The role of the judiciary in balancing flexibility and security

• Jurisdiction: South Africa
• Date: 01 January 2013
• Published date: 01 January 2013
• DOI: 10.10520/EJC145903
• Pages: 470-485
• Published By: University of Pretoria
• Author: Marius Van Staden

470

The role of the judiciary in balancing

flexibility and security*

Marius van Staden

LLB LLM

Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Johannesburg

OPSOMMING

Die Rol van die Regbank in die Balansering van Buigsaamheid en Sekuriteit

In wat volg word die regskeppende bevoegdhede van die howe ondersoek

en drie verskillende maniere gemerk waardeur die howe kan bydra tot die

regulering van die arbeidsmarkte. Eerstens, kan die howe nuwe regulering

skep deur middel van hul vertolkingsmandaat. Tweedens, kan die howe

nuwe regulering skep deur middel van hul remediërende magte na

aanleiding van ’n bevinding van ongrondwetlikheid van bestaande reëls

en regulasies. Derdens, kan howe ook verdere regulering deur die

wetgewer veroorsaak in hul omgang met en hantering van wetgewing.

Daar word gelet op die belang van wetgewing in die algemeen maar ook

op die besondere belang van arbeidswetgewing ten opsigte van die

regulering van die samelewing en die arbeidsmarkte. Verder word die

inherente regskeppende funksie van die howe beskryf. Daar word gemerk

dat sekere begrippe juis vaag en wyd opgestel is ten einde dit aan die

howe oor te laat om die bepalings van sodanige wetgewing te vertolk en

inhoud daaraan te gee. Die howe is dus belangrike akteurs in die

buigsaamheid/sekerheid debat aangesien hulle reëls en regulasies “skep”

deur middel van hulle vertolkingsmandaat. Daar word egter verder

aangevoer dat (as gevolg van die openheid van taal) hierdie verskeinsel nie

slegs beperk kan word tot daardie gevalle wat as vaag en wyd bestempel

kan word nie. Die vertolkingsbenaderings van onderskeidelik die Hoogste

Hof van Appèl en die Grondwetlike Hof, ten opsigte van arbeids-

aangeleenthede, word ondersoek. Die howe kan egter ook reg skep na

aanleiding van ’n bevinding van ongrondwetlikheid ingevolge artikel

172(1)(a) van die Grondwet en kan ook verdere ingrypings deur die

wetgewer in die arbeidsmark veroorsaak. Hierdie verskeinsel laat vrae

ontstaan oor hoe howe kan bydra tot die buigsaamheid/sekerheid debat

en die regulering van die arbeidsmarkte.

“The courts are the capitals of law’s empire, and judges are its princes.”1

1 This article is partially based on a paper presented at the International

Labour Law an d Social P rotectio n Conference held in Johannesburg, South

Africa and hosted by the Faculty of Law and the Centre for International and

Comparative Labour and Social Security Law (CICLASS) of the University of

Johannesburg from 27 to 30 August 2012.

1Dworkin Law’s Empire (1986) 273.

*

The role of the judiciary in balancing flexibility and security 471

1Introduction

German scholars tend to characterise states according to what is taken as

the province of their main activity. There is der Kriegerstaat, der

Rechtsstaat, der Handelstaat, der Polizeistaat and so on.2 Seeley3 has

noted that we live in a legislation-state, which is a form of state devoted

to the business of legislation. Legislation has become an indispensable

source of contemporary law, if not the most important source.4 Since the

adoption of the Constitution,5 parliament has adopted a staggering

amount of new acts. Between 1997 and 2012 parliament adopted 825

acts as well as 16 constitutional amendments at the rate of about 56 per

year. Parliament also embarked upon an overhaul of the legislative

landscape of the labour market and many aspects previously left to the

common law, or the parties themselves, are now legislatively regulated.6

The most important way of addressing deficiencies of the common law

effectively is by means of legislation,7 and the legislature is also an

institution that is capable of responding “quickly and effectively to

frequently fluctuating circumstances of a socio-economic nature”.8

Labour legislation in South Africa is also described as “allies of the

Constitution” and “enjoys a considerable status and has a very special

role to play in the fulfilment of crucial constitutional objectives”.9

Of course labour markets cannot be said to be solely regulated by

legislation,10 but contemporary debates concerning the regulation of

labour markets focus primarily on three actors – government, business

2 Seeley Introduction to Political Science: Two Series of Lectures (1896) 140. Der

Kriegerstaat refers to a state organised for war, der Rechtsstaat refers a state

organised around the principle of the rule of law and individual rights, der

Handelstaat refers to a state devoted to the advancement of trade and der

Polizeistaat refers to a police -state.

3 146.

4 Du Plessis “The status and role of legislation in South Africa as a

constitutional democracy: some exploratory observations” 2011 PELJ 92 93.

5 Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.

6 They include the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995; the Basic Conditions of

Employment Act 75 of 1997; the Compensation for Occupational Injuries

and Diseases Act 130 of 1993; the Unemployment Insurance Act 63 of

2001; the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993; the Skills

Development Act 97 of 1998; the Public Service Labour Relations Act 105 of

1994; the Education Labour Relations Act 146 of 1993; the Employment

Equity Act 55 of 1998 and the various amendments to these pieces of

legislation.

7 Basson et al Essential Labour Law (2005) 9.

8Martin v Murray 1995 ILJ 589 (C) 601E-H.

9 Du Plessis 2011 PELJ 92 95, 97. The LRA was enacted “to give effect to and

regulate the fundamental rights conferred by section 27” of the Interim

Constitution, but s 27 neither explicitly required nor envisaged legislation

amplifying and giving more concrete effect to it. S 23(5) and (6) of the 1996

Constitution do, however, envisage legislation to regulate collective

bargaining.

10 The most important ways in which employment relationships are regulated

in South Africa are through legislation, collective agreements and the

contract of employment – Van Niekerk (ed) Law@work (2008) 57.