South Africa has repeatedly stated its ambition to become a leading maritime hub. Yet one small but important sector remains inexplicably excluded from a tax relief regime specifically designed to support non-road diesel users. The Off Port Limits (“OPL”) industry performs essential maritime services just outside the boundaries of our commercial ports. OPL vessels transfer […]
We are proud to announce that Dawson Edwards has successfully represented the appellants (SASMIA and the South African Squid Management Industrial Association) in a landmark Full Bench appeal before the Western Cape High Court concerning the allocation and management of South Africa’s squid fishery resources. The judgment, handed down on 6 August 2026, is reported at www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZAWCHC/2026/393.
In less than two years, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has again seen a change in political leadership. At one level, this creates the usual practical concerns: shifting priorities, delays in decision-making, inconsistent approaches to pending matters, and growing backlogs in applications and appeals. But in the fisheries space, the difficulty runs
Introduction The international legal framework governing submarine cables is primarily derived from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Under Articles 113 to 115, States are required to adopt domestic legislation criminalising the breaking or injury of submarine cables, whether intentionally or through negligence, and to impose liability for resulting damage.
Ships travel globally. Judicial certainty often does not. The United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships (2022), better known as the Beijing Convention was finalised by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and entered into force on 17 February 2026. The aim is to fix a problem
