Category: General Interest | Hugh Raichlin Attorneys

The AARTO National Rollout has Been Delayed – But Beware of Scams!

General Interest, Road Traffic / Law DotNews

“South African drivers, beware! Scammers are issuing fake traffic fines to catch you off guard! Always use AARTO approved collecting agents for your payments.” (Road Traffic Infringement Agency) The national rollout of AARTO has again been postponed, this time to July 2026. Speculation is that we now won’t see the demerit system implemented before the […]

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As 1 December Looms, Here’s What AARTO Means for Motorists and Employers

“Forewarned is forearmed.” (Wise old proverb) Government keeps assuring us that the long-delayed AARTO (Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences) system will finally begin its full national rollout on 1 December 2025. Is this another false start or the real thing this time? There have been so many false starts to AARTO over the last

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Don’t Let Cybercriminals Haunt You this Halloween — Verify, Verify, Verify!

Business, Criminal Law / Crime, General Interest, Property / Law DotNews

“If you suspect deceit, hit delete!” (Online cybersecurity slogan) October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a good time to note that as cybercrime continues to grow, more and more businesses and individuals are falling victim to the dreaded “BEC” or “Business Email Compromise” fraud. The million-dollar question: Who takes the hit? Typically in a BEC fraud,

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Private Prosecution: Neighbours at War

Criminal Law / Crime, General Interest, Property / Law DotNews

“I charge you by the law.” (William Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice) Victims of crime are entitled to see the perpetrators brought to justice. Feeling that the justice system has failed you can cause significant psychological harm and feelings of victimisation. So, what happens if you believe that you are the victim of a

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Verify Banking Details Before Paying Any Invoice – You’re at Risk, Not the Creditor

Business, Criminal Law / Crime, General Interest / Law DotNews

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” (Benjamin Franklin’s warning to fire-threatened Philadelphians in 1736) Cases of Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud continue to surge, and recent High Court decisions have confirmed that it’s up to you to verify that you are paying into the correct bank account. How does BEC work and

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From the Horse’s Mouth: “Should You Use AI for Legal Advice?”

General Interest / Law DotNews

“If you didn’t hear it from the horse’s mouth, it came from the other end of the horse.” (Anon) The rapid rise of AI is hard to ignore. DeepSeek’s AI assistant, only launched on 10 January this year, has grown to rival ChatGPT in popularity, making it the most widely used AI language model at

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Defending Yourself: What Weapons Can You Legally Carry?

General Interest / Law DotNews

“The right of self-defence is the first law of nature.” (St. George Tucker, Blackstones Commentaries, 1803) South Africa’s chronically high crime rates have left many of us wondering what the limits are when defending ourselves and our families from criminals. What weapons does the law allow us to carry, what permissions do we need to

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A New School Year Dawns – Can Unpaid Fees Bar Your Child From Enrolling?

Family Law, General Interest / Law DotNews

“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” (Mark Twain) Our Constitution guarantees everyone rights to education, but that doesn’t mean parents can necessarily pick and choose which schools they send their children to. Nor does it mean that they can expect schools to continue educating their children if they don’t pay the

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No Means No: What the New Case on Consent Means for Victims of Sexual Violence

Criminal Law / Crime, General Interest / Law DotNews

“Sexual violence is a horrific reality that continues to plague this country.” (Quoted in judgment below) It’s often said that victims of rape and other types of sexual violence have to suffer twice – firstly at the hands of the rapist and secondly at the hands of the law. A recent High Court ruling on

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When Can You Legally Record Conversations?

General Interest, Information Technology Law / Cyberlaw / Law DotNews

“Big Brother is watching you.” (George Orwell) Your smartphone lets you record just about anything, anywhere, and at any time. Your laptop and other devices can automatically record online meetings. Technology enabling voice and/or video recording is all-pervasive, providing us all with a powerful tool for keeping accurate records, resolving disputes and gathering evidence. But

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