School of Law Researchers Co-Edit Class Action Litigation Handbook

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UKZN’s honorary Research Fellow Professor Max du Plessis and Ms Sarah Pudifin-Jones have been recognised for their pivotal role and involvement in co-editing and contributing as authors to the book Class Action Litigation in South Africa, which was recently released by Juta Publishers in July 2017.

‘The book, which is the first of its kind in South Africa, aims to provide practical guidance in relation to the complex and countless questions associated with the implementation of private class action lawsuits from a judicial, procedural, economic and social perspective while offering the reader first-hand exposure to lessons learned from international experts,’ said du Plessis.

‘Encompassing contributions from all over the world, and straddling the fields of law, economics, social justice and politics, the handbook offers valuable insights into class action litigation from local and international experts and will be a valuable and ground-breaking addition to the legal libraries of judges, practitioners, academics and students,’ added Pudifin-Jones.

Pudifin-Jones, who is an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa says that the project followed her involvement in the silicosis class action against gold mines where mine workers have sued South African gold mining companies such as AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields and Harmony after contracting silicosis, an incurable disease caused by inhaling silica dust from gold-bearing rocks.

‘I acted in the silicosis matter for Motley Rice, an American law firm which funded and provided consultancy services to some of the mineworkers who instituted the class action against the gold mines, and without whom the legal action could not be brought.  Class action litigation, as you can imagine, is expensive and complex to run,’ she said.

Having acted as counsel in class action litigation matters such as price fixing in the bread industry, du Plessis believes the book will aid and become a practitioner’s guide, provide study-material for students, and be a resource for international and local academics and practitioners with an interest in comparative philosophies of in the subject of collective redress for civil damages.

Words by: Sibonelo Shinga