Case No. | Lower Court Judgments | Hearing Date | Judgment Date | Majority Author | Vote | |
CCT 71/13 | Kwazulu-Natal High Court, 17 May 2013 | 11 Nov. 2013 | 20 Mar. 2014 | Madlanga J | Unanimous |
By Duncan Wild and Greg Palmer on 23 March 2014
This case involves a constitutional challenge to certain sections of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 21 of 1998 (“POCA“). Some of the sections are predicated on the definitions (also challenged) in POCA of “pattern of racketeering activity” and “enterprise” and which the applicants contend are unconstitutional, invalid and void for vagueness. Chapter 2 of POCA is also challenged on the basis that it operates retrospectively in violation of section 35(3)(1) of the Constitution and the Rule of Law, and section 2(2) of POCA is said to violate the fair trial rights of an accused.
The Constitutional Court, in an unanimous judgment authored by Justice Madlanga, and concurred in by Moseneke ACJ, Skweyia ADCJ, Cameron J, Dambuza AJ, Froneman J, Jafta J, Mhlantla AJ, Nkabinde J and Zondo J, dismissed these challenges finding that the impugned sections of POCA were defensible.