Whether or not you personally have ever had (or intend to have) anything to do with cannabis/marijuana/weed/dagga, and whether or not you agree with the recent Constitutional Court ruling that partially decriminalises it, the fact remains that the highest court in our land has spoken. All of us should be aware of the implications. 

We explore the danger of ignoring the grey areas still remaining, with comment on the limits of the ruling, the remaining danger of arrest (both generally and whilst driving), and its relevance in the workplace.

We end off with some advice specifically for employers. 

Both your company and you personally are put at risk if you fail to comply with the many fiduciary duties and statutory responsibilities imposed on you by the Companies Act.

As part of managing that risk you should prioritise the preparation and retention of correct and accurate minutes of all your board and committee meetings. This is not only a legal requirement but also good corporate practice, and it will pay you to ensure that this vital process is carried out carefully and properly.

We share some thoughts on how to do that under the “5Ws” headings of Why, What, Where, When and Why.

Employers and employees: Be prepared for the record numbers of Baby Boomers now reaching their 60s. Many of them won’t want to retire for years yet, perhaps for financial reasons or perhaps because they want to keep active in their fields of expertise. That’s great if the employer agrees to keep them on; but if not, disputes loom. 

We discuss questions that both parties should be asking themselves long before the “Big Birthday” looms: When must employees retire? Does our law stipulate a standard retirement date? What policies and contracts should employers have in place to prevent uncertainty and dispute? What should you do when the stipulated retirement age is reached? Read on for the answers…

Death is a topic we’d rather not dwell on any more than we absolutely have to.

But it comes to us all, and just as we need to prepare for our own deaths by providing for our loved ones’ continued well-being with a valid will, we should be ready to deal with the various legal and practical issues that we will face when someone close to us dies. 

There is unfortunately a lot of red tape involved, and in the shock and distress of dealing with your loss it may help a little to have on hand checklists of the main legal formalities and of the practical issues that you will need to prioritise.