Respondent
MINISTER
OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND
COMPETITION
Fourth Respondent
MINISTER
OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
AND
COOPERATION
Fifth Respondent
and
MEDIA
MONITORING AFRICA TRUST
Amicus Curiae
Neutral
citation:
Blind SA v President of the
Republic of South Africa and Others
[2025] ZACC 9
Coram:
Madlanga ADCJ, Kollapen J,
Mathopo J, Mhlantla J,
Rogers J, Seegobin AJ, Theron J, Tolmay AJ and
Tshiqi J
Judgment:
Mhlantla J (unanimous)
Heard
on:
28 November 2024
Interim
order:
13 December 2024
Decided
on:
7 May 2025
Summary:
Copyright Act 98 of 1978
— direct access —
urgent relief after lapse of
section 13A
reading-in order —
interim order to protect rights of persons with visual and print
disabilities —
section 19D
reading-in order
ORDER
On
application for direct access:
1.
Direct access is granted.
2.
Pending the coming into force of legislation
remedying the
constitutional defects in the
Copyright Act 98 of 1978
as
identified by this Court’s judgment and order of
21 September 2022, the
Copyright Act 98 of 1978
shall
be deemed to include a
section 19D
reading as follows:
“
Section 19D.
(1)
An authorised entity, or any person as may be prescribed and who
serves persons with disabilities
may, without the authorisation of
the copyright owner, make an accessible format copy for the benefit
of a person with a disability,
supply that accessible format copy to
a person with a disability by any means, including by non-commercial
lending or by digital
communication by wire or wireless means, and
undertake any intermediate steps to achieve these objectives, if the
following conditions
are met:
(a)
The person wishing to undertake any activity under this subsection
must have lawful access to
the copyright work or a copy of that work;
(b)
in converting the copyright work to an accessible format copy, the
integrity of the original work
must be respected, taking due
consideration of the changes needed to make the work accessible in
that alternative format and of
the accessibility needs of the persons
with a disability; and
(c)
the activity under this subsection must be undertaken on a non-profit
basis.
(2)
(a) A person to whom the work is
communicated by wire or wireless means
as a result of an activity
under subsection (1) may, without the authorisation of the owner of
the copyright work, reproduce the
work, where that person is a
person—
(i)
with a disability, for their personal use; or
(ii)
who serves persons with disabilities, including an authorised entity,
for personal
use by a person with a disability.
(b) The
provisions of paragraph (a) are without prejudice to any other
limitations or exceptions that the person
referred to in that
paragraph may enjoy.
(3)
A person with a disability, or someone acting on their behalf,
including an authorised entity,
may make an accessible format copy of
a work for the personal use of the person with a disability or
otherwise may assist the person
with a disability to make and use
accessible format copies where the person with a disability has
lawful access to that work or
a copy of that work.
(4)
(a) A person with a disability or a
person who serves persons with
disabilities, including an authorised
entity, may, without the authorisation of the copyright owner export
to, or import from,
another country any legal copy of an accessible
format copy of a work for distribution, or to make it available to
persons with
a disability, as long as such activity is undertaken on
a non-profit basis by that person.
(b)
A person contemplated in paragraph (a) may not export or import an
accessible format copy where
such person knows, or has reason to
know, that the accessible format copy will be used for purposes other
than to aid persons with
a disability.
(5)
The exception created by this section is subject to the obligation of
indicating the source and
the name of the author, if it appears on
the work, on any accessible format copy.
(6)
For the purposes of this
section 19D
—
(a)
‘accessible format copy’ means a copy of a work in an
alternative manner or form,
which gives a person with a disability
access to the work, including to permit the person to have access as
feasibly and comfortably
as a person without a disability;
(b)
‘authorised entity’ means—
(i)
an entity that is authorised or recognised by the government to
provide education, instructional
training, adaptive reading or
information access to persons with a disability on a non-profit
basis; or
(ii)
an entity, including a government institution or non-profit
organisation that provides education,
instructional training,
adaptive reading or information access to persons with a disability
on a non-profit basis as one of its
primary activities or
institutional obligations.
(c)
‘person with a disability’ means a person who has a
physical, intellectual, neurological,
or sensory impairment and who
requires the work to be in a format that enables that person to
access and use the work in the same
manner as a person without a
disability; and
(d)
‘commercial’ means the obtaining of economic advantage or
financial gain in connection
with a business or trade.”
3.
The reading-in of
section 19D
shall remain in effect until the
remedial legislation contemplated in paragraph 2 comes into
force.
4.
The President of the Republic of South Africa
must pay the costs of
this application including the costs of two counsel.
JUDGMENT
MHLANTLA J
(Madlanga ADCJ, Kollapen J, Mathopo J, Rogers J,
Seegobin AJ, Theron J, Tolmay AJ
and Tshiqi J
concurring):
Introduction
[1]
On 13 December 2024, this Court issued an interim
order pending the final determination of the matter. The terms
of the order were as follows:
“
1.
The
Copyright Act 98 of 1978
shall be deemed to include the
following provisions:
‘
Section 13A
Exceptions applicable to beneficiary persons
(1)
For the purposes of
section 13A
—
(a)
‘accessible format copy’ means a copy
of a work in an
alternative manner or form which gives a beneficiary person access to
the work, including to permit the person
to have access as feasibly
and comfortably as a person without visual impairment or other print
disability. The accessible
format copy must be used exclusively
by beneficiary persons, and it must respect the integrity of the
original work, taking due
consideration of the changes needed to make
the work accessible in the alternative format and of the
accessibility needs of the
beneficiary persons;
(b)
‘beneficiary person’ means a person
who—
(i)
is blind;
(ii)
has a visual impairment or a perceptual or reading disability
which
cannot be improved to give visual function substantially equivalent
to that of a person who has no such impairment or disability
and so
is unable to read printed works to substantially the same degree as a
person without an impairment or disability; or
(iii)
is otherwise unable, through physical disability, to hold
or
manipulate a book or to focus or move the eyes to the extent that
would normally be acceptable for reading regardless of any
other
disabilities;
(c)
‘literary works’ means literary works
as defined in
section 1
of this Act, and shall be taken to include artistic works
forming part of a literary work;
(d)
‘permitted entity’ means an entity,
including a
government institution or non-profit organisation, that provides
education, instructional training, adaptive reading
or information
access to beneficiary persons on a non-profit basis, and has the
provision of such services as one of its primary
activities or
institutional obligations.
(2)
A permitted entity may, without the authorisation
of the owner of
copyright in a literary work, make an accessible format copy of the
literary work; obtain from another permitted
entity, an accessible
format copy, and supply those copies to beneficiary persons by any
means, including non-commercial lending
or by electronic
communication by wire or wireless means, and undertake any
intermediate steps to achieve those objectives, provided
that all of
the following conditions are met—
(a)
the permitted entity wishing to undertake said
activity has lawful
access to that work or a copy of that work;
(b)
the work is converted to an accessible format copy,
which may include
any means needed to navigate information in the accessible format,
but does not introduce changes other than
those needed to make the
work accessible to the beneficiary person;
(c)
such accessible format copies are supplied exclusively
to be used by
beneficiary persons; and
(d)
the activity is undertaken on a non-profit basis.
(3)
A beneficiary person, or someone acting on their
behalf, including a
primary caretaker or caregiver, may make an accessible format copy of
a work for the personal use of the beneficiary
person or otherwise
may assist the beneficiary person to make and use accessible format
copies where the beneficiary person has
lawful access to that work or
a copy of that work.’
2.
Costs are reserved.
3.
Reasons for this order shall be given at a later date.”
This
Court has now considered the matter and made a final determination in
respect of the relief sought. Our reasons for the
final order
are set out below.
[2]
On 8 October 2024, Blind SA, an organisation
which advocates for the rights and empowerment of visually impaired
persons in South Africa, filed an urgent application in this Court
for direct access in terms of section 167(4)(e) of the
Constitution read with rules 11 and 12 of this Court’s
Rules. The application was against the President
of the
Republic of South Africa (President), the Speaker of the National
Assembly (Speaker), the Chairperson of the National Council
of
Provinces (NCOP), the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition
(Minister) and the Minister of International Relations and
Cooperation. The Speaker and Chairperson of the NCOP have filed
notices to abide.
[3]
Blind SA sought the following orders—
(a)
declaring the failure of
the President to make a timeous decision on whether to sign the
revised version of the Copyright Amendment Bill
[1]
(CAB) inconsistent with the President’s obligations in terms of
section 79(4) read with section 237 of the Constitution;
[2]
(b)
directing the President to assent to and sign the CAB within
10 days
of the order of this Court;
(c)
in the alternative,
directing that from the date of the order, pending legislation coming
into force that would cure the constitutional
defect in the
Copyright Act,
[3
] the Act
will be deemed to include a new provision, namely,
section 13A
;
and
(d)
ordering the President to pay the costs of this application,
including the costs of two counsel, on an attorney and own client
scale, alternatively jointly by the President and all other
respondents who oppose the relief sought.
[4]
It is apposite at this stage to set out the circumstances that
led to this application.
Background
[5]
The legislative context began in 2015, when Parliament
commenced the process to amend the
Copyright Act. The
CAB
was originally introduced in the National Assembly on
10 May 2017. Parliament passed the CAB on
28 March 2019
and forwarded it to the President for his
assent. On 16 June 2020, the President referred that
version of the CAB
and the Performers Protection Amendment Bill
(PPAB) (originally introduced in the National Assembly on
27 November 2016)
back to Parliament for reconsideration as
he had reservations about certain provisions.
[6]
As there was no
legislative provision to assist persons with visual and print
disabilities to legally access literary material in
accessible
formats, clause 19D of the CAB sought to facilitate such access
by providing an exception to copyright for such
persons and those
assisting them on a non-profit basis.
[4]
However, this was not possible as the Bill was not signed by
the President. As there was a delay in finalising the
legislative process of amending the Act, Blind SA launched an
application in the High Court in 2021 and challenged the
constitutionality of
sections 6
and
7
of the
Copyright Act. On
7 December 2021, the
High Court
[5]
granted the
application in favour of Blind SA and made a declaration of
invalidity.
[7]
On
21 September 2022, the Constitutional Court in
Blind SA I
[6]
confirmed the declaration of invalidity granted by the High Court
that
sections 6
and
7
, read with
section 23
of
the
Copyright Act, were
unconstitutional. This Court held
that these provisions were inconsistent with constitutional rights
enumerated in
sections 9(3)
,
10
,
16
(1)(b),
29
(1) and
30
,
specifically regarding access rights of persons with visual and print
disabilities. The Court held that requiring copyright
owners’
permission to create accessible formats amounted to a discriminatory
barrier that unfairly prevented people with
visual and print
disabilities from accessing copyrighted materials.
[8]
The Court, when
considering an appropriate remedy, declined to incorporate
clause 19D
[7]
of the CAB,
stating that it was excessively broad and lacked the precision
necessary for the specific case under consideration.
As an
interim measure, the Court
read
in “
section 13A
” into the Act, which was based on
but not identical to clause 19D of the CAB,
[8]
as well as definitions necessary for the operation of
section 13A.
The declaration of
invalidity was suspended for a period of 24 months to afford
Parliament an opportunity to cure the legislative
defect.
[9]
Section 13A
established exceptions for persons with
visual and print disabilities by introducing four definitions:
“accessible format copy”,
“beneficiary person”,
“literary works” and “permitted entity”.
These definitions
formed the basis for conditions permitting
the creation of accessible format copies without requiring copyright
owners’ authorisation.
[10]
On 29 February 2024, Parliament passed the revised
versions of the CAB and PPAB and, on or about 2 March 2024,
resubmitted the Bills to the President for his assent and signature.
[11]
On 23 April 2024, Blind SA sent a letter to the
President requesting him to sign the CAB. Between 10 May 2024
and 30 June 2024, the national elections were held, the
incumbent President was re-elected and a new cabinet formed.
On
7 August 2024, Blind SA sent another letter to the
President imploring him to sign the CAB. In that
letter,
Blind SA indicated that it would launch an urgent
application in the event the President failed to sign the CAB
before
the expiry of the suspension period. On 12 September 2024,
Blind SA sent a letter to the Presidency
to enquire about
progress, adding that it would have to proceed with litigation if the
President failed to act. Blind SA
received a response to
the effect that the President was attending to the matter. It
was advised that the deadline for the
expiry of the suspension of the
declaration of invalidity did not apply to the President.
Notwithstanding the requests from
Blind SA for the President to
sign the Bill, he did not do so.
[12]
On 21 September 2024, the suspension period expired
without the promulgation of legislation curing the defect. This
resulted in the lapse of the interim provisions that had permitted
entities to create accessible format copies under conditions
of
lawful access and non-profit status. Therefore, the declaration
of invalidity took effect and persons who previously had
the benefit
of the reading-in, no longer did.
Application
for direct access
[13]
On 8 October 2024,
Blind SA, clearly troubled by this state of affairs, launched
this application for direct access.
The main reason for the
application was that the lapse of the suspension period without any
enabling legislation in place
left a lacuna (gap) in the
Copyright Act, resulting
in the violation of the rights of
persons with visual and print disabilities. Therefore, in the
application Blind SA
sought an order granting just and equitable
relief and that
section 13A
should be kept in place until
legislation is passed to cure the constitutional defect. It
stated that if the Marrakesh VIP Treaty
[9]
had been signed and ratified by South Africa, persons with blindness
and other visual impairments in South Africa would be able
to access
hundreds of thousands of accessible format copies of literary works
from international libraries. According to
Blind SA,
facilitating South Africa’s accession to the
Marrakesh VIP Treaty is one goal of this litigation.
[14]
Blind SA recognised that this Court does not have the
power to extend the period of suspension of the declaration of
invalidity
and the reading-in once that period has expired, but
contended that this Court has the power to grant just and equitable
relief
in terms of section 172(1)(b) of the Constitution. It
also sought an order directing that costs be paid by the President,
or jointly by him and those respondents who elect to oppose the
relief sought. It contended that the request for costs aligns
with the urgency of bringing this application due to the President’s
failure to make a timeous decision on the CAB by the
deadline.
[15]
On 14 October 2024, the President referred the CAB
and the PPAB to this Court in terms of sections 79(4)(b) and 84(2)(c)
of the Constitution for a determination of constitutional validity.
These reservations concerned provisions unrelated to
the
updated version of clause 19D of the CAB. The President’s
referral confirmed that Parliament had addressed
some of his previous
concerns but it stated that he still had reservations about certain
provisions.
[16]
On 22 October 2024, the Court issued directions
consolidating both matters for an urgent hearing scheduled for
28 November 2024.
The Court also directed the
respondents to file their opposing papers and written submissions
within prescribed timelines.
[17]
In light of the
referral matter, on 18 October 2024 Blind SA filed a
supplementary affidavit stating that it no longer
sought the relief
in prayers 2 and 3. Blind SA stated that
the matter was urgent; litigating the present
application and the
President’s referral
[10]
on a non-urgent basis would delay the finalisation of its case by
more than a year.
[18]
On
29 October 2024, the President filed his answering
affidavit in which he submitted that the matter was not urgent,
this
Court’s jurisdiction was not engaged and that the matter was
moot. The President stated that he had given due
attention to
the CAB and the PPAB. He refuted the allegation that he had
failed to act within a reasonable time. He
explained that the
referral of the CAB and PPAB to this Court after the expiry of the
suspension period was due to the national
elections and formation of
a new government, which resulted in his team requiring time to
prepare a memorandum on the Bills and
parliamentary submissions and
to obtain legal opinion from the state attorney. He
submitted that he was not in a position
to sign the Bill when the
suspension period of the declaration of invalidity expired and that
he was not reacting to Blind SA’s
application when he
filed the referral application. The President did not oppose
the relief sought in prayer 4 of Blind SA’s
notice of
motion but sought a costs order against it.
[11]
[19]
On 31 October 2024,
Blind SA filed its amended notice of motion, in which it stated
that the only relief that
was sought related to prayers 1, 4 and 5
(these are now prayers 1, 2 and 3 of the amended
notice of motion).
[12]
On
the same day, Blind SA, in its replying affidavit, challenged
the President’s repeated assertions that this
Court’s
order in
Blind SA I
is not relevant to him,
even though he was the only person in a position to assent to the
Bill following the passing of the CAB
by Parliament. On
6 November 2024, Media Monitoring Africa Trust (MMA) filed
an application for admission as amicus
curiae.
[20]
On 11 November 2024, the Minister filed a
condonation application, a notice to abide and an explanatory
affidavit regarding
the stance of the Department of Trade, Industry
and Competition (Department) on the reading-in of section 13A.
The Minister
provided an explanation for the delay and stated that
this was due to communication, procedural and logistical factors.
The
explanatory affidavit provides the history of the CAB and
documents some initial concerns raised in 2018 to 2019 by a technical
team appointed by Parliament about clause 19D. These
concerns did not relate to the constitutionality of clause 19D,
but rather the alignment of clause 19D with the
Marrakesh VIP Treaty and whether it would meet the
three-step test.
The Minister supported an order that would
read in section 13A.
[21]
On 18 November 2024, Blind SA filed its
replying affidavit in response to the Minister. This was to
dispute
the Minister’s contention that South Africa has signed
the Marrakesh VIP Treaty. First, Blind SA stated
that South Africa has not acceded to the Marrakesh VIP Treaty.
It also highlighted that since this Court’s
order in 2022,
South Africa has still not acceded to the Treaty and despite numerous
requests for the Department to initiate the
processes to do so, it is
not clear whether it has taken any such steps. Blind SA
pointed to the fact that nowhere in
the Minister’s papers does
he confirm that the Department will regard section 13A as
providing a sufficient basis for
the country’s accession to the
Marrakesh VIP Treaty.
[22]
On 20 November 2024, the Court separated this matter
from the President’s referral and admitted MMA as
amicus curiae.
The separation was on the basis that
Blind SA’s application would be adjudicated urgently while
the President’s
referral would be decided in the ordinary
course.
Submissions
by the parties
[23]
Blind SA
submitted that this Court’s jurisdiction is engaged because the
relief sought is an order that would effectively
vary or supplement
this Court’s order in
Blind SA I
.
It relied on
Ex
Parte Home Affairs
[13]
for the proposition that “the variation of orders is a
constitutional matter, within this Court’s jurisdiction”
[14]
and that only this Court has the power to vary its own orders.
[15]
Furthermore, if direct access is refused, persons with visual
and print disabilities would have to wait for the enactment
of the
CAB and this could take years depending on the outcome of the
referral case. During that time, the rights of persons
with
visual and print disabilities would be unrealised. Therefore,
it is in the interests of justice for this Court to grant
direct
access.
[24]
Initially, the President, in his answering affidavit,
submitted that no case had been made out for direct access.
However,
in the written submissions, the President appears to accept
that this Court’s jurisdiction is engaged and that the matter
is urgent. He has no objection to the updated relief sought by
Blind SA save for the costs order against him, which
he opposes.
[25]
On urgency,
Blind SA recognises that the majority of case law about urgency
in relation to applications for extensions of declarations
of
invalidity concern applications made close to the expiry of the
suspension period. It submits that appropriate relief
is
urgently required to clarify the position of persons with visual and
print disabilities and those they rely on to make or obtain
these
accessible format copies. Another potentially indefinite delay
to the amendment of the
Copyright Act is
not justified
considering the length of time the rights of persons with visual and
print disabilities have been violated.
This was recognised by
this Court in
Blind SA I
,
in terms of which this Court held that persons with visual and print
disabilities needed to be provided with immediate relief
to address
the continuing infringement of their rights.
[16]
Despite Parliament having fulfilled its obligation to pass
legislation to cure the constitutional defect, clause 19D
has
not been promulgated and the Court’s reading-in of
section 13A
is no longer operative.
[26]
Blind SA asks
this Court to grant just and equitable relief and that
section 13A
should be kept in place until legislation is passed to cure the
constitutional defect. This would remove the uncertainty
that
exists regarding the current position of persons with visual and
print disabilities and would facilitate South Africa’s
accession to the Marrakesh VIP Treaty, which has been put
on hold indefinitely.
[17]
[27]
Blind SA
argues that this Court is able to vary or supplement its order in the
manner sought. It relies on
LAMOSA
,
[18]
in which this Court confirmed the principle that it has the power to
vary its orders, although this power must be sparingly exercised.
[19]
[28]
Blind SA
submits that the Court is not obliged to read in
section 13A
as
an interim measure but could read in the current version of
clause 19D of the CAB and the definitions it relies upon (the
current version is slightly different from the previous version of
clause 19D considered by the Court in
Blind SA I
)
as Parliament has chosen this provision to cure the constitutional
defect in the
Copyright Act. Alternatively
, this option is
made possible by this Court’s judgment in
EFF II
,
[20]
in which this Court held that the power to grant just and equitable
relief is “so wide and flexible that it allows courts
to
formulate an order that does not follow prayers in the notice of
motion or some other pleading”.
[21]
Blind SA argues that the current clause 19D is “more
user friendly and better advances the rights of persons
with visual
and print disabilities”. Therefore, it would be just and
equitable for this Court to revive
section 13A
or to read in the
current clause 19D in the CAB as the Legislature’s chosen
solution, which is also not a subject of
the President’s
referral.
[29]
On costs, Blind SA argues that if it is successful in
relation to its substantive relief, the President should pay the
costs
of the application, including the costs of two counsel and that
this should be on a punitive scale. This is due to the delay
on
the part of the President to make a decision on the CAB before the
expiry of the suspension period and the declaration of invalidity
taking effect. Secondly, the President failed to inform the
parties that he would not be able to make a decision in time,
forcing
Blind SA to approach the Court after the declaration of
invalidity had expired and thus jeopardising the rights of
persons
with print and visual disabilities. The President did not make
it clear to the parties that he would not be able
to decide on time.
If he had informed the parties, Parliament, the Minister or Blind SA
could have approached this Court
before the expiry of the suspension
of invalidity. Blind SA contends that it was compelled to
approach the Court on
an urgent basis because those who should have
ensured the implementation of the order were absent. The
President, on his
side, rushed his referral of the CAB to this Court,
which strongly suggests he did so in response to the initiation of
this case
and indicates that without such pressure, the referral
would have taken longer.
[30]
The President has
abandoned his initial stance that Blind SA should pay costs and
submits that the
Biowatch
[22]
principle applies. Regarding the costs order sought against the
President, the President submits that he was not a party
to the order
in
Blind SA I
and, thus, his failure to
decide on the CAB before the end of the suspension of the declaration
of invalidity did not contravene
this Court’s order or his
constitutional obligations. He further argues that there is no
assertion in Blind SA’s
founding affidavit that the CAB
was not prioritised, nor any mention of facts that might support such
a view. Blind SA
had thus made out a new case in its
replying affidavit – that the President ought to have
prioritised the processing of the
CAB, which was not foreshadowed in
its founding affidavit. The President was not afforded an
opportunity to respond to these
averments.
[31]
The President argues that there is no basis for a punitive
costs order against him. He submits that the scale of attorney
and client costs is extraordinary and should only be granted in cases
where a litigant has acted in “a clear and indubitably
vexatious and reprehensible manner” to indicate the extreme
disapproval of the Court.
[32]
The Minister submits that while the Court has broad and
flexible powers to grant just and equitable relief under
section 172(1)(b)
of the Constitution to address the current
dispute and ensure constitutional compliance, any reading-in should
respect the legislative
process and concerns raised by the
President. A just and equitable remedy would be one that
maintains section 13A while
respecting the separation of
powers. In this regard, the Minister argues that this Court
should be guided by
Ex Parte Home Affairs
.
[33]
The Minister thus supports the temporary inclusion of
section 13A into the
Copyright Act pending
legislation
curing the defect. He argues that this is necessary to preserve
the rights of persons with visual and print disabilities
and align
South Africa with the Marrakesh VIP Treaty, which the
Minister believes has been ratified.
[34]
Media Monitoring Africa provided submissions on remedy.
It notes that all parties rely on
Ex Parte Home Affairs
to justify the view that this Court has the power to grant
supplementary relief. However, it argues that this Court is in
a somewhat unique position in this case: Parliament technically
complied with this Court’s order in
Blind SA I
but, due to the delay in signing the CAB, the intention of the
order is unrealised and as a result the legislative defect is not
cured. The Court did not anticipate that the President’s
process in deciding whether to sign the CAB would hinder or
delay the
enactment of the remedial legislation. This has effectively
resulted in the rights of persons with visual and print
disabilities
being violated once again.
[35]
The amicus refers
to the
Firestone
[23]
principle that a court has no power to change or supplement a final
judgment, unless such change or supplementation relates to
accessory
or consequential matters that the court overlooked or accidentally
omitted.
[24]
It submits
that this Court has developed a “precautionary measures
approach” in that, because of the repeated
applications for
extensions of declarations of invalidity, this Court provides an
interim reading-in that becomes final if the
suspension of the
declaration of invalidity expires. The Court expressed this
approach in
Levenstein
,
[25]
Centre
for Child Law
,
[26]
Women’s
Legal Centre Trust
[27]
and
Ramuhovhi II
.
[28]
The combination of the precautionary measures approach and the power
of courts to supplement orders culminated in
Ex Parte Home Affairs
,
which MMA submits allows this Court to remedy the lacuna in the
current law through granting the just and equitable relief sought
by
Blind SA. This Court actually has a constitutional
responsibility to grant supplementary relief because it is clear
that, without such relief, the rights of persons with visual and
print disabilities will be violated again. This Court should
also infuse precautionary measures into its order.
[29]
MMA submits that this Court may grant the relief proposed by Blind SA
or any other relief on an urgent basis and provide
reasons for
granting this relief later.
Issues
[36]
The central issues for determination by this Court are as
follows:
(a)
Firstly, whether this Court retains jurisdiction to hear the
present
application and whether the application satisfies the requisites of
urgency.
(b)
Secondly, what form of remedy constitutes just and equitable
relief,
considering the lapsed suspension period of the prior declaration of
constitutional invalidity in relation to the
Copyright Act.
(c
)
Thirdly, whether an order for costs against the President and/or
the
Minister is warranted in these circumstances.
Analysis
[37]
During the hearing of the matter, there was no dispute between
the parties that this matter was urgent and that the Court’s
jurisdiction is engaged. I agree, this Court is the only court
with the competency to supplement its orders. This matter
is
also about the protection of the constitutional rights of the
visually and print-disabled persons pending the coming into force
of
remedial legislation. Therefore, this Court’s
jurisdiction is engaged.
[38]
The matter is urgent as the persons represented by Blind SA
find themselves in a precarious position because they no longer
enjoy
the protection of this Court’s order and are now without an
effective remedy. The urgency here stems from the
lacuna
created by the lapsed suspension period of the declaration of
constitutional invalidity and the resultant lapsing of
section 13A
’s
reading-in provisions. This gap creates an immediate breach of
the rights of persons with visual and print disabilities
–
rights that
section 13A
previously safeguarded. Similarly,
Blind SA approached this Court approximately ten days after the
expiry of the suspension
period, notwithstanding the fact that it did
not have any responsibility to cure the defects. In my view,
questioning whether
they could have acted sooner would misplace the
constitutional burden. No party contests the pressing nature of
this application
and that the potential violation of rights demands
immediate attention.
[39]
The remaining issues that require the Court’s attention
relate to the determination of just, supplementary and equitable
relief
and whether the President and/or the Minister should pay the
costs of the application.
[40]
During the hearing, Blind SA submitted that, at a
minimum, a just and equitable solution would be to effectively
reinstate
section 13A
until it is no longer required.
Alternatively, Parliament’s chosen solution of
clause 19D, which has been delayed
only by the referral matter
and which may provide a more comprehensive remedy, should be read in.
Counsel for the President
and the Minister supported Blind SA’s
position and urged us to read in the current version of clause 19D
until
legislation to cure the defect in the
Copyright Act comes
into force.
[41]
In
Hoërskool
Ermelo,
[30]
this Court held that in deciding on a remedy in a constitutional
matter within this Court’s power, the “litmus test
will
be whether considerations of justice and equity in a particular case
dictate that the order be made”.
[31]
The Court further held that the power to order just and equitable
relief is available even though the case is not one in
which a court
makes a declaration of invalidity nor one in which the outcome hinges
on constitutional invalidity. To do this,
the Court reasoned,
places substance over form.
[32]
[42]
In
LAMOSA,
this Court confirmed
“that courts do have the discretion to vary their orders,
albeit that this discretion must be exercised
sparingly”.
[33]
This Court has exercised such discretion to extend suspension
periods where Parliament failed to cure constitutional defects
timeously.
[34]
[43]
This Court in
Blind SA I
declared
that the provisions of the
Copyright Act were
constitutionally
invalid and provided interim relief it considered just and equitable
at the time.
[35]
The
circumstances have since evolved: after two years, the interim
reading-in remedy has lapsed without the defect having
been cured,
creating uncertainty and postponing accession to the
Marrakesh VIP Treaty. Indeed, the failure to
promulgate the CAB within 24 months has created a legislative
gap, reverting to the position before this Court’s original
order. This situation requires balancing the immediate need for
protection against the necessity of ensuring constitutionally
compliant legislation satisfactory to both the President and
Parliament. The retention of
section 13A
is proposed as an
appropriate solution, as it would continue to protect visually and
print-impaired persons’ constitutional
rights to equality,
dignity and education under sections 9, 10, and 29
of the Constitution.
[44]
As the suspension period has lapsed, no extension may be
granted. However, this Court has the power to order just and
equitable
relief if justice so demands and as long as that does not
revive statutory provisions that have been declared invalid and where
such declaration has taken effect. Therefore, this Court has to
determine a just and equitable remedy rather than an extension
of a
suspension of an order of constitutional invalidity. The
parties are not arguing otherwise, correctly so.
[45]
As to when such a
just and equitable order may be sought, this Court in
Ex Parte Home Affairs
considered whether it
could vary an order where the suspension period had expired, leaving
an uncertain legal framework. It
recognised its power under
section 172(1)(b) of the Constitution “to order
supplementary just and equitable relief to
provide [legal]
certainty”,
[36]
explaining:
“
The
legal question is what, under the circumstances, would qualify as a
just and equitable order? To determine this, we must
adopt the
approach set out in
Ntuli
,
Zondi
,
Minister
of Social Development
and
Cross-Border
Roads Transport Agency
,
where this Court considered:
(a)
the nature of the constitutional defects;
(b)
the harm caused by the failure to pass remedial legislation;
and
(c)
the remedies proposed by the parties.
. . .
As
stated, this Court cannot revive statutory provisions after . . .
suspension. But there is nothing in our law
that precludes us
from ordering amplified just and equitable relief to supplement the
[original] order. An amplification
. . . by adding a
modified version of the invalid [provisions] is not a reading-in
. . . following upon
a declaration of . . .
invalidity. Instead, it is a free-standing judicial remedy in
terms of section 172(1)(b).”
[37]
[46]
In the above case, the Court granted the order three years
after the expiry of the suspension period of a declaration of
invalidity
and six years since the original order of constitutional
invalidity was made. In the present case, the applicant
approached
us around ten days after the suspension period ended.
[47]
Importantly, in granting a supplementary
just and equitable order, one must be mindful of the legal framework
at play. Section 13A
was read into the
Copyright Act
as
a whole and functioned as a standalone provision. The
constitutional defect that necessitated this Court’s
intervention
did not lie in any specific provision of the
Copyright Act that
needed to be struck down, but rather in the
absence of necessary provisions to protect the rights of persons with
visual and print
disabilities.
Section 13A
was designed to
function as an interim measure to fill this gap. The
President’s current referral of the CAB raises
distinct
constitutional questions about that Bill’s provisions, which
cannot affect the existing
Copyright Act as
the CAB has not yet
been enacted into law. Therefore, our task is to craft an
appropriate interim remedy that addresses the
lapsed suspension
period while the legislative process takes its course.
[48]
The factors
outlined in this Court’s judgments require a careful balancing
to determine whether justice demands reading in
section 13A
or
clause 19D along with necessary ancillary provisions. The
traditional considerations from
Zondi II
[38]
and
LAMOSA
,
including explanations for failing to remedy the defects timeously,
the adequacy of proposed extensions and comparative prejudice,
[39]
do not align precisely with the circumstances of the current matter.
Unlike typical cases, there is no proposed timeline
for a
parliamentary remedy, as the CAB remains before this Court for
determination as to whether certain provisions pass constitutional
muster. Therefore, any relief granted must operate pending the
coming into force of the legislation.
[49]
The potential
violation of fundamental rights emerges as the decisive
consideration, particularly given the absence of certainty
regarding
the Bill’s eventual assent. The interests of justice
therefore compel the provision of remedial relief. This
approach is aligned with the approach in
Ex Parte Home Affairs
where this Court focused
on three main factors, namely, the nature of the constitutional
defect, the harm ensuing due to the lacuna
and the suggested remedies
for consideration in determining a supplementary just and equitable
order.
[40]
I proceed to
deal with that question.
Should this Court
grant
section 13A
or clause 19D relief?
[50]
As indicated in this judgment, after the hearing this Court
issued an interim order in the form of
section 13A
to ensure
that the persons with visual and print disabilities had some form of
relief whilst we were considering the matter. The
question
whether this Court should grant an order reading in
section 13A
or the current version of clause 19D pending the coming into
force of remedial legislation warrants detailed examination.
[51]
There have been
concerns raised about the proposal of reading-in clause 19D and
these relate to piecemeal legislation through
judicial intervention,
with the provision’s perceived ambiguity presenting significant
obstacles. The view was that
the reading-in of clause 19D
risked undue intrusion into legislative domain, particularly given
its status within a Bill that
has not yet been assented to and
signed. The uncertainty surrounding the provision’s final
legislative form amplified
these concerns about encroaching on
parliamentary prerogatives. Another factor was this Court’s
decision in
Blind SA I
when it declined to
incorporate the previous version of clause 19D on the basis that
it went beyond Blind SA’s constitutional
challenge.
[41]
[52]
While the concerns about judicial overreach are valid, the
changed circumstances, the intention of the Legislature, urgent
rights
protection and the temporary nature of the remedy, warrant the
reading-in of clause 19D instead of
section 13A.
Furthermore, the convergence of all respondents’
positions supporting clause 19D as the just and equitable
remedy,
coupled with their comprehensive legal arguments, provide
compelling grounds that a reading-in of clause 19D is an
appropriate
order for the reasons set out below.
[53]
First, unlike in
Blind SA I
, clause 19D
has undergone substantial revision and notably is not one of the
provisions in the President’s referral
matter where he has
constitutional reservations. The previous barriers that
prevented its incorporation have been resolved
through proper
constitutional tagging and parliamentary scrutiny. The
provision previously fell short due to specific deficiencies:
its
narrow scope, critical dependence on subordinate legislation,
procedural flaws in legislative tagging and incomplete drafting.
These fundamental limitations necessitated this Court’s
crafting of
section 13A
as a temporary relief which, while
embodying clause 19D’s core principles, addressed
immediate needs.
Section 13A
was explicitly designed as an
interim measure and has since lapsed, requiring fresh consideration
of relief mechanisms within the
current constitutional framework.
[54]
Second, clause 19D represents Parliament’s chosen
solution, having already passed through the legislative process.
Reading
it in as an interim measure respects rather than
undermines legislative prerogatives, as it implements Parliament’s
considered
remedy while technical processes are completed. The
2024 iteration of clause 19D demonstrates a marked evolution
through
proper constitutional tagging and rigorous parliamentary
scrutiny. It has developed into a broader provision
encompassing
artistic works and multiple formats, reflecting both
procedural improvements and substantive enhancement of its legal
architecture.
[55]
Third, the lapsing of
section 13A
has created an
immediate rights vacuum affecting the constitutional rights of
visually and print-impaired persons, therefore, it
is imperative that
these rights are protected. Clause 19D provides a more
comprehensive framework aligned with both
constitutional imperatives
and international obligations, particularly the Marrakesh VIP Treaty.
A detailed comparative
analysis between
section 13A
and
clause 19D reveals fundamental distinctions. Where
section 13A
provided restricted relief focused solely on visual
or print disabilities, clause 19D establishes a comprehensive
scheme aligned
with contemporary disability rights jurisprudence.
Clause 19D incorporates essential cross-border provisions
mandated
by the Marrakesh VIP Treaty, enabling
international exchange of accessible format copies –
a vital element
entirely absent from
section 13A.
The
provision carefully balances accessibility requirements with
copyright protections through specific attribution requirements
and
detailed safeguards against misuse, particularly in international
transfers.
[56]
These substantive improvements render clause 19D a more
robust and legally sustainable framework. Its structure
harmonises
with both evolving disability rights’ principles and
South Africa’s international obligations, providing essential
flexibility, durability and clarity for meaningful relief. Reading
in clause 19D as interim relief achieves an appropriate
balance
between constitutional imperatives, legislative intent and pressing
accessibility needs in a manner that
section 13A
, with its
inherent limitations, could not accomplish.
[57]
The international dimension merits consideration, though
requires careful articulation. While South Africa played a
significant
role in negotiating the Marrakesh VIP Treaty in
2013, it has not yet acceded to the treaty. Thus, South Africa
does not currently bear binding international obligations under this
instrument. Nevertheless, clause 19D’s framework
represents an advancement over
section 13A
’s limited
scope, particularly in its provision for cross-border exchange of
accessible-format copies. This alignment
with international
best practices in disability rights protection, as embodied in the
Marrakesh VIP Treaty, would place
South Africa in an
advantageous position should it choose to accede to the treaty in
future. Furthermore, clause 19D’s
comprehensive
approach to accessibility rights better serves the constitutional
imperatives of equality and dignity for persons
with disabilities.
The provision maintains its constitutional integrity and
remains separate from the concerns raised in
the President’s
referral.
[58]
Lastly, the separation of powers concerns that initially
weighed against clause 19D can now be resolved through
established
constitutional principles with minimal procedural
complexity. Framing the relief as temporary and interim in
nature –
pending presidential assent – avoids
judicial overreach into legislative or executive domains. The
Court, which is
not bound by the previous relief due to its expiry,
possesses the constitutional authority to formulate the most
appropriate solution.
As counsel persuasively argued during the
hearing, while nomenclature may vary, the substantive constitutional
effect remains constant.
The reading-in would be temporary in
nature, serving as an interim bridge ensuring that the CAB’s
stated objectives
persist despite procedural delays, particularly
given the uncertain trajectory of the referral matter, and will
remain until the
formal legislative process is finalised. This
approach balances the need to protect constitutional rights with
respect for
the separation of powers. This solution represents
a pragmatic response to an urgent constitutional need while
maintaining
appropriate deference to legislative and executive
functions.
[59]
The reading-in of clause 19D as an interim measure would
neither impede Parliament’s ongoing legislative functions nor
compromise its broader constitutional objectives. Parliament’s
permanent legislative remedy, though delayed by the
referral process,
would remain intact and preserved for implementation upon the CAB’s
eventual assent. The fact that
the order will be an interim one
should allay any fears regarding the legislative process that will
follow, including the signing
of the Marrakesh VIP Treaty.
It must be borne in mind that the clause 19D relief is not
merely a question
of the parties agreeing to it, but Parliament has
already passed this provision and the President did not raise any
issue with
it.
[60]
In the result, it would be just and equitable for this Court
to make an order that would essentially supplement its 2022 order, to
ensure its effectiveness. It would be unacceptable for this
Court to permit a delay of more than a year in the realisation
of the
rights of persons with visual and print disabilities in light of the
President’s referral. It follows that an
order must be
issued to protect their constitutional rights. For this
purpose, clause 19D and the relevant definitions
contained in
the current version of the CAB as passed by Parliament will be in
operation until the coming into force of the CAB.
Costs
[61]
Initially, Blind SA sought a punitive costs order against
the President. During the hearing, counsel for Blind SA
indicated that it no longer seeks a punitive costs order.
[62]
While many respondents participated in these proceedings, the
President’s unique constitutional position and responsibilities
distinguish his role. The President alone possessed both the
authority and knowledge to prevent this litigation. His
failure
to act timeously regarding the CAB, or at minimum alert other parties
to potential delays, effectively necessitated these
proceedings. The
President failed to communicate with any of the parties that he would
not be able to make a decision on
the CAB before the expiry of the
declaration of invalidity. In my view, his lack of
communication resulted in the suspension
period of the declaration of
invalidity expiring without any party being able to launch
proceedings in advance, to extend the suspension
of invalidity.
Blind SA’s application cannot be characterised as
frivolous or vexatious. It was caused by
the President’s
delay in addressing the CAB some seven months after
parliamentary passage. Blind SA demonstrated
procedural
diligence by its enquiries and prompt filing of supplementary
documentation.
[63]
The position of other respondents – including the
Chairperson of the NCOP and the Minister – differs materially,
as
they had fulfilled their duties and lacked the knowledge that the
relief would expire due to the President’s decision not
to sign
the CAB. Had the President exercised appropriate diligence in
either making a timely decision or seeking an extension,
rather than
maintaining prolonged silence after parliamentary passage of the CAB,
Blind SA’s approach to this Court
might have been avoided
entirely. The dilatory approach to this matter is not
acceptable and this Court cannot condone it.
Therefore, the
President must pay Blind SA’s costs.
[64]
During the hearing, Blind SA sought an order that the
Minister should pay its costs for the filing of the replying
affidavit.
Blind SA submitted that it was compelled to
file a reply due to the error in the Minister’s affidavit. I
am not persuaded by this argument as the Minister was an abiding
party and merely filed an explanatory affidavit.
Order
[65]
In the result, the following order is made:
1.
Direct access is granted.
2.
Pending the coming into force of legislation
remedying the
constitutional defects in the
Copyright Act 98 of 1978
as
identified by this Court’s judgment and order of
21 September 2022, the Copyright Act 98 of 1978 shall
be deemed to include a
section 19D
reading as follows:
“
Section 19D.
(1)
An authorised entity, or any person as may be prescribed and who
serves persons with disabilities
may, without the authorisation of
the copyright owner, make an accessible format copy for the benefit
of a person with a disability,
supply that accessible format copy to
a person with a disability by any means, including by non-commercial
lending or by digital
communication by wire or wireless means, and
undertake any intermediate steps to achieve these objectives, if the
following conditions
are met:
(a)
The person wishing to undertake any activity under this subsection
must have lawful access to
the copyright work or a copy of that work;
(b)
in converting the copyright work to an accessible format copy, the
integrity of the original work
must be respected, taking due
consideration of the changes needed to make the work accessible in
that alternative format and of
the accessibility needs of the persons
with a disability; and
(c)
the activity under this subsection must be undertaken on a non-profit
basis.
(2)
(a) A person to whom the work is
communicated by wire or wireless means
as a result of an activity
under subsection (1) may, without the authorisation of the owner of
the copyright work, reproduce the
work, where that person is a
person—
(i)
with a disability, for their personal use; or
(ii)
who serves persons with disabilities, including an authorised entity,
for personal
use by a person with a disability.
(b) The
provisions of paragraph (a) are without prejudice to any other
limitations or exceptions that the person
referred to in that
paragraph may enjoy.
(3)
A person with a disability, or someone acting on their behalf,
including an authorised entity,
may make an accessible format copy of
a work for the personal use of the person with a disability or
otherwise may assist the person
with a disability to make and use
accessible format copies where the person with a disability has
lawful access to that work or
a copy of that work.
(4)
(a) A person with a disability or a
person who serves persons with
disabilities, including an authorised
entity, may, without the authorisation of the copyright owner export
to, or import from,
another country any legal copy of an accessible
format copy of a work for distribution, or to make it available to
persons with
a disability, as long as such activity is undertaken on
a non-profit basis by that person.
(b)
A person contemplated in paragraph (a) may not export or import an
accessible format copy where
such person knows, or has reason to
know, that the accessible format copy will be used for purposes other
than to aid persons with
a disability.
(5)
The exception created by this section is subject to the obligation of
indicating the source and
the name of the author, if it appears on
the work, on any accessible format copy.
(6)
For the purposes of this
section 19D
—
(a)
‘accessible format copy’ means a copy of a work in an
alternative manner or form,
which gives a person with a disability
access to the work, including to permit the person to have access as
feasibly and comfortably
as a person without a disability;
(b)
‘authorised entity’ means—
(i)
an entity that is authorised or recognised by the government to
provide education, instructional
training, adaptive reading or
information access to persons with a disability on a non-profit
basis; or
(ii)
an entity, including a government institution or non-profit
organisation that provides education,
instructional training,
adaptive reading or information access to persons with a disability
on a non-profit basis as one of its
primary activities or
institutional obligations.
(c)
‘person with a disability’ means a person who has a
physical, intellectual, neurological,
or sensory impairment and who
requires the work to be in a format that enables that person to
access and use the work in the same
manner as a person without a
disability;
(d)
‘commercial’ means the obtaining of economic advantage or
financial gain in connection
with a business or trade.”
3.
The reading-in of
section 19D
, shall remain in effect until the
remedial legislation contemplated in paragraph 2 comes into
force.
4.
The President of the Republic of South Africa
must pay the costs of
this application including the costs of two counsel.
For the Applicant:
J Berger and M
Rasivhetshele instructed by
Section 27
For the First
Respondent:
N Bawa SC,
R Tulk and S Kazee instructed by Office of the State
Attorney, Pretoria
For the Fourth
Respondent:
S Baloyi SC
and L Phasha instructed by Office of the State Attorney,
Pretoria
For the Amicus
Curiae:
M
Power
and T Power instructed by Power and Associates Incorporated
[1]
[B 13B—2017].
[2]
Section 79(4) of the Constitution provides:
“
If,
after reconsideration, a Bill fully accommodates the President’s
reservations, the President must assent to and sign
the Bill; if
not, the President must either
(a)
assent to or sign the Bill; or
(b)
refer it to the Constitutional Court for a decision on its
constitutionality.”
Section 237
of the Constitution states that all constitutional obligations must
be performed diligently and without delay.
[3]
98 of 1978.
[4]
This was a provision from an earlier version of the CAB.
Clause 19D remains in the present version of the CAB although
it is slightly revised.
[5]
Blind SA
v Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition
[2021 ZAGPPHC 871 (GP).
[6]
Blind
SA v Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition
[2022]
ZACC 33; 2023 (2) BCLR 117 (CC).
[7]
Clause 19D is the National Assembly’s attempt to allow
authorised entities or prescribed persons to create, supply
and
distribute accessible format copies of copyright works to persons
with disabilities without copyright owner permission, provided
they
have lawful access to the work, maintain its integrity, operate
non-profit and properly attribute the source and author.
[8]
It was also formulated through reference to the Marrakesh VIP
Treaty, see n 10 below. See
Blind SA I
above
n 6 at paras 105 8.
[9]
Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons
Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled
(2013)
52 ILM 1309 administered by the World Intellectual Property
Organisation (Marrakesh VIP Treaty).
[10]
Blind SA argues that this referral will likely take longer than
the referral in
Ex
parte President of the Republic of South Africa: In re
Constitutionality of the Liquor Bill
[1999]
ZACC 15
;
2000 (1) SA 732
(CC);
2000 (1) BCLR 1
(CC), which was a
less complex matter and yet still took eight months and
resulted in the Liquor Bill being found unconstitutional.
[11]
Seeking
interim amendment of the
Copyright Act by
the inclusion of
section 13A
, pending the coming into force of the CAB.
[12]
In restating the relief sought,
prayer 1
pertains to the applicant’s request for an urgent hearing
pursuant to rule 12 of the Constitutional Court
Rules; prayer 2
(formerly prayer 4) is for interim relief in the form of an
inclusion of section 13A in the
Copyright Act, pending
the
enactment of appropriate legislation; and prayer 3 (formerly
prayer 5) is for a costs order on an attorney and
client scale,
including costs of two counsel, against the President or, in the
alternative, jointly against the President and
all opposing
respondents.
[13]
Ex
parte Minister of Home Affairs: In re Lawyers for Human Rights v
Minister of Home Affairs
[2023]
ZACC 34; 2024 (1) BCLR 70 (CC); 2024 (2) SA 58 (CC).
[14]
Id at para 29.
[15]
Id at para 10.
[16]
Blind SA I
above n 6 at
para 102.
[17]
South Africa had previously indicated that it would not sign the
Marrakesh VIP Treaty until its laws were aligned with
it.
Despite this, even when this Court read
section 13A
into the
Copyright Act, which
supposedly aligned South Africa’s
copyright regime with the Marrakesh VIP Treaty, South
Africa still did
not sign or ratify the treaty.
[18]
Speaker
of the National Assembly v Land Access Movement of South Africa
[2019] ZACC 10; 2019 (5)
BCLR 619 (CC); 2019 (6) SA 568 (CC).
[19]
Id at para 15. In its written submissions, Blind SA
gives several examples of where this Court has exercised
this
discretion, see
Acting
Speaker of the National Assembly v Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused
Children
[2015]
ZACC 16
;
2015 (10) BCLR 1129
(CC) (
Teddy
Bear Clinic
)
at para 12;
Minister
of Justice and Correctional Services v Ramuhovhi
[2019]
ZACC 44
;
2020 (3) BCLR 300
(CC) (
Ramuhovhi
II
)
at para 9; and
Electoral
Commission of South Africa v Speaker of the National Assembly
[2018] ZACC 46
;
2019 (3)
BCLR 289
(CC) (
Electoral
Commission of South Africa
)
at paras 69-70.
[20]
Economic
Freedom Fighters v Speaker of the National Assembly
[2017]
ZACC 47; 2018 (2) SA 571 (CC); 2018 (3) BCLR 259 (CC).
[21]
Id
at para 211.
[22]
Biowatch
Trust v Registrar Genetic Resources
[2009]
ZACC 14; 2009 (6) SA 232 (CC); 2009 (10) BCLR 1014 (CC).
[23]
Firestone
South Africa (Pty) Ltd v Genticuro AG
1977
(4) SA 298 (A); [1977] 4 All SA 600 (A).
[24]
Id
at 306F-H.
[25]
Levenstein
v Estate of the Late Sidney Lewis Frankel
[2018]
ZACC 16
;
2018 (2) SACR 283
(CC);
2018 (8) BCLR 921
(CC) at paras 76
and 89.
[26]
Centre
for Child Law v Media 24 Limited
[2019]
ZACC 46
;
2020 (3) BCLR 245
(CC);
2020 (4) SA 319
(CC) at
para 128(7).
[27]
Women’s
Legal Centre Trust v President of the Republic of South Africa
[2022] ZACC 23
;
2022 (5)
SA 323
(CC);
2023 (1) BCLR 80
(CC) at paras 86(1.7)-(1.9).
[28]
Ramuhovhi
II
above
n 20 at para 12.
[29]
Ramuhovhi
v President of the Republic of South Africa
[2017]
ZACC 41
;
2018 (2) BCLR 217
(CC);
2018 (2) SA 1
(CC) at paras 50 and
71.
[30]
Head of
Department: Mpumalanga Department of Education v Hoërskool
Ermelo
[2009]
ZACC 32; 2010 (2) SA 415 (CC); 2010 (3) BCLR 177 (CC).
[31]
Id at para 96.
[32]
Id at para 97.
[33]
LAMOSA
above
n 18
at
para 25.
[34]
Teddy Bear Clinic
above n 20,
considering factors in
Ramuhovhi II
above n 20 at
para 9 and
Electoral Commission
above
n 20 at paras 69-70.
[35]
See
Blind SA I
above
n 6.
[36]
Ex
Parte Home Affairs
above
n 13 a
t
para 40.
[37]
Id at paras 30 and 40.
[38]
Zondi v
Member of the Executive Council for Traditional and Local Government
Affairs
[2005]
ZACC 18; 2006 (3) SA 1 (CC); 2006 (3) BCLR 423 (CC).
[39]
Id at para 46 and
LAMOSA
above n 18 at
paras 32-6.
[40]
Ex
Parte Home Affairs
above
n 13 at para 30.
[41]
See
Blind SA I
above
n 6
at
para 105.
sino noindex
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