In the constitutional court of south africa

111Appl. 8962/80, X and Y v Belgium, D & R 28 (1982), p 112 (124); see also Van Dijk 369.

112Series A. No 294 B; Application No 17101/90; (1994) 18 EHRR 393.

113Id para 69.

114Id para 81.

115Id para 75.

116See Katz v US 389 US 347 (1967) 361, Abel v US 362 US 217 (1960) 241.

117[1990] 68 D.L.R. (4th) 568 at 578.

118[1984] 11 D.L.R. (4th) 641 at 652-3.

119In McKinley supra note 119 at 578 a-c.

120R v Wong (1987) 41 CCC (3d) 163 OntCA.

121James A Fontana The Law of Search and Seizure in Canada 3 ed (1992) 19.

122Von Mhnch/Kunig Grundgesetz-Kommentar (4aufl) Band 1, Art 1 Rn 10; Art 2 Rn 30-31.

123See also Ferreira v Levin supra note 2 paras 84-85.

124BVerfGE 27, 344[350].

125Von Mhnch/Kunig supra note 122, Art 1 Rn 10.

126BVerfGE 54, 148[153]; BVerfGE 6, 32[41].

127BVerfGE 27, 344[351]; BVerfGE 34, 238[245]; BVerfGE 80, 367[373].

128BVerfGE 6, 389[433].

129At 247: ...weil in diesen Faellen nach allgemeiner Auffassung von einem Recht am eigenen Wort nicht mehr die Rede sein kann. Soweit es z. B. im geschaeftlichen Verkehr ueblich geworden ist, fernmuendliche Durchsagen, Bestellungen oder Boersennachrichten mittels eines Tonabnehmers festzuhalten, ist in aller Regel das Recht auf freie Entfaltung der Persoenlichkeit des Sprechers noch nicht betroffen. Bei derartigen Mitteilungen steht der objektive Gehalt des Gesagten so sehr im Vordergrund, dass die Persoenlichkeit des Sprechenden nahezu vollends dahinter zuruecktritt und das gesprochene Wort damit seinen privaten Charakter einbuesst.

130The German law treats the insolvency of persons and the liquidation of companies in the same way. German insolvency law is governed by the Konkursordnung. The equivalent of section 417 is 75 of the Konkursordnung. Apart from the special provisions in 207 ff of the Konkursordnung, all provisions, including 75 apply both to natural and to juristic persons. (See G. Robbers Einfhhrung in das deutsche Recht 275).

131BVerfGE 56, 37[49-51].

132Id 42: auch davon abhaengen, ob und inwieweit andere auf die Information der Auskunftsperson angewiesen sind, ob insbesondere die Auskunft Teil eines durch eigenen Willensentschluss uebernommenen Pflichtenkreises ist.

133Id 48.

134Id 50.

135See note 89 above.

136Supra note 36 at 738 and see also para [30] supra.

137Supra note 38 at 346.

138201 US 43 (1906) 74-5; See also US v White 322 US 694 (1944) 698.

139Id 73. See also White supra note 138 at 698. Special problems of privacy may be presented by subpoena of a personal diary. See Fisher et al v United States et al 425 US 391 1976) at 401 note 7.

140Re Pergamon Press Ltd [1971] Ch 388 (CA).

141Id 399D - H.

142Id 402G - 403A.

143Corporate Law 2 ed at 28.01.

1441976 1 SA 758 (W).

145Id 763E-F.

146It is accordingly unnecessary to consider the correctness of the view expressed in Jeeva v Receiver of Revenue, Port Elizabeth 1995 2 SA 433 (SE) 443I where Jones J held that an enquiry under sections 417 and 418 constituted administrative action for purposes of section 24 of the Constitution.

147Sections 96(2) and 99(5)(d) of the Constitution.

148In schedule 3 to the Constitution which requires a commitment from judges to administer justice to all persons alike without fear, favour or prejudice.

149By resolutions 40/32 of 29 November 1985 and 40/146 of 13 December 1985, the UN endorsed the Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary as adopted by the Seventh United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders in 1985.

150Rennie NO v Gordon NNO 1988 1 SA 1 (A) 21E per Corbett JA.

151Palvie v Motale Bus Service (Pty) Ltd 1993 4 SA 742 (A) 749C per Howie AJA.

152See Minister of the Interior v Harris 1952 4 SA 769 (A). Another example is the Soviet Constitution of 1977 which enacted a wide panoply of individual rights but which made wholly inadequate provision for their enforcement through independent courts. See Henkin The Rights of Man Today 66 - 70.

153Id 792A-C where the learned Judge of Appeal said the following:

From the second preamble to the South Africa Act it is clear that the authors of our constitution had in mind the doctrine of the tria politica and the existence of some judicial power to enforce the constitutional guarantees. That seems to follow by necessary intendment. But I do not think the further inference is justified that they had in contemplation that the judicial power had for ever to be exercised by Courts constituted in a manner which satisfies certain criteria to the end that the independence, competence and justness of these tribunals be manifest and secured. I do not think they intended that Courts should always be of the kind to which they were accustomed. We have had many kinds of Courts; we have had trial by battle, by fire and by flood. We have heard of modern peoples Courts, in which the standard of justice was perhaps no higher than in the judicium ferri candentis of the Lombards (Gengler, Germanische R-Denkm@ler, p. 759).

154The principle of equality of arms, implicit in the right to a fair trial, has not been applied to situations such as the one we are considering in the case before us. See, in this regard, Van Dijk and Van Hoof Theory and Practice of the European Convention on Human Rights 2 ed (1990) 319 and Dombo Beheer BV v Netherlands 18 EHRR 213.

155Supra note 2.

156Id para 157.

157Id para 154.

158Case CCT 17/95 of 8 December 1995 para 18.

159Re Westinghouse Electric Corporation Uranium Contract Litigation MDL Docket No 235 (No 2) [1977] 3 All ER 717 (CA) at 721c - h. See also Blunt v Park Lane Hotel Limited and Another [1942] 2 KB 253 and Halsburys Laws of England 4 ed (1976) Vol 17 para 240.

160See R v Kansal [1992] 3 All ER 844 (CA) 850a - f. See also Schmitthoff (ed) Palmers Company Law vol 2 15222 to 15222/1.

161Supra note 50 at 255 - 256.

162R.S.C. 1985, c. C-5.

163Hogg Constitutional Law of Canada 3 ed (1992) 1142.

164406 US 441 (1972) 453.

165Ferreira v Levin NO and Others, Vryenhoek and Others v Powell NO and Others (No 2) CCT 5/95, the judgment on costs delivered on 19 March 1996, paras 5 and 7.

166Ferreira v Levin (No2) supra note 2 para 10.

1Sections 417 and 418 of the Companies Act 61 of 1973, henceforth referred to as the sections.

2I have in mind particularly that the sections were amended (by sections 9 and 10 of Act 29 of 1985) so as to afford the Master extensive powers in relation to examinations.

3Ferreira v Levin NO and Others; Vryenhoek and Others v Powell NO and Others 1996 (1) BCLR 1 (CC).

4In paragraph [195].

1 Ferreira v Levin NO and others 1996 1 BCLR 1 (CC) at paragraphs 47 - 51.

2 Coetzee v Government of Republic of South Africa 1996 1 SA 631 (CC); 1995 10 BCLR 1382 (CC) at paragraph 43.

3 See R M Dworkin Taking Rights Seriously (1977) 262 -3.