Falls the shadow : between the promise and the reality of the South African Constitution / edited by Kristina Bentley, Laurie Nathan & Richard Calland.
Introduction: Mind the gap! The Constitution as a blueprint for security / Laurie Nathan -- You can't eat the Constitution: is democracy for the poor? / Tseliso Thipanyane -- Access to justice: the role of legal aid and civil society in protecting the poor / Kristina Bentley -- Security and the Constitution : xenophobia. Whose Rights? Whose Safety? / Judith Cohen -- Custom and constitutional rights: an impossible dialogue? / Mazibuko Jara -- Access to social security: the case of mining diseases in South Africa / Meryl du Plessis -- Judicial appointments: do procedural shortcomings hinder access to justice? -- Chris Oxtoby and Abongile Sipondo -- Judicical selection: what qualities do we expect in a South African judge? / Susannah Cowen -- Bending the rules: Constitutional subversion by the Intelligence Services / Laurie Nathan -- Conclusion: 'Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold' / Richard Calland.
Summary:
"South Africa supposedly has one of the best Constitutions in the world, one which is intended to control and constrain the exercise of power by the state so that it does not threaten the liberty and security of citizens. But, in reality, does the Constitution contribute more to the security of some groups than others? Does it help to ensure certain types of security but not others? And does it have greater impact on some institutions than others? Falls the Shadow: Between the Promise and Reality of the South African Constitution is based on the assumption that the Constitution has a significant impact on the security of South African citizens and communities but that this impact is differential. The chapters in the book explore what kind of differential impact the Constitution has, explain what accounts for the differences, examine the consequences of the different impact and consider whether there are any general observations and hypotheses that emerge from comparative perspectives."--Publisher's website.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.