J D Van Niekerk en Genote Ing v Administrateur, Transvaal

JurisdictionSouth Africa
Citation1994 (1) SA 595 (A)

J D Van Niekerk en Genote Ing v Administrateur, Transvaal
1994 (1) SA 595 (A)

1994 (1) SA p595


Citation

1994 (1) SA 595 (A)

Case No

383/91

Court

Appèlafdeling

Judge

Corbett HR, Botha AR, Vivier AR, Nicholas Wn AR, Harms Wn AR

Heard

September 10, 1993

Judgment

November 12, 1993

Flynote : Sleutelwoorde B

Appèl — Koste van — Advokaatsgelde — Betoogshoofde — Praktyk dat afsonderlike fooi vir opstel van betoogshoofde nie by taksasie toegelaat sal word nie herbevestig — Gevestigde praktyk om een saamgestelde fooi te C bepaal wat opstel van betoogshoofde, voorbereiding en argumentering van appèl insluit — Wyse van berekening van fooi vir werk verbonde aan opstel van betoogshoofde — Onvanpas om dit te bereken op basis van soveel per uur — Dit stel premie op stadige en ondoeltreffende werk en het tot gevolg dat fooi gevra word wat buite verhouding is met waarde van dienste wat gelewer D is.

Appèl — Koste van — Advokaatsgelde — Senior en junior advokaat aangestel — Geen fout met Takseermeester se besluit om globale bedrae vir hulle gelde toe te laat nie — Dit is geykte en goed- gekeurde praktyk.

E Appèl — Koste van — Advokaatsgelde — Inflasie — By bepaling op taksasie van redelike fooi vir dienste van advokaat moet tred gehou word met inflasie — Onwenslik en onbillik dat uitermatige verskil bestaan tussen wat as gangbare fooie deur professie beskou word en wat deur Takseermeester toegelaat word en moet sover moontlik vermy word — Hoewel F elke saak na gelang van eie feite en omstandighede beoordeel moet word, is daar sekere norme waaraan advokaatsgelde en taksasie daarvan moet voldoen.

Appèl — Koste van — Advokaatsgelde — Verhoor van appèl het drie dae geduur, rekord het 6 380 bladsye beloop en betoogshoofde aan beide kante het 458 bladsye beloop — Senior en junior advokate aangestel — Dieselfde G advokate het by verhoor opgetree - Totale

1994 (1) SA p596

A advokaatsgelde van R229 615 deur Takseermeester afgetakseer tot R66 667, dws R40 000 vir senior advokaat en R26 667 vir junior advokaat — Takseermeester se beslissing op hersiening bevestig.

Headnote : Kopnota

Die Hof het, in 'n aansoek om die hersiening van die taksasie deur die Takseermeester van die Appèlafdeling van die applikant se kosterekening in B 'n appèl, die praktyk herbevestig dat, in die geval van advokaatsgelde ten opsigte van 'n appèl, 'n afsonderlike fooi vir die opstel van betoogshoofde nie by taksasie toegelaat sal word nie. Die gevestigde praktyk is om een saamgestelde fooi te bepaal wat die opstel van betoogshoofde, voorbereiding en argumentering van die appèl insluit. (Op 601C/D-D.)

Ocean Commodities Inc and Others v Standard Bank of SA Ltd and Others 1984 (3) SA 15 (A) C toegepas.

Ten aansien van die bepaling van 'n fooi vir 'n advokaat vir daardie gedeelte van die appèl wat die opstel van betoogshoofde behels, het die Hof opgemerk dat die wyse waarop hierdie fooi in die huidige geval bereken is, naamlik soveel per uur, onvanpas is by die vasstelling van advokaatsgelde vir dienste van hierdie aard. Hierdie wyse van berekening het 'n premie op stadige en ondoeltreffende werk gestel, en dit het tot gevolg dat 'n fooi gevra word wat geheel en al buite verhouding is met die D waarde van die dienste wat inderdaad gelewer word. (Op 601I/J-602A.)

By die bepaling van wat 'n redelike fooi is vir die dienste van 'n advokaat op appèl (soos by enige ander taksasie van gelde), moet tred gehou word met inflasie. 'n Uitermatige verskil tussen wat as gangbare fooie deur die professie beskou word en wat deur die Takseermeester op taksasie toegelaat word, is onwenslik en onbillik en moet sover moontlik vermy word. Hoewel elke saak na gelang van sy eie feite en omstandighede E beoordeel moet word, is daar sekere norme waaraan advokaatsgelde en die taksasie daarvan moet voldoen. (Op 603G/H-I.)

In die huidige geval het die verhoor van die appèl drie dae geduur, het die rekord 6 380 bladsye en die betoogshoofde aan beide kante 458 bladsye beloop en is 'n senior en 'n junior advokaat aangestel (beide van hulle het ook in die verhoor in die Plaaslike Afdeling verskyn) om die appèl te beredeneer. Die totale gelde vir beide advokate vir die opstel van betoogshoofde, voorbereiding van die appèl en teenappèl, 'n aansoek om die F vervanging van die Administrateur van Transvaal as respondent op appèl in die plek van die Wes-Randse Ontwikkelingsraad en die beredenering van die appèl is deur die Takseermeester vanaf R229 615 afgetakseer tot R66 667 (R40 000 vir die senior advokaat en R26 667 vir die junior advokaat). Die Hof het bevind dat geen fout gevind kon word met die Takseermeester se besluit om globale bedrae ten opsigte van senior en junior advokaatsgelde toe te laat nie. (Op 598E-F, 600E, 601C en 603B-C.) Die Hof het ook die Takseermeester se beslissing ten aansien van die bedrae wat toegelaat is G bevestig. (Op 603I.) Aansoek om hersiening van taksasie van die hand gewys.

Flynote : Sleutelwoorde

H Appeal — Costs of — Counsel's fees — Heads of argument — Practice that separate fee for drafting heads of argument not allowable on taxation reaffirmed — Established practice is to determine one composite fee covering drafting of heads of argument, preparation and arguing of appeal — Method of determining fee for work involved in preparing heads of argument — Inappropriate that it should be determined on basis of so much per hour — Such method placing premium on slow and inefficient work and resulting in fee being charged which was out of proportion to value of services rendered.

I Appeal — Costs of — Counsel's fees — Senior and junior counsel briefed — No fault with Taxing Master's decision to allow global amounts for their fees — Such a well-established and approved practice.

Appeal — Costs of — Counsel's fees — Inflation — In determining on taxation reasonable fee for counsel's services, pace to be kept with inflation — Undesirable and unfair that excessive difference exists between what profession considers currently acceptable fees and what J Taxing Master allows — Although each case to be considered

1994 (1) SA p597

A according to its own facts and circumstances, counsel's fees and taxation thereof have to comply with certain norms.

Appeal — Costs of — Counsel's fees — Hearing of appeal lasting three days, record running to 6 380 pages and heads of argument on both sides running to 458 pages — Senior and junior counsel briefed — Same counsel having appeared in trial — Counsel's fees totalling R229 615 taxed down to R66 667, ie R40 000 for senior counsel and R26 667 for junior counsel — Taxing B Master's decision confirmed on review.

Headnote : Kopnota

The Court, in an application for the review of the taxation by the Taxing Master of the Appellate Division of the applicant's bills of costs in an appeal, reaffirmed the practice that, in the case of counsel's fees in an appeal, a separate fee for the drafting of heads of argument would not be allowed on taxation. The established practice was to determine one composite fee which included the drafting of heads of argument and the C preparation and arguing of the appeal. (At 601C/D-E.)

Ocean Commodities Inc and Others v Standard Bank of SA and Others 1984 (3) SA 15 (A) applied.

In regard to the determination of a fee for that part of the appeal consisting of the drafting of heads of argument the Court remarked that the manner in which such fee had been calculated in the present case, namely so much per hour, was inappropriate for the determination of D counsel's fees for services of this kind. This method of calculation placed a premium on slow and inefficient work and resulted in a fee being charged which was totally out of proportion to the value of the services actually rendered. (At 601I/J-602A.)

In determining on taxation what is a reasonable fee for the services of counsel on appeal (as is the case with any other taxation of fees), pace should be kept with inflation. An excessive difference between what the profession considers to be currently acceptable fees and what the Taxing E Master allows on taxation is undesirable and unfair and should be avoided as far as possible. Although each case has to be considered according to its own facts and circumstances, there are certain norms with which counsel's fees and the taxation thereof have to comply. (At 603G/H-I.)

In the present case the hearing of the appeal lasted three days, the record comprised 6 380 pages and the heads of argument on both sides ran to 458 pages. Senior and junior counsel had been briefed to argue the F appeal, both of whom had appeared in the trial in the Local Division. The total fees for both counsel for the drafting of the heads of argument, the preparation of the appeal and cross-appeal, an application for the substitution of the Administrator of Transvaal as respondent on appeal in the place of the West Rand Development Board and the arguing of the appeal had been taxed down by the Taxing Master from R229 615 to R66 667 (R44 000 G for senior counsel and R26 667 for junior counsel). The Court held that no fault could be found with the Taxing Master's decision to allow global amounts in respect of senior and junior counsels' fees. (At 598E-F, 600E, 601C and 603B-C.) The Court also confirmed the Taxing Master's decision in respect of the amounts allowed on taxation. (At 603I.) Application for the review of the taxation dismissed. H

Case Information

Aansoek om die hersiening van die taksasie van die applikant se kosterekenings. Die aard van die betwiste items in die kosterekenings blyk uit die uitspraak van Corbett HR.

J Lubbe SC (bygestaan deur A A Smith) namens die applikant het na die volgende gesag verwys: Legal & General Assurance Society Ltd v Lieberum NO and Another 1968 (1) SA 473 (A) op 477A-B, 478A-B; Nourse Mines Ltd v I Clarke 1910 TPD 660 op 661...

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18 practice notes
  • Aircraft Completions Centre (Pty) Ltd v Rossouw and Others
    • South Africa
    • Invalid date
    ...the prevailing tendency in the profession to charge on that footing. In J D van Niekerk en Genote Ing v Administrateur, Transvaal 1994 (1) SA 595 (A) this D Court disapproved of that approach to fee assessment for taxation purposes and held that the established practice was to fix a globula......
  • Nel and Another NNO v the Master (Absa Bank Ltd and Others Intervening)
    • South Africa
    • Invalid date
    ...and Another 1959 (4) SA 517 (O) Hillhouse v Stott 1990 (4) SA 580 (W) at 583 J D van Niekerk en Vennote Ing v Administrateur Transvaal 1994 (1) SA 595 (A) E Janse van Rensburg v Minister of Defence 2000 (3) SA 54 (SCA) Maltby v D J Freeman and Co [1978] 2 All ER 913 (Ch) Marais v Fagan 1914......
  • Price Waterhouse Meyernel v Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of South Africa
    • South Africa
    • Invalid date
    ...determination of fees on taxation on a time-related basis in the matter of J D van Niekerk en Genote Ing v Administrateur, Transvaal 1994 (1) SA 595 (A). It had instead been held that the established practice was to fix a B globular amount first day fee for heads, preparation and appearance......
  • Nel and Another NNO v the Master (Absa Bank Ltd and Others Intervening)
    • South Africa
    • Supreme Court of Appeal
    • 1 Abril 2004
    ...and Another 1959 (4) SA 517 (O) Hillhouse v Stott 1990 (4) SA 580 (W) at 583 J D van Niekerk en Vennote Ing v Administrateur Transvaal 1994 (1) SA 595 (A) E Janse van Rensburg v Minister of Defence 2000 (3) SA 54 (SCA) Maltby v D J Freeman and Co [1978] 2 All ER 913 (Ch) Marais v Fagan 1914......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
18 cases
  • Aircraft Completions Centre (Pty) Ltd v Rossouw and Others
    • South Africa
    • Invalid date
    ...the prevailing tendency in the profession to charge on that footing. In J D van Niekerk en Genote Ing v Administrateur, Transvaal 1994 (1) SA 595 (A) this D Court disapproved of that approach to fee assessment for taxation purposes and held that the established practice was to fix a globula......
  • Nel and Another NNO v the Master (Absa Bank Ltd and Others Intervening)
    • South Africa
    • Invalid date
    ...and Another 1959 (4) SA 517 (O) Hillhouse v Stott 1990 (4) SA 580 (W) at 583 J D van Niekerk en Vennote Ing v Administrateur Transvaal 1994 (1) SA 595 (A) E Janse van Rensburg v Minister of Defence 2000 (3) SA 54 (SCA) Maltby v D J Freeman and Co [1978] 2 All ER 913 (Ch) Marais v Fagan 1914......
  • Price Waterhouse Meyernel v Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of South Africa
    • South Africa
    • Invalid date
    ...determination of fees on taxation on a time-related basis in the matter of J D van Niekerk en Genote Ing v Administrateur, Transvaal 1994 (1) SA 595 (A). It had instead been held that the established practice was to fix a B globular amount first day fee for heads, preparation and appearance......
  • Nel and Another NNO v the Master (Absa Bank Ltd and Others Intervening)
    • South Africa
    • Supreme Court of Appeal
    • 1 Abril 2004
    ...and Another 1959 (4) SA 517 (O) Hillhouse v Stott 1990 (4) SA 580 (W) at 583 J D van Niekerk en Vennote Ing v Administrateur Transvaal 1994 (1) SA 595 (A) E Janse van Rensburg v Minister of Defence 2000 (3) SA 54 (SCA) Maltby v D J Freeman and Co [1978] 2 All ER 913 (Ch) Marais v Fagan 1914......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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