Bernard Bekink

Position, academic & professional qualifications Bernard Bekink is an associate professor and holds the degrees BLC LLB LLM (Constitutional Litigation and Practice) LLD (all obtained from UP). The title of his LLD thesis was “Constitutional restructuring of local government in South Africa”. He is an attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Academic & professional experience After completion of his LLB degree he joined Couzyn, Hertzog & Horak Attorneys as candidate attorney from 1991-1993. From 1993 to 1997 he was senior legal advisor for the City Council of Pretoria and in 1997 he joined the University of Pretoria as senior lecturer in the Department of Public Law. He obtained the LLM degree in 1996 and the LLD degree in 2006, and was promoted to associate professor from 1 January 2008. Teaching activities He teaches Constitutional Law (SRG 210) and Municipal Law (MRG 410) for the LLB, as well as Municipal Law (MGR 881) for the coursework LLM. Representative publications * B Bekink (2006) Principles of South African Local Government Law Lexis-Nexis Butterworths. * “Moving the seat of (SA) Parliament: To be or not to be?” (2003) Journal of Public Administration 386. * “Parental religious freedom and the rights and best interest of children” (2003) Journal for Contemporary Roman-Dutch Law 246. * “Presidential pardons: Constitutional necessity or political nuisance? Some points of critique” (2003) SA Public Law / Publiekreg 371. * “Balancing constitutional stability and flexibility: An evaluation of the constitutional amendment procedures” (2004) Journal of South African Law 657. * “A dilemma of the twenty-first century state: Questions on the balance between democracy and security” (2005) African Human Rights Law Journal 406. * “Aspects of rape, statutory rape and the choice on the Termination of Pregnancy Act 92 of 1996: Do we protect our minor women?” (2006) Journal for Contemporary Roman-Dutch Law 14 (co-authored with M Bekink). * “New legislative measures in South Africa aimed at combating over-indebtedness-Are the new proposals sufficient under the Constitution and the law in general?” (2006) International Insolvency Review 91 (co-authored with M Roestoff & S Renke). * “When do parents go too far? Are South African parents still allowed to chastise their children through corporal punishment in their private homes? (2006) South African Journal of Criminal Justice 173. * “Aspects of legislative drafting: Some South African realities (or, plain language is not always plain sailing)” (2007) Statute Law Review 34 (co-authored with CJ Botha). Areas of specialisation His main areas of interest are local government law, general constitutional law and human rights. Academic & professional memberships Professor Bekink is a full practising member of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces, associated member of the Law Society of South Africa, member of the Christian Lawyers Association, member of the Centre for Human Rights (UP), and a member of the International Association of Constitutional Law. Appointments In 2007 he was elected as the senior vice-chair of the Public Law Committee of the International Bar Association. In 1999 he was a visiting lecturer at the University of Osnabrück, Germany. Tel: +27 12 420-2718 Fax: +27 12 420-2991