Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court

7 judgments

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7 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
July 2023

Fraud and contraventions - Municipal Financial Management Act

14 July 2023
March 2023
Leave to appeal refused: serious large‑scale fraud outweighed remorse, gambling addiction and primary‑caregiver considerations.
Criminal law – sentencing for large‑scale fraud – prescribed minimum sentences and substantial and compelling circumstances; pathological gambling as mitigation; sentencing of primary caregiver – s 28 Constitution and S v M guidelines; test for leave to appeal (reasonable prospects of success).
13 March 2023
February 2023
Pathological gambling found a substantial and compelling circumstance permitting deviation from prescribed minimum sentences; effective nine years imprisonment.
Criminal law – Sentencing – Section 112(2) plea binding for sentencing facts – Section 51(2)/(3) Criminal Law Amendment Act – prescribed minimum sentences and substantial and compelling circumstances – pathological gambling as mitigation – sentencing triad and deterrence – ancillary orders for children's welfare.
14 February 2023
May 2022
The court refused to strike the matter under s342A, holding pre‑arraignment delay outside s342A's scope.
Criminal Procedure Act s342A – unreasonable delay enquiry; intra‑curial v extra‑curial delay; s342A remedies limited to post‑commencement delay; permanent stay (extraordinary High Court remedy) for pre‑arraignment prejudice; systemic forensic delays may justify pre‑indictment lapse but do not alone invoke s342A relief.
22 May 2022
February 2022
The court refused the applicant's recusal application, finding no reasonable apprehension of judicial bias from s252A findings.
Recusal — reasonable apprehension of bias; presumption of judicial impartiality; Section 252A trial-within-a-trial — admissibility and onus; accused’s election not to testify and consequences; reasons and credibility findings do not necessarily indicate bias; disputed findings are appealable.
21 February 2022
January 2022
Section 252A undercover evidence admissible: police conduct was only an opportunity, not impermissible inducement; onus discharged beyond reasonable doubt.
Criminal procedure – Section 252A CPA – use of traps/undercover operations – whether conduct goes beyond providing an opportunity to commit an offence – admissibility of evidence. Section 252A(2) – factors to be considered holistically and cumulatively (approval, nature of offence, inducement, persistence, proportionality, exploitation, timing, handlers’ conduct). Section 252A(6) – onus on prosecution to prove admissibility; court applied and found onus discharged beyond reasonable doubt. Section 252A(3) – discretionary balancing of public interest against accused’s personal interests when conduct goes beyond opportunity. Constitutional law – right to a fair trial (s35) – undercover operation did not infringe protected rights.
24 January 2022
March 2021
30 March 2021