16/12/2025 Bertus Preller Abuse of Process, Access to justice section 34, Attorney and client costs, Bona fide defence, Civil contempt South Africa, Contempt of Court, Contempt of court maintenance, Contumacious conduct, Costs, Discovery, Divorce, Duty to court, Good cause rescission, Hostile Family Lawyers, Inherent powers of court, Legal practitioner complicity, legal practitioner ethical duties, LPC Code of Conduct, Matrimonial proceedings discovery, Muslim Marriages, Procedural Law, Procedural non-compliance, Procedure, Punitive costs orders, Rescission of default judgment, Rule 35(1) discovery, Rule 35(3) notice, Rule 35(7), Section 173 Constitution, Serial contempt, Stalingrad tactics, Striking out defence, Uniform Form Rules of Court, Vexatious Litigant, Vexatious litigation, Vindicating court authority abuse of court process, Attorney and Client Costs, bona fide defence, chamber book applications, contempt of court, contumacious conduct, discovery obligations, divorce action, duty to court, family law litigation, good cause rescission, inherent powers of court, legal practitioner complicity, legal practitioner ethical duties, LPC Code of Conduct, maintenance claims, procedural non-compliance, punitive costs orders, rescission of default judgment, Rule 35(3) notice, Rule 35(7), section 173 Constitution, section 60.1, section 60.2, serial contempt, Stalingrad tactics, striking out defence, vindicating court authority, wilful default When the Court Draws a Line in the Sand: Striking Out for Serial Contempt and Abuse of Process in S.L v A.C (8030/2021) [2025] ZAWCHC 565 (4 December 2025). Introduction The case of S.L v A.C (8030/2021) ZAWCHC 565 (4 December 2025) serves as a stark reminder that access to justice does not mean access to courts on one's… READ MORE
28/05/2025 Bertus Preller Arrears, Children, Divorce, Interim Maintenance, Islamic Law, Maintenance, Muslim Marriages, Punitive Cost Orders, Rule 43 Acting Judge Van Zyl, attorney client costs, blameworthy conduct, child maintenance, child support enforcement, contempt of court, Contempt Proceedings, curator ad litem, family court orders, family law contempt, family law enforcement, maintenance arrears, maintenance contempt, maintenance default, maintenance defaulters, maintenance enforcement, maintenance obligations, maintenance variation applications, mala fides, periodical imprisonment, punitive costs orders, rental obligations, Rule 43 maintenance, Rule 43 orders, South African Family Law, Suspended Sentence, weekend imprisonment, Western Cape High Court, wilful non-compliance Contempt of Court for Maintenance Default: Weekend Imprisonment and Punitive Costs in S.L v A.C (2024/143281) [2025] ZAWCHC 212 (21 May 2025). Facts The parties were married on 27 April 2009 under Shariah law and have two minor children. Their civil marriage still subsisted, albeit described by Acting Judge Van Zyl as… READ MORE