Tutorial Letter 101 For SCL
Tutorial Letter 101 For SCL
Tutorial Letter 101 For SCL
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
This tutorial letter contains important information
about your module.
CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION . ........................................................................................................... 4
8 ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................. 8
8.1 Assessment plan ................................................................................................... 8
8.2 General assignment numbers ................................................................................ 9
8.2.1 Unique assignment numbers ..................................................................... 9
8.2.2 Due dates for assignments ........................................................................ 9
8.3 Submission of assignments.................................................................................... 9
8.4 Assignments ......................................................................................................... 10
8.4.1 Assignments for the first semester ......................................................... 13
8.4.2 Assignments for the second semester ............................................. 49
10 EXAMINATION ............................................................................................................. 86
10.1 Examination period............................................................................................... 86
10.2 Examination paper ........................................................................................ 86
10.2.1 Blank pages ............................................................................................ 86
10.2.2 Scope of the examination ........................................................................ 86
10.3 General guidelines for answering examination questions ................................... 87
10.4 Previous examination papers............................................................................... 87
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12 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 88
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1 INTRODUCTION
Dear Student
We are truly excited to welcome you to the module Skills Course for Law Students
(SCL1501) offered in the Department of Jurisprudence. We are confident that you will find
it both interesting and helpful. Our approach to this module recognizes the importance of
blending theory and practice. We will therefore make it as practical as possible so that you
can learn and develop the legal skills that are so crucial to a student of law.
However, not all this will be possible if you are not prepared to do the activities that we
give you in the various study units in your study material. Above all, you should not
be satisfied with merely absorbing the content of the study material. You will realise,
as you go through your study material that we encourage you to engage the material
so that you can be able to apply whatever skill is taught with confidence!
This module is one of the foundational modules for the l a w degree (LLB) and other
law-related diplomas. We wish to inf orm you that in the recent past, the legal
profession made a startling discovery that most newly qualified law graduates lacked the
necessary skills for legal practice. This module introduces certain practical legal skills to
beginner students in law, through the integration of theoretical knowledge with skills or
application of that knowledge. The module will, therefore, teach you HOW to approach
your legal studies, and prepare you for the legal career. We are confident that it will
serve as an excellent platform and a springboard for your future as a legal practitioner
or a lawyer! We need to mention, though, that this will only be possible if you are
prepared to work hard, interrogate the tutorial content and do the activities that follow
every section or sub-section of your study guide. Since this module is meant to help you
develop legal skills, it is extremely important that you DO what is asked. As already
hinted, it is not at all helpful for you to know the content if you cannot apply it when
you are required to in an authentic practical situation. Indeed that will be a total waste of
time, energy and resources!
We will therefore “force” you to do certain tasks, which will, in the end, benefit you
immensely. An example of such “forced tasks” is in the form of activities 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3
in Study Unit 3 (Reading Legal Texts) of your Only Study Guide for SCL1501. You will
realize that In order to do such activities, you first have to find the various legal texts
referred to in that study unit.
We may as well immediately advise that you try to find those legal texts right away so that
you do not have to hassle when you start working on that study unit. In fact, the said legal
texts provide valuable material for you to make sense of the contents of Study Unit 3
(Reading Legal Texts). At the same time, we are satisfied that this task will enable you
acquire the skill of finding legal sources, which is a key aspect of research.
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2.2 Outcomes
Demonstrate an appreciation for blending theory and practice (reflection and action)
Define the term “law”, explain its functions and how various skills apply to it
Understand key educational concepts and demonstrate effective study skills
Demonstrate basic knowledge and applicable legal skills ( reading legal texts, legal
communication skills, basic litigation and oral advocacy skills, and numeric skills)
Demonstrate knowledge of the various legal actors and their roles
Apply the legal skills to other courses in the area of law
Make sense of the various aspects that relate to the daily challenges in the practice
of law.
Mr KB Morota
Brooklyn House, Office 2-42, Veale Street, Brooklyn
Email: morotkb@unisa.ac.za
Tel: 012 433 9448
David Letsoalo
Brooklyn House, Office 2-30, Veale Street Brooklyn
Email: letsomd@unisa.ac.za
Tel: 012 433 9492
All written enquiries that are not of a purely administrative nature, but are about the
contents of this module, should be directed to:
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Letters to lecturers may not be included in your assignment submission.
3.2 University
When you have to contact the University about matters not related to the content of
this module, please consult the brochure Study@Unisa which you received with your
study material. Always have your student number at hand when you call the University.
4 MODULE-RELATED RESOURCES
4.1 Prescribed books
There are no prescribed books for this module. This means that you do not need to
purchase any additional books. The study material for the module SCL1501 comprises
the following:
The Study Guide: Skills Course for Law Students (Only Study Guide for
SCL1501)
There is ONE study guide for this module. You have to go through the study
guide very carefully, and ensure that you do not only know the content, but are also
able to apply the knowledge to relevant practical situations.
Tutorial Letters: Apart from Tutorial Letter 101 (this tutorial letter), you will
receive other tutorial letters for this module (e.g. 102, 103, 201). Tutorial letters are
also considered your official study material for this module. They are part of your
study material for assignments and examination purposes. Please study them
carefully and keep them safe for reference purposes.
You will receive an inventory letter containing information about your tutorial matter.
Also, see the brochure Study@Unisa. Check the study material you received against the
inventory letter. You should have received all the items specified in the inventory, unless
there is a statement like “out of stock” or “not available”. If any item is missing, follow
the instructions on the back of the inventory letter without delay.
Students who have access to the Internet can view/download the study material and
tutorial letters for the modules for which they registered on the University’s online
campus, myUnisa, at http://my.unisa.ac.za.
PLEASE NOTE:
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The recommended textbooks for this module are referred to in your study guide. We
further recommend that, if possible, you follow the references acknowledged in the
footnotes in each study unit. Remember that you do NOT have to purchase any of the
recommended books.
You will receive tutorial letter 102. This tutorial letter gives important information
regarding our visit to some regional centres where as lecturers, we get the
opportunity to interact face-to-face with you through these discussion classes. It is
important to note that discussion classes are offered by your lecturers.
See the brochure Study@Unisa for information on tutorial classes in your area. Tutorial
classes are presented by the regional centres if the minimum number of s tudents
register for such classes. Note that these classes are conducted by tutors and NOT by
your lecturers.
5.3 myUnisa
As mentioned myUnisa is a valuable tool. If you have access to a computer and the
internet, you can quickly get access to resources and information from the university.
myUnisa is Unisa's online campus which will enable you to communicate with your
lecturers, with other students and with administrative departments within Unisa – all
through your computer and the internet. All you have to do is to register on myUnisa.
Please keep in mind that your lecturers cannot assist you with this process. See
the brochure Study@Unisa for information on myUnisa.
To register for this function, go to Unisa's main website http://www.unisa.ac.za and click
on the "Login to myUnisa" button. That will take you to the myUnisa website. You can
also go there directly by going to http://my.unisa.ac.za .
You are encouraged to make use of myUnisa as it makes an alternative (and faster)
method of communication between students and lecturers possible.
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5.4 Podcasts and other media
You will, during the course of the semester, be informed via tutorial letters and the
myUnisa platform of the availability of other electronic resources such as podcasts and
how to access them. Please make an effort to make use of such alternative media to
maximize your learning space. As open and distance learning (ODL) students, you need
whatever resources at your disposal to ensure success in your studies.
Use your Study@Unisa brochure for general time management and planning skills.
You will be required to do a practical court observation exercise or project. This forms
part of your Assignment 01. The observation may be made in any court of law in any
jurisdiction or country wherever you may be. Students who are in prisons/correctional
centres may refer to their own cases and ask the education officer therein to sign and
stamp the relevant page. Under no circumstances, shall a student be exempted from
doing this exercise.
8 ASSESSMENT
How the assessment system works: Only students who submit the compulsory
assignment (Assignment 01) before or on the date of submission will be admitted to the
examination. If you do not submit Assignment 01, you will not be admitted to the
examination.
Both Assignments 01 and 02 will be taken into account for your year mark. Your
year mark constitutes 20% of your final mark. You need to obtain at least 40% in the
examination before your year mark will be taken into account.
Your YEAR MARK counts 20% (Assignment 01 counts 10% and Assignment 02
counts 10%) of your final mark.
Your EXAMINATION MARK counts 80% of your final mark.
Your FINAL MARK for the module will thus be calculated as follows: 20% (year
mark) + 80% (examination mark) = 100% (final mark).
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Assignments are numbered consecutively per module, starting from 01. This tutorial letter
contains the following assignments:
The unique numbers for your assignments 01 and 02 semester 01 are as follows:
The due dates for the submission of the compulsory assignments are:
First Semester:
22 March 2019 for the first assignment of the first semester (written)
18 April 2019 for the second assignment of the first semester (multiple-choice)
Second Semester:
28 August 2019 for the first assignment of the second semester (written)
27 September 2019 for the second assignment of the second semester (multiple-
choice)
Students may submit written assignments either by post or electronically via myUnisa.
You are urged to submit your assignments text in a PDF format when you submit
electronically. Assignments may not be submitted by fax or e-mail. For detailed
information and requirements as far as assignments are concerned, see the brochure
Study@Unisa.
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To submit an assignment via myUnisa:
● Go to myUnisa.
● Log in with your student number and password.
● Select the module.
● Click on assignments in the left-hand menu.
● Click on the assignment number you want to submit.
● Follow the instructions on the screen.
Should you encounter any problems with myUnisa kindly direct your query to
MyUnisaHelp@unisa.ac.za
8.4 Assignments
Although students may work together when preparing assignments, each student must
complete and submit his or her own individual assignments. In other words, each
student must submit his or her own work. Keep in mind that with regard to written
assignments, it is unacceptable for students to submit identical assignments on the basis
that they worked together. This will amount to plagiarism and none of these assignments
will be marked. Furthermore, these students may be penalised or subjected to
disciplinary proceedings of the University. Please see Addendum A of this tutorial letter
for an explanation of exactly what constitutes plagiarism.
Take note that assignments will be assessed for the use of language. You will
be penalised for the use of improper and incorrect language. Always answer questions in
full sentences and do not use informal abbreviations. Y o u s h o u l d also check your
grammar and spelling before submitting your assignment.
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PLEASE NOTE: Upon submitting your assignment, especially using the Unisa post box
or the Post Office, please make a follow-up to ensure that your submitted assignment is
reflected on myUnisa as having been received by the university. In the event that it is not
reflected as having been submitted, please contact the assignment department as soon
as possible.
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FIRST SEMESTER: ASSIGNMENT 01
CLOSING DATE: 22 MARCH 2019
UNIQUE NUMBER: 857197
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IMPORTANT: You are reminded of the Plagiarism Policy of the College of Law
(please see Addendum A of this tutorial letter). If a fully completed Academic
Honesty Declaration (please see Addendum B of this tutorial letter), is not handed in
along with this assignment, a mark of ZERO (0) will be awarded.
PART A:
Question 1
Read the section on “finding an Act of Parliament” (Learning Unit 3 of your study
guide) and then find the “Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014". With reference to this Act,
answer the following questions:
1.1 Read both the preamble and long title of this Act and summarize what
you consider to be the purpose of the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014. You
may need to refer to item 12.2.12 in Learning Unit 2 of your study guide. (4)
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1.2 What is a “legal practitioner”? Explain how this concept in relation to the work
done by “attorneys” and “advocates” (2)
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1.3 Discuss the functions of the South African Legal Practice Council. (4)
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Question 2
A music duo based in Tzaneen, DJ Letsatsi & Lonza, borrowed the amount of R14 999,
99 from Mr Black Koto of LaMmatau Tavern in Lephepane in April 2018. The duo
promised to pay the amount by end of November 2018 after promoting their hit song,
“Mpeteni dololo” for the December festive period. It is now March 2018 and DJ Letsatasi
& Lonza have failed to pay over this amount to Black Koto after numerous reminders.
Black Koto wants his money from the duo, but does not want to involve lawyers and
wants to recover his money expediently without any delays. Read Learning Unit 5 of
your study guide and answer the following questions.
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2.1 Do these facts give rise to a civil or criminal case? Give reasons for your answer. (4)
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2.2 Advise Black Koto on the appropriate and competent court that can entertain his
case and give reasons for your answer. (4)
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Question 3
Why do I live? In other words, what is the purpose of life? Few people have taken time to
reflect on this fundamental question….wittingly or not, we all conduct our lives according to
a vision that responds to the very same question. Why do I live? Almost all people in the
world think that they live for one of three reasons. There is a category of humans who
answer the question saying, “I live because I am not dead”. For such people, no grand
purpose directs life; you take each day as it comes, and you stop living the moment your
body stops breathing - that’s all. They may not realise it, but those who think like that
essentially see nothing different between we humans and animals. No goat thinks that life
has a purpose. Debating with people who do not differentiate themselves from animals
would be total madness.
3.1 Explain how the above extract relates to the notion of a “subjective being” as
discussed in “Learning Unit 2” of your study guide”. (4)
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3.2 Discuss the above extract with reference to Paulo Freire’s views on education (4)
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Question 4
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During the past month the attorney rendered the following services:
Received 11 letters
Wrote and posted 9 letters
Drafted four affidavits: 1 consisting of 1½ pages, 1 consisting of 2½ pages and 2 consisting
of 4½ pages each
Consulted thrice telephonically: first for 23 minutes, second for 11½ and later for 36
minutes
Consultation twice: first for 33 minutes and later for 2½ hours
Instructed an advocate to draft a pleading. The Advocate charged R2125, 00 VAT excl
He referred the client to Nomzamo Clinic in the City, to consult a specialist at a cost of
R3247, 50 VAT excl.
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Question 5
Gardee purchased a Porsche Cayenne last week for R1000 000 (VAT incl). While driving
from the Mbombela-Nelspruit area in Mpumalanga, he collides with Mabuza, who is the
owner-driver of a Jeep. Gardee is 15% negligent, whereas Mabuza is 43% negligent. The
damage to the Porsche is estimated at R356 000.00. It is uneconomical to repair the Jeep,
but its salvage value is R118 000.00. The pre-accident value of the Jeep was R399
000.00.
With reference to the damages to Gardee and Mabuza’s motor vehicles, calculate who
must pay whom, and what would be the amount in damages. (4)
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This part of the assignment requires you to visit a court of law (magistrate/high) in your
area and attend a real court case to make observations. Before undertaking this project,
make sure that you have at least gone through Learning Unit 4 (communication and
litigation skills) and Learning Unit 5 (legal actors) in your study guide. These learning units
will give you an overview of the various role players and their functions in various courts.
As you visit the courts, you should consistently relate your observations to the content of
the two learning units and the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014.
Take note of what actually transpires during the proceedings and record the details in your
notebook or study file. This is what you need to consider:
Prior to your court observation, make arrangement with (or visit) the clerk of
court/registrar or court manager and introduce yourself. Politely ask him/her to allow
you observe a real case as part of your legal studies. (Note that these court officials
can be extremely busy, so you have to make prior arrangements with them.)
Type of case: civil or criminal etc.
The parties (persons involved in the matter or dispute).
The various role players and their names (including court officials, presiding officer,
legal representatives, prosecutor, witnesses etc).
The clerk of court/registrar (who should also sign your observation sheet and stamp it.
See item 12 of the observation sheet).
Case name/number.
NOTE: The University may contact the court you have mentioned to verify the
truthfulness of the information that you provide in your observation sheet.
After completing the observation sheet, you should send it together with Part A as
your Assignment 01.
The page bearing the stamp and signature of the Clerk of Court or Registrar of the
High Court forms part of the assignment. It should NOT be sent separately.
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8 Who were the legal actors? If there are any legal representatives, indicate who
represented whom.
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9 Comment on how the various legal actors used non-verbal communication in the
courtroom (refer to only two legal actors).
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10 Briefly write your observations on how the following aspects of the litigation process
were carried out. Please be specific as to who did what and how:
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(b) Examination-in-chief:
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(c) Cross-examination:
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12 Write an outline of your experiences of this court observation project. What were the
challenges and the milestones (if any)?
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14 Name of the Clerk of Court/Registrar where the court observation was made:
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Stamp:
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Declaration
1. I understand what academic dishonesty entails and am aware of Unisa’s policies
in this regard.
2. I declare that this assignment is my own, original work. Where I have used
someone else’s work I have indicated this by using the prescribed style of
referencing. Every contribution to, and quotation in, this assignment from the work
or works of other people has been referenced according to this style.
3. I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of
passing it off as his or her own work.
4. I did not make use of another student’s work and submitted it as my own.
NAME: ………………………………………………………………………….
SIGNATURE: .…………………………………………………………………
DATE: …………………………………………………………………………...
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QUESTION 1
QUESTION 2
(a) Law is the body of rules that governs only criminals in the society.
(b) When the law is described as a system of norms, it is known as private law.
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QUESTION 3
QUESTION 4
(1) Paulo Freire promotes banking education because it appropriates reasoning capacity
(2) Questioning or interrogation of information enhances banking education
(3) Banking education gives a balance between studying and learning
(4) Banking education undermines the notion of praxis
QUESTION 5
All of the following are suggestions for improving your listening skills except:
QUESTION 6
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QUESTION 7
QUESTION 8
QUESTION 9
QUESTION 10
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QUESTION 11
(1) “Headnotes” and “catch phrases” start with the word “held” which indicates the finding
of the court and are not important when reading a court case
(2) Headnotes are compiled by the publishers of the law reports
(3) Heads of argument refers to the persuasive legal argument made by legal
representatives of the parties involved in a dispute and it is backed up by relevant
legal sources
(4) Headnotes contain the summary of the case the editors consider less important
QUESTION 12
(1) Order as to costs are all expenses of the case incurred by the parties’ legal
representatives and the presiding officer
(2) Court rules do not stipulate the amount of legal costs that a party/parties in dispute
could be ordered to pay at the end of the case
(3) There are no orders as to costs in criminal cases, only in civil cases
(4) Order as to costs are the expenses involved in a case and are given at the beginning
of the case
QUESTION 13
QUESTION 14
(1) The ratio decidendi of the majority judgement binds only the smaller courts
(2) Majority judgement is a judgement of one judge who hands down the judgement
(3) A minority judgement creates a precedent and it is binding on the lower courts
(4) Separate judgement is when a judge agrees with the conclusions of the other judges
but disagrees with the reasons of their judgements
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QUESTION 15
When judgment is given on a different day other than the day on which the case was
heard, the words “cur adv vult” will appear:
(1) The words “cur adv vult” are always followed by the word “postea”
(2) These words would also appear when the case is appealed to the higher court
(3) They appear in both criminal and civil cases
(4) After the words “postea” you see the date on which the case was heard in court
QUESTION 16
Your client, Hlompho Kekana, has purchased a red VW Golf GTI for R360 000 VAT
inclusive. What was the price of the VW Golf before VAT was added? Calculate Vat at
15%.
QUESTION 17
(1) “Court of first instance” and “court a quo” refer to the court which has heard the case
for the first time
(2) The Magistrate court is always a court of first instance for all serious crimes including
treason
(3) The High court would be the court a quo in relation to the Constitutional court when
the matter is appealed to the Supreme Court of Appeal
(4) The Constitutional Court would never be the court a quo
QUESTION 18
(1) An ex parte application is the motion application used when there is no dispute of
facts
(2) Action proceedings is another type of motion application and the procedure is started
by a notice of motion
(3) In criminal cases a procedure is started with action proceedings
(4) The parties in a criminal case are the prosecutor and the defendant
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QUESTION 19
Julima, Andimxi and Floyshi divide the profit of their business, Enhanced Food Factory
(EFF) on a pro rata basis of 1:2:3. Their profit is R600 000.00. Julima will get:
QUESTION 20
It is uneconomical to repair Trilly Mobogoya's red Isizu bakkie (van) after it was involved in
a road accident collision. However, he is entitled to claim R75 000.00 from the pre-
accident value of the motor vehicle, which was estimated at R84 000.00. How much is the
salvage value of the wreck?
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IMPORTANT: You are reminded of the Plagiarism Policy of the College of Law
(please see Addendum A of this tutorial letter). The academic honesty declaration
(please see Addendum B of this tutorial letter), must be handed in together with this
assignment.
TOTAL [50]
PART A:
Question 1
Read the section on “finding an Act of Parliament” (Learning Unit 3 of your study
guide) and then find the “Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014”. With reference to this Act,
answer the following:
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1.2 What is an “ombud”? Further, discuss the appointment and functions of an “ombdud”
in terms of the Legal Practice Act? (6)
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Question 2
Refer to Activity 5.5 in Learning Unit 5 of your study guide (page 83) and answer the
following questions:
2.1 What is a by-law? How different is it from national legislation/Act of Parliament? (3)
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2.3 In terms of the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014, what should a legal practitioner
(attorney) do if he/she wishes to appear in the High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal or
the Constitutional Court? (4)
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Question 3
“Law is a system of rules, recognized by the state, and meant to control human actions
and are enforceable” (SCL1501 study guide, page 2)
1.1 In your own words, explain what you understand by the concept, “state”. In your
answer, you should refer to the notion of a “social contract”. (5)
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1.2 Many people, including lawyers, law professors and politicians, often confuse the
concepts “state” and “government”. Do your own research and then discuss the
difference between these two concepts. (5)
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Question 4
“Debate on how to fix problems facing Azania/ South Africa" (David Letsoalo, 4 May
2018)
Interlocutor A: This is our land. Izwe Lethu! The problems of Azania (South Africa) are
caused by poverty and landlessness that have besieged the majority of its citizens. I
think these problems can be addressed by doing, amongst others, the following
things: expropriation of land without compensation for equal redistribution in use,
nationalisation of mines, banks, and other strategic sectors of the economy, without
compensation, free quality education, healthcare, houses, and sanitation; massive
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development of the African economy and advocating a move from reconciliation to justice
in the entire continent ...
Interlocutor B: No, no, wena maan. Your argument is totally unaccpetable because you
are still young. Secondly, you are from a rural province and you have never been to
America. I must also add that you only got your schooling in township schools and
you were never taught by whites. So, you are so inferior that only stupid people like
you can take your argument.
Critique the above extract with reference to various “forms of irrelevance” in Logic (as
discussed in Learning Unit 4 of your study guide). (5)
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Question 5
MacJuj Lima, an attorney at Effective Attorneys Inc, arranges an account for his client,
MacBuff Phosa of Buffer Safaris (Pty) Ltd, on the following basis:
Received 13 letters
Wrote and posted 11 letters
Drafted 3 summonses
Drafted three affidavits: 1 consisting of 5 pages, 1 consisting of 2½ pages and 1 consisting
of 7½ pages
Consulted twice telephonically: first for 28 minutes and later 19 minutes
Consultation twice: first for 33 minutes and later for 1 hour and 32 minutes
Instructed an Advocate, Mac Mafarani, to draft a document. The Advocate charged
R3770,50 VAT excl
Client went to Makankane Medi-Clinic in Topanama to consult a doctor, and source out a
medico-legal report. The doctor charged R7 880.50 VAT excl.
Draft a comprehensive statement of account for MacJuj Lima to MacBuff Phosa. (10)
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Question 6
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6.1 You represent Peta Teanet in a matter against his wife, Mma-Kheropole, in the
context of the extract. Draft what you consider to be an appropriate “opening address”. (3)
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This part of the assignment requires you to visit a court of law (magistrate/high) in your
area and attend a real court case to make observations. Before undertaking this project,
make sure that you have at least gone through Learning Unit 4 (communication and
litigation skills) and Learning Unit 5 (legal actors) in your study guide. These learning units
will give you an overview of the various role players and their functions in various courts.
As you visit the courts, you should consistently relate your observations to the content of
the two learning units and the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014.
Take note of what actually transpires during the proceedings and record the details in your
notebook or study file. This is what you need to consider:
Prior to your court observation, make arrangement with (or visit) the clerk of
court/registrar or court manager and introduce yourself. Politely ask him/her to allow
you observe a real case as part of your legal studies. (Note that these court officials
can be extremely busy, so you have to make prior arrangements with them.)
Type of case: civil or criminal etc.
The parties (persons involved in the matter or dispute).
The various role players and their names (including court officials, presiding officer,
legal representatives, prosecutor, witnesses etc).
The clerk of court/registrar (who should also sign your observation sheet and stamp it.
See item 12 of the observation sheet).
Case name/number.
NOTE: The University may contact the court you have mentioned to verify the
truthfulness of the information that you provide in your observation sheet.
After completing the observation sheet, you should send it together with Part A as
your Assignment 01.
The page bearing the stamp and signature of the Clerk of Court or Registrar of the
High Court forms part of the assignment. It should NOT be sent separately.
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8 Who were the legal actors? If there are any legal representatives, indicate who
represented whom.
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9 Comment on how the various legal actors used non-verbal communication in the
courtroom (refer to only two legal actors).
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10 Briefly write your observations on how the following aspects of the litigation process
were carried out. Please be specific as to who did what and how:
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(b) Examination-in-chief:
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11 What was the decision of the court (i.e. the magistrate/judge)?
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12 Write an outline of your experiences of this court observation project. What were the
challenges and the milestones (if any)?
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14 Name of the Clerk of Court/Registrar where the court observation was made:
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Stamp:
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Declaration
NAME: ………………………………………………………………………….
SIGNATURE: .…………………………………………………………………
DATE: …………………………………………………………………………...
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______________________________________________________________________
ASSIGNMENT 02
ASSIGNMENT FOR SECOND SEMESTER STUDENTS ONLY
UNIQUE NUMBER: 889890
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TOTAL: [20]
CHOOSE ONLY ONE CORRECT ANSWER
QUESTION 1
QUESTION 2
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QUESTION 3
QUESTION 4
A learning style through which a skill is acquired when a student learns through
experience is called:
QUESTION 5
QUESTION 6
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QUESTION 7
Which of the following will indicate if a court is hearing a criminal or civil matter?
QUESTION 8
Which of the institutions fall under chapter 9 of the Constitution of the Republic of South
Africa.?
QUESTION 9
Kgagudi hires a motor mechanic to repair his damaged car. The repair work is faulty and
causes a major damage to Kgagudi’s car. Who must prove negligence in this scenario,
and what is the standard of proof?
QUESTION 10
When a court establishes a binding precedent, the reason for its decision, in Latin, is
referred to as:
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QUESTION 11
Which of the following court will never be “the court of first instance”?
QUESTION 12
QUESTION 13
QUESTION 14
QUESTION 15
QUESTION 16
When a matter was heard in a Magistrate Court, appealed to the High Court and further
appealed to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), the High Court would be regarded as:
QUESTION 17
Argumentum ad hominem
QUESTION 18
QUESTION 19
Letsoalo, Raligilia and Mahlobogwane are partners in the firm MGos (Pty) Ltd. How much
will Letsoalo get if they have agreed to share in the firm’s profit of R450 000 on the basis
of the ratio 1: 2: 3?
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QUESTION 20
The salvage value of Boledi Moretsele’s Chevrolet Spark is R25 000. How much may he
claim from the defendant if it has become uneconomical to repair after an accident? The
pre- accident value of the Spark was R130 000.
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9. OTHER ASSESSMENT METHODS
There are no other assessment methods for this module.
10. EXAMINATION
10.1 Examination period
This module is offered in a semester period of fifteen weeks. This means that if you are
registered for the first semester, you will write the examination in May/June 2019 and the
supplementary examination will be written in October/November 2019. If you are
registered for the second semester you will write the examination in October/November
2019 and the supplementary examination will be written in May/June 2020.
After registration and before the examination, the Examination Section will provide you
with general information on the examination, including information on examination
venues, dates and times. If you do not receive this information, please contact the
Department of Examinations a few weeks before the examination commences.
Alternatively, you should be able to access this information online on myUnisa. Please
note that your lecturers cannot assist you with this information.
The Study Guide and tutorial letters must be studied in their entirety. This
means that all the study material will be covered in the examination and
nothing should be left out when you prepare for the examination.
It is not sufficient to study only the previous examination papers (available
on myUnisa), the activities in the Study Guide and the assignments.
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In this section, we further briefly discuss some important general guidelines that
you should bear in mind in a written examination. Effective communication is
essential for any lawyer. Often students do not pay attention to their
communication skills and focus only on the content of the courses they study.
Such students may fail the module, even if they have mastered the content. The
reason for this is that a marker cannot evaluate knowledge that is not effectively
transmitted. In effect, this means the following:
We advise you not to focus on old examination papers only as the content
of modules and, therefore, examination papers, change from year to year.
You may, nevertheless, accept that the types of questions that will be asked in
the examination will be similar to those asked in Assignment 01.
The University (not the lecturers) makes a previous examination paper available
on myUnisa. No other examination papers will be made available to
students and your lecturers will provide no answers to the questions.
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12 CONCLUSION
We reiterate that this module is designed to help you develop important practical
skills that are useful in your legal studies as well as your future world of legal
practice. In order for you to benefit from the module, you have to consistently
view what you study in your set material in the light of someone in practice.
Continual engagement with, and reflection on, the tutorial content, and the
application thereof, is therefore strongly encouraged.
In this regard, we also advise that we do not encourage mere memorization and
regurgitation of information. You should thus expect that answers/responses to
some of your assignment and examination questions may not simply be
uprooted from your study guides.
Regards,
Your Lecturers PRETORIA
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ADDENDUM A
The College of Law is committed to the Unisa ideal of research that is based on
integrity, quality and rigour. All work must meet the ideal of academic integrity.
Academic integrity can be defined as the meaningful and concerted effort to ensure
honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility in research. All research at CLAW,
whether a first-year assignment or a doctoral thesis, should be guided by this ideal.
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DECLARATION
2. I declare that this assignment is my own, original work. Where I have used
someone else’s work I have indicated this by using the prescribed style of
referencing. Every contribution to, and quotation in, this assignment from the work
or works of other people has been referenced according to this style.
3. I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of
passing it off as his or her own work.
4. I did not make use of another student’s work and submitted it as my own.
NAME: ………………………………………………………………………….
SIGNATURE: .…………………………………………………………………
STUDENT NUMBER: …………………………………………………………
DATE: …………………………………………………………………………...
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