Legal research in a changing information environment

Since the advent of the latest constitutional dispensation in South Africa, legalresearchers have been presented with new opportunities for research intoconstitutional issues, development and the relationship between constitutionallaw and other fields. This article investigates how information technologyapplications can support the legal research process and what the benefits oftechnology are likely to be to legal research. Furthermore, it investigates thechanges and the impact that electronic resources and the digital informationenvironment might have on legal research. This entails a study of the uniquecharacteristics of digital legal research and of the challenges that legalresearchers face in a changing information environment

Vrae rondom die tradisionele bena- dering van die Afrikaanse taalbewe-gings

In this article the traditional approach to the history of the Afrikaans language movements, the so-called “Eerste Afrikaanse Taalbeweging” and “Tweede Afrikaanse Taalbeweging” is criticized, more specifically the traditional evaluation of the relation between the “Genootskap van Regie Afrikaners” (GRA) and the first language movement. Under discussion is a new concept of what a language movement is, namely that a language movement is determined mainly by a political and I or a religiousforce. In other words, a politically dominant group of people would make use of the sentimental power of their language the mobilize themselves into a political force. Once they have taken over the power of government their language will most likely receive official status. With this “criterion” in mind, the history of the Afrikaans language movements can be analyzed against the background of Jive different language movements, i.e. the “Oosgrenstaalbeweging” (I860), the “Maleierafrikaanse taalbeweging” (1866), the “Byvbelvertalingsbeweing” (1872), the “Afrikanerbondbeweging” (1880) and the only successful one, the “na-oorlogse taalbeweging” (1914). The latter succeeded because of the immense success of Afrikaner nationalist politics, not because of the beauty or so-called "wonder” of the Afrikaans language, as is often believed. TheGRA was no language movement at all, but part of the “Bybelvertalingsbeweging”. The motive behind this language movement was a religious one: to convert the poor Afrikaans­ speaking population of the Cape Colony to Christianity. An Afrikaans Bible became a bare essential for this mission and thus explains the efforts of Pannevis and later the GRA to translate the Bible into Afrikaans. The whole effort was not to promote Afrikaans as a language at all. Some other facts concerning the erection of the GRA are put into perspective, for instance: the date 14 August 1875, considered as the dale upon which the GRA was formed, has been proved false. A new dale has been decided upon, which is more accurate, namely 25 September of the same year

Voorwoord

The development of language policy in the South African educational system, from 1652 to 1961, with special  reference to the Union Government period

House of traditional leaders: Role, problems and future

No Abstract

Effect of online social networking on employee productivity

The popularity of social networking sites is relatively recent and the effect of online social networking (OSN) on employee productivity has not received much scholarly attention. The reason most likely lies in the social nature of social networking sites and OSN, which is assumed to have a negative effect on employee productivity and not bear organisational benefit. This reseach investigated recent Internet developments as seen in the social Web and specifically investigated the effect of OSN on employee productivity and what some of the consequences would be if employees were allowed unrestricted access to these networks. The findings concerning the nature of employees' OSN activities, employees' attitude or perceptions with regard to OSN in the workplace and how OSN can contribute or affect the productivity of employees are discussed in this article. Some of the basic misconceptions regarding OSN are highlighted and it is concluded that this technology can be used to increase collaboration between individuals who share a common interest or goal. Increased collaboration will stimulate knowledge sharing between individuals, with the possible effect of increased productivity. However, the risks associated with OSN should be noted, such as loss of privacy, bandwidth and storage consumption, exposure to malware and lower employee productivity

Terminologiebestuur in Suid- Afrika: 'n Ideaalmodel *

Die nuwe taalbestel in Suid-Afrika het tot gevolg gehad dat die ontwikkeling, die uitbouing, die bestuur en ook die verspreiding van terminologiese inligting in elf amptelike tale gedoen moet word. 'n Veranderde terminologiebestuursprogram moet derhalwe daargestel word om aan die behoeftes van 'n nuwe terminologiegemeenskap te voldoen. So 'n model sou ideaal gesien binne die Nasionale Taaldiens se terminologiekoördineringsafdeling geïmplementeer kon word. In die eerste gedeelte van hierdie artikel word 'n model voorgestel van hoe terminologiebestuur suksesvol binne 'n terminologiebestuursentrum aangepak kan word. In die tweede gedeelte van die artikel word die implikasies van die model in die Suid-Afrikaanse situasie verreken om vas te stel hoe die terminologiebestuursprogram aangepas sou kon word om aan die eise van die nuwe taalbestel te voldoen en om die nuwe teikengroep(e) voldoende te bereik. Sleutelwoorde: Amptelike Tale, Beplanning En Koördinering, Disseminering, Evaluering, Gemarginaliseerde Tale, Inheemse Tale, Implementering, Meertalige Terminologiebestuursisteem, Navorsing, Ontwikkelende Tale, Ontwikkelde Tale, Opleiding, Standaardisering, Termbank, Terminologie, Terminologiebestuursentrum, Terminologiebestuursprogram, Terminologieontwikkeling, Terminologiewer

Competitive Legal Professionals’ use of Technology in Legal Practice and Legal Research

Advances in the information and communication technologies have led to the availability of a range of primary and secondary legal research publications online via the Internet, rather than on other storing devices such as compact discs or publications in the print media. Not only has information and communication technology (ICT) impacted on the availability of legal information resources, but its effects are also noticed in various law-related areas such as legal practice management, legal education, corporate governance and the law per se. The question addressed by this article is whether the application of ICTs has an effect on the practice of law, and specifically whether information and knowledge management affects the processes of legal research in modern legal practice. Various issues are considered in this regard, including what the concept of knowledge management (KM) entails in a law firm and what the current KM trends in South African law firms are. The article investigates global trends in the application of ICTs for legal research purposes, what the specific applications of KM in support of legal research may be, how information technology applications and KM systems and strategies can support the legal research process, and what the benefits of KM are to legal research. It finally discusses the impact technology has had on the skills required of competitive legal professionals

Metabolic markers as possible diagnostic tools to distinguish between Gram positive and Gram negative septicaemia in baboons

Septicemia is a disease with high mortality and morbidity. Most patients die within 48 h after infection because directed treatment can only start after the bacterium is identified as gram positive or gram negative. This may take up to 72 h. Early identification of the causative pathogen can therefore decrease the high mortality rate following infection. The aim was to identify possible metabolic markers of gram positive and gram negative septicemia in appropriately infected baboons. Ten baboons,anaesthetised with ketamine hydrochloride and pentobarbitone for 24 h, were used in this pilot study. Blood and urine samples were collected at various intervals during the 24 h. Four baboons were inoculated with S. pyogenes H305 and four with E. coli O111:B4. Two baboons served as controls. Acyl carnitine, amino acids, organic acids, very long chain fatty acids, glucose, pyruvate and lactate were measured in blood plasma and in urine using standardised methods. No metabolic markers could distinguish between gram positive and gram negative septicemia. α-Amino-adipic acid, citramalic acid and xanthurenic acid, produced only by bacteria, show promise. Alanine and glycine increased significantly over 24 h and can be used as diagnostic markers and perhaps as markers of disease progression. In conclusion, (in PDF file it is conclusively) metabolites can be used to diagnose septicemia and possibly its progression, but not to distinguish between gram positive and gramnegative septicemia.Keywords: Septicaemia, baboon, Gram negative, Gram positive, metabolic marke