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Determining the consequences of illegal contracts
Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2022
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| _version_ | 1867613959875461120 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Botha, Ferdinand Marthinus |
| author2 | Du Plessis, Jacques |
| author_browse | Botha, Ferdinand Marthinus Du Plessis, Jacques |
| author_facet | Du Plessis, Jacques Botha, Ferdinand Marthinus |
| author_sort | Botha, Ferdinand Marthinus |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/124604 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:25.612Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publishDateRange | 2022 |
| publishDateSort | 2022 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/124604 Determining the consequences of illegal contracts Botha, Ferdinand Marthinus Du Plessis, Jacques Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Law. Dept. of Private Law. Contract law -- South Africa Consequences of illegality Illegality -- South Africa Illegal contracts -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates the consequences of illegal contracts from a comparative perspective. Illegality usually raises two questions: to what extent may the contract still be enforced and under what circumstances may a plaintiff recover a performance rendered under the contract. When confronted with these questions, South African courts typically resort to constructs such as the maxims ex turpi causa non oritur actio and in pari delicto potior est conditio defendentis. These maxims respectively express the propositions that an illegal contract may not be enforced and that a plaintiff who is tainted by illegality may not obtain restitution of any performance rendered under the contract. The problem with these maxims is that they tend to divert attention away from other policy considerations that may also be important. In addition, it is not clear why South African courts find illegal contracts to be void in some cases and valid but unenforceable in others. In search of a more convincing approach to illegal contracts, the thesis therefore investigates how foreign jurisdictions determine the consequences of illegality. The comparative overview reveals that foreign jurisdictions generally aim to give effect to the same kind of policies when determining the consequences of illegality, although they employ different methods. Some apply strict rules with a limited number of exceptions while others give courts a discretion to determine the consequences in a particular case with reference to a list of policy considerations. These policy considerations are studied in more detail by analysing three particularly challenging scenarios from a comparative perspective – illegal consumer loans, illegal employment contracts and illegal work performed by contractors in the construction industry. From these analyses the thesis concludes by developing several claims. The first claim is that the solution to any illegality problem ultimately amounts to a balancing of various factors, irrespective of whether the illegality derives from legislation or public policy. Second, it is argued that the most satisfactory method for determining the consequences of illegal contracts is to give courts a discretion that must be exercised with reference to a range of policy considerations. And finally, it is concluded that South Africa should discard references to the ex turpi and par delictum maxims and adopt a more flexible approach to determining the consequences of illegality. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die gevolge van ongeoorloofde kontrakte vanuit ’n regsvergelykende perspektief. Ongeoorloofdheid bring gewoonlik twee vrae na vore: tot watter mate die kontrak nog afgedwing mag word, en onder watter omstandighede ’n eiser ’n prestasie wat ingevolge die kontrak gelewer is, mag terugvorder. Wanneer Suid-Afrikaanse howe met hierdie vrae te doen kry, word daar gewoonlik verwys na konstruksies soos die stelreëls ex turpi causa non oritur actio en in pari delicto potior est conditio defendentis. Hierdie stelreëls bepaal onderskeidelik dat ’n ongeoorloofde kontrak nie afgedwing mag word nie en dat ’n eiser wat self met ongeoorloofdheid besmet is, nie restitusie van ’n prestasie wat in terme van die kontrak gelewer is, mag vorder nie. Die probleem met hierdie stelreëls is dat hulle die aandag aflei van ander beleidsoorwegings wat ook belangrik mag wees. Verder is dit ook nie duidelik waarom die Suid-Afrikaanse howe soms ’n ongeoorloofde kontrak as nietig en soms as geldig maar onafdwingbaar bestempel nie. In die soeke na ’n meer oortuigende benadering tot ongeoorloofde kontrakte ondersoek die tesis hoe ander regstelsels te werk gaan. Uit die regsvergelykende oorsig blyk dit dat hierdie stelsels in die algemeen poog om uitdrukking te gee aan soortgelyke beleidsoorwegings wanneer hulle die gevolge van ongeoorloofdheid bepaal. Hulle gebruik egter verskillende metodes vir hierdie doel. Sommige stelsels het streng reëls met ’n beperkte aantal uitsonderings, terwyl ander aan die howe ’n diskresie verleen om die gevolge van ongeoorloofdheid met verwysing na ’n lys beleidsfaktore te bepaal. Hierdie beleidsfaktore word in meer detail behandel deur die volgende drie besonder uitdagende feitepatrone vanuit ’n regsvergelykende perspektief te bestudeer: ongeoorloofde kredietooreenkomste met verbruikers, onwettige dienskontrakte en onwettige ooreenkomste met kontrakteurs in die boubedryf. Die tesis sluit af deur verskeie normatiewe stellings vanuit die regsvergelykende analises te ontwikkel. Eerstens word geargumenteer dat die oplossing vir enige ongeoorloofdheidsprobleem uiteindelik daarop neerkom dat verskeie faktore teen mekaar opgeweeg moet word. Dit is die geval ongeag of die ongeoorloofdheid voortspruit uit ’n wetsverbod of openbare beleid. Verder word aangevoer dat die mees bevredigende instrument om die gevolge van ongeoorloofde kontrakte te bepaal 'n regterlike diskresie is wat met inagneming van ’n reeks beleidsoorwegings uitgeoefen moet word. Ten slotte word aanbeveel dat die Suid-Afrikaanse reg verwysings na die ex turpi- en par delictum-stelreëls moet laat vaar en eerder ’n buigsamer benadering moet volg om die gevolge van ongeoorloofdheid te bepaal. Masters 2022-02-22T10:57:59Z 2022-04-29T09:21:54Z 2022-02-22T10:57:59Z 2022-04-29T09:21:54Z 2022-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124604 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 148 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Contract law -- South Africa Consequences of illegality Illegality -- South Africa Illegal contracts -- South Africa UCTD Botha, Ferdinand Marthinus Determining the consequences of illegal contracts |
| title | Determining the consequences of illegal contracts |
| title_full | Determining the consequences of illegal contracts |
| title_fullStr | Determining the consequences of illegal contracts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Determining the consequences of illegal contracts |
| title_short | Determining the consequences of illegal contracts |
| title_sort | determining the consequences of illegal contracts |
| topic | Contract law -- South Africa Consequences of illegality Illegality -- South Africa Illegal contracts -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124604 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bothaferdinandmarthinus determiningtheconsequencesofillegalcontracts |