Thint (Pty) Ltd v National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others; Zuma and Another v NDPP and Others [2008] ZACC 13 (31 July 2008)

Reported
Jurisdiction
South Africa
Citation
Thint (Pty) Ltd v National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others; Zuma and Another v NDPP and Others [2008] ZACC 13 (31 July 2008)
Media Neutral Citation
[2008] ZACC 13
Hearing date
13 March 2008
Court
Constitutional Court of South Africa
Law report citations
2009 (1) SA 1 (CC)
2008 (2) SACR 421 (CC)
2008 (12) BCLR 1197 (CC)
[2008] JOL 22119 (CC)
Judges
Langa CJ, Jafta AJ, Kroon AJ, Madala J, Ngcobo J, O'Regan ADCJ, Nkabinde J, Van der Westhuizen J, Mokgoro J, Skweyiya J, Yacoob J
Judgment date
31 July 2008
Language
English
Type
Judgment
Download
Download PDF (805.2 KB)
Case summary

Application for leave to appeal concerning search and seizure warrants which authorised, in terms of the National Prosecuting Authority Act, searches and seizures carried out by the National Prosecuting Authority (the state) to obtain information connected to the investigation of serious, organised crime. Whether the warrants violated the applicants' rights to privacy and property. The majority held that a balance must be struck between protecting privacy and property interests and the state's constitutionally mandated task of prosecuting crime. An application for a warrant must disclose material facts and must demonstrate a 'need' for a warrant, which requires there being an appreciable risk that the state would be unable to obtain the information sought by other means. Warrants are required to be intelligible so that they reasonably can be understood by a reasonably well-informed person. The majority held that these requirements were met in these cases and that specific mention in the warrants of the right to claim legal privilege was not required. The appeal was dismissed.

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Cited documents 24

Judgment 18
  1. Bernstein and Others v Bester NO and Others [1996] ZACC 2 (27 March 1996)
  2. Carmichele v Minister of Safety and Security and Another (Centre for Applied Legal Studies Intervening) [2001] ZACC 22 (16 August 2001)
  3. Ferreira v Levin NO and Others ; Vryenhoek and Others v Powell NO and Others [1995] ZACC 13 (6 December 1995)
  4. Fraser v Children's Court Pretoria North and Others [1997] ZACC 1 (5 February 1997)
  5. Giddey NO v JC Barnard and Partners [2006] ZACC 13 (1 September 2006)
  6. Investigating Directorate: Serious Economic Offences and Others v Hyundai Motor Distributors (Pty) Ltd and Others In re: Hyundai Motor Distributors (Pty) Ltd and Others v Smit NO and Others [2000] ZACC 12 (25 August 2000)
  7. Key v Attorney-General, Cape Provincial Division, and Another [1996] ZACC 25 (15 May 1996)
  8. Mabaso v Law Society of the Northern Provinces [2004] ZACC 8 (5 October 2004)
  9. Magajane v Chairperson, North West Gambling Board [2006] ZACC 8 (8 June 2006)
  10. National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality and Others v Minister of Home Affairs and Others [1999] ZACC 17 (2 December 1999)
  11. Rail Commuters Action Group v Transnet Ltd t/a Metrorail [2004] ZACC 20 (26 November 2004)
  12. S v Basson [2005] ZACC 10 (9 September 2005)
  13. S v Manamela and Another (CCT 25/99) [2000] ZACC 5 (14 April 2000)
  14. Shaik and Others v S (CCT 86/06) [2007] ZACC 19 (2 October 2007)
  15. South African Association of Personal Injury Lawyers v Heath and Others [2000] ZACC 22 (28 November 2000)
  16. South African Liquor Traders Association and Others v Chairperson Gauteng Liquor Board and Others [2006] ZACC 7 (2 June 2006)
  17. Tsotetsi v Mutual and Federal Insurance Company Ltd [1996] ZACC 19 (12 September 1996)
  18. Van Rooyen and Others v S and Others [2002] ZACC 8 (11 June 2002)
Legislation 6
  1. Criminal Procedure Act, 1977
  2. Income Tax Act, 1962
  3. National Prosecuting Authority Act, 1998
  4. Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, 2004
  5. Prevention of Organised Crime Act, 1998
  6. Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, 2000

Documents citing this one 40

Gazette 1
  1. South Africa Government Gazette dated 2016-06-24 number 40088 part 1
Judgment 39
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  20. National Director of Public Prosecutions v Zuma (573/2008) [2009] ZASCA 1 (12 January 2009)
  21. Ndala v Baloyi and Another (5834/2022) [2023] ZAGPPHC 165 (9 March 2023)
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  29. S v Zuma and Another (CCD 30/2018) [2022] ZAKZPHC 16 (16 February 2022)
  30. Savoi and Others v National Prosecuting Authority and Another (CCT 146/22) [2023] ZACC 38 (28 November 2023)
  31. Slabbert v MEC for Health and Social Development of Gauteng Provincial Government (432 of 2016) [2016] ZASCA 157 (3 October 2016)
  32. Steenkamp and Others v Edcon Limited [2019] ZACC 17 (30 April 2019)
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  34. Trencon Construction (Pty) Ltd v Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa Limited and Another [2015] ZACC 22 (26 June 2015)
  35. Van Heerden v Regional Court Magistrate, Paarl and Others (883 of 2015) [2016] ZASCA 137 (29 September 2016)
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  38. Wyebank Funerals Services CC and Others v Minister of the Trade and the Industry and Others (4293/2007) [2009] ZAKZDHC 4 (27 March 2009)
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