South Africa: Court Procedure

The Supreme Court of Appeal's recent judgment in the MV Haralambos case has sparked significant debate in South Africa's maritime community by upholding a vessel arrest based largely on commercial database evidence. The decision addresses the challenging question of proving common control between ship-owning companies when beneficial ownership information is not publicly available, potentially reshaping the evidentiary landscape for associated ship arrests. At the heart of the controversy lies whether comme

The Gauteng High Court's judgment in TMM Holdings v Skycastle Securities examines when litigation privilege protects documents from disclosure, specifically addressing whether insurance claim forms and investigative reports created for multiple purposes qualify for privilege. The court applied the dominant purpose test to determine if documents prepared simultaneously for insurance claims, internal investigations, and potential litigation must be disclosed in discovery proceedings.

A Johannesburg High Court recently dismissed a plaintiff's insurance claim after more than thirteen years of inordinate delay and failure to prosecute.