No. 57 (2016): September 2016

This issue covers some of South Africa’s hottest topics, as well as its broader structural challenges. Mary de Haas analyses political killings in KwaZulu-Natal in the run up to the August 2016 municipal elections. In On the Record, National Director of Public Prosecutions, Shaun Abrahams, provides unique insight into the challenges of heading the prosecution service in a fraught political climate.

Exploring the broader criminal justice arena, Ehmke-Engelbrecht et al. question the validity of blood alcohol samples used in the prosecution of alleged drunk drivers. In two legal contributions, Jameelah Omar argues that poor people suffer discrimination in court when it comes to bail; Marelize Schoeman assesses current procedural mechanisms to assess the criminal capacity of children in conflict with the law. Jean Steyn and Sazelo Mkhize ask whether police officers’ attitudes change with years of service, and Elrena van der Spuy reviews Don Pinnock’s book Gang Town.