The Ramifications of International Law in South Africa: Blind SA v Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (CCT 320/21) [2022] ZACC 33 (21 September 2022)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2024/v27i0a15810Keywords:
Blind SA, Copyright Act, Copyright Amendment Bill, Marrakesh Treaty, accessible format copy, adaptation, reproduction, international lawAbstract
This work is centred on the judgment of the Constitutional Court in Blind SA v The Minister of Trade (CCT 320/21) [2022] ZACC 33 (21 September 2022), and the issues raised by this judgement. The main concern for this contribution is the overreliance on a non-ratified treaty – the Marrakesh Treaty –, which calls for the assessment of the place of international law in South Africa. The paper finds that while the issues raised in the Blind SA case – the rights of people with disability – are legitimate, the manner in which they were raised went beyond the prescripts of the Constitution.
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Case law
Blind SA v Ministry of Trade, Industry and Competition (14996/21) [2021] ZAGPPHC 871 (7 December 2021)
Blind SA v Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (CCT 320/21) [2022] ZACC 33 (21 September 2022)
Democratic Alliance v Minister of International Relations and Cooperation 2017 3 SA 212 (GP)
National Commissioner of the South African Police Service v Southern African Human Rights Litigation Centre 2015 1 SA 315 (CC)
S v Makwanyane 1995 3 SA 391 (CC)
Legislation
Constitution of Botswana, 1966
Constitution of Canada (Constitution Act), 1982
Constitution of Mauritius,1968 (as revised in 2016)
Constitution of Norway, 1814 (as revised in 2018)
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996
Copyright Act 98 of 1978
Protection of Investment Act 22 of 2015
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Copyright Amendment Bill [B13D-2017]
Performers' Protection Amendment Bill [B24D-2016]
International instruments
Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (1886)
Charter of the United Nations (1945)
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006)
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966)
Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled (2013)
Statute of the International Court of Justice (1949)
Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (1994)
WIPO Copyright Treaty (1996)
WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (1996)
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Human Rights Watch 1991 Recommendations to the Government of South Africa and the United States https://www.hrw.org/reports/1991/southafrica1/4.htm accessed 10 August 2023
SA History date unknown Sharpeville Massacre, 21 March 1960 https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/sharpeville-massacre-21-march-1960 accessed 12 August 2023
University of Stellenbosch date unknown Professor Owen H Dean https://blogs.sun.ac.za/iplaw/about/staff-members/owen-dean/ accessed 12 November 2023
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Copyright (c) 2024 Malebakeng Forere
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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