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The courts, national security and the free flow of information
Thesis (LLD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2020
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| _version_ | 1867613868289687552 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Ramages, Justin Ray |
| author2 | Botha, Henk |
| author_browse | Botha, Henk Ramages, Justin Ray |
| author_facet | Botha, Henk Ramages, Justin Ray |
| author_sort | Ramages, Justin Ray |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (LLD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/108024 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:59.065Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateRange | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/108024 The courts, national security and the free flow of information Ramages, Justin Ray Botha, Henk Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Law. Dept. of Public Law. Judicial discretion South Africa. Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 Government information -- Access control -- South Africa National security -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Freedom of information UCTD Thesis (LLD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: National Security and the free flow of information are both vital to the preservation of South Africa’s open democracy. However, the two are often in tension, as the protection of National Security requires secrecy. This places it at odds with the rights to access, receive and impart information. In adjudicating this tension, the courts are hampered by the lack of a clear definition of National Security. The imprecision of this term could result in state abuse, or in leaving important security interests unprotected. Against this background, the thesis examines the constitutional rights to access, receive and impart information in view of the values that underlie them. It also explores the meaning of National Security with reference to legislation, case law, academic literature, and international and comparative law. On the basis of this study, it proposes a definition of National Security, which identifies the security interests that are to be preserved and the kinds of threats against which they must be safeguarded. Next, the thesis examines the tension between openness and secrecy within the judicial process in cases involving conflicts between the free flow of information and National Security. To that end, it considers the requirements of the constitutional principle of Open Justice with reference to case law. It examines legislative provisions which limit Open Justice in cases in which the disclosure of sensitive information in open court could compromise South Africa’s National Security, analyses the constitutionality of those measures, and proposes legislative amendments which would remedy the constitutional defects. Finally, the thesis examines the capacity of the judiciary to adjudicate, in a principled manner, conflicts between the free flow of information and National Security, in view of debates about courts’ institutional capacity and the perceived need for judicial deference in areas in which the executive, and not the judiciary, has special expertise. It also asks whether the procedures used to adjudicate conflicts between the free flow of information and National Security enable courts to decide these cases in a principled manner, and to avoid overstepping the bounds of the judicial function. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nasionale veiligheid en die vrye vloei van inligting is beide noodsaaklik vir die behoud van ’n oop en demokratiese samelewing in Suid-Afrika. Die twee is egter gereeld in spanning, omdat die beskerming van nasionale veiligheid geheimhouding vereis. Dit plaas dit in stryd met die regte op toegang tot, en die ontvangs en oordra van inligting. Wanneer howe hierdie spanning bereg, word hul deur die gebrek aan 'n duidelike definisie van nasionale veiligheid belemmer. Die onduidelikheid van hierdie begrip kan tot misbruik deur die staat, of ʼn versuim om belangrike veiligheidsbelange te beskerm, lei. Teen hierdie agtergrond ondersoek die proefskrif die grondwetlike regte op toegang, ontvangs en oordrag van inligting in die lig van die waardes wat hierdie regte onderlê. Dit ondersoek ook die betekenis van Nasionale Veiligheid met verwysing na wetgewing, regspraak, akademiese literatuur en internasionale en vergelykende reg. Op grond van hierdie studie stel dit 'n definisie van Nasionale Veiligheid voor, wat die veiligheidsbelange wat bewaar moet word, identifiseer, asook die soort bedreigings waarteen dit beskerm moet word. Vervolgens ondersoek die proefskrif die spanning tussen openheid en geheimhouding binne die regsproses in gevalle waar die vrye vloei van inligting met Nasionale Veiligheid bots. Met die oog daarop oorweeg dit die vereistes van die grondwetlike beginsel van Oop Geregtigheid (Open Justice) met verwysing na regspraak. Dit ondersoek wetgewende bepalings wat Oop Geregtigheid beperk in gevalle waarin die openbaarmaking van sensitiewe inligting in die ope hof Suid-Afrika se nasionale veiligheid in die gedrang kan bring. Dit ontleed ook die grondwetlikheid van daardie maatreëls en stel wetswysigings voor wat die grondwetlike gebreke sal regstel. Laastens ondersoek die proefskrif die vermoë van die regbank om botsings tussen die vrye vloei van inligting en Nasionale Veiligheid op 'n beginselvaste wyse te beoordeel, in die lig van debatte oor die institusionele vermoë van die howe en die waargenome behoefte aan geregtelike agting (deference) in gebiede waarin die uitvoerende gesag, en nie die regbank nie, spesiale kundigheid het. Daar word ook gevra of die prosedures wat gebruik word om botsings tussen die vrye vloei van inligting en Nasionale Veiligheid te bereg, die howe in staat stel om hierdie sake op 'n beginselvaste wyse te beslis en om te verhoed dat hulle die grense van die regterlike funksie oorskry. Doctoral 2020-02-20T15:15:17Z 2020-04-28T12:14:57Z 2020-02-20T15:15:17Z 2020-04-28T12:14:57Z 2020-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/108024 en Stellenbosch University 300 leaves application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Judicial discretion South Africa. Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 Government information -- Access control -- South Africa National security -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Freedom of information UCTD Ramages, Justin Ray The courts, national security and the free flow of information |
| title | The courts, national security and the free flow of information |
| title_full | The courts, national security and the free flow of information |
| title_fullStr | The courts, national security and the free flow of information |
| title_full_unstemmed | The courts, national security and the free flow of information |
| title_short | The courts, national security and the free flow of information |
| title_sort | courts national security and the free flow of information |
| topic | Judicial discretion South Africa. Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 Government information -- Access control -- South Africa National security -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Freedom of information UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/108024 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ramagesjustinray thecourtsnationalsecurityandthefreeflowofinformation AT ramagesjustinray courtsnationalsecurityandthefreeflowofinformation |