Dr. Stephan van der Merwe

Senior Prokureur, Notaris en Dosent

Stephan van der Merwe het in 2001 as praktiserende prokureur by die Regskliniek, Universiteit van Stellenbosch aangesluit, nadat hy sy klerkskap in privaat praktyk gedien het. Hy het vroeër aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch gegradueer met ‘n B Comm LLB en gedurende 2002 het hy ‘n Gevorderde Sertifikaat in Kinderregte verwerf. In 2005 behaal hy ‘n LLM (cum laude) en gedurende 2007 het hy as notaris en prokureur met verskyningsreg in die hooggeregshof gekwalifiseer. In 2017 het hy ‘n Nagraadse Diploma in Hoër Onderwys Onderrig en Leer (cum laude) verwerf. Stephan het in 2022 sy doktorsgraad in die regte (LLD) verwerf. Die titel van sy proefskrif is “Developing a Procedural Framework for Advanced Debtor Protection: The Case of Emolument Attachment Orders”, waarin hy gemotiveerde aanbevelings maak wat daarop gemik is om skuldenaarbeskerming te bevorder.Stephan van der Merwe het in 2001 as praktiserende prokureur by die Regskliniek, Universiteit van Stellenbosch aangesluit, nadat hy sy klerkskap in privaat praktyk gedien het. Hy het vroeër aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch gegradueer met ‘n B Comm LLB en gedurende 2002 het hy ‘n Gevorderde Sertifikaat in Kinderregte verwerf. In 2005 behaal hy ‘n LLM (cum laude) en gedurende 2007 het hy as notaris en prokureur met verskyningsreg in die hooggeregshof gekwalifiseer. In 2017 het hy ‘n Nagraadse Diploma in Hoër Onderwys Onderrig en Leer (cum laude) verwerf. Stephan het in 2022 sy doktorsgraad in die regte (LLD) verwerf. Die titel van sy proefskrif is “Developing a Procedural Framework for Advanced Debtor Protection: The Case of Emolument Attachment Orders”, waarin hy gemotiveerde aanbevelings maak wat daarop gemik is om skuldenaarbeskerming te bevorder.

Stephan is diep betrokke by gemeenskapsdiens in sy hoedanigheid as die senior toesighoudende prokureur by die Regskliniek. Gedurende die vroeë 2000’s was sy werk instrumenteel in die blootlegging van die rentebedrog wat uiteindelik tot die ondergang van Saambou Bank gelei het. Hy het ook uitgebreide ondervinding wat debiteure verteenwoordig in herroeping van vonnis- en beslagleggingsbevelsake en sy praktyk en navorsing in hierdie verband was waardevol in die raamwerk van die applikant se saak in die konstitusionele hofsaak van University of Stellenbosch Legal Aid Clinic & others v Minister of Justice en Korrektiewe Dienste en Ander (2016) ZACC 32. Stephan was die Kliniek se hoofprokureur oor verskeie ander impaklitigasie-aangeleenthede wat met sy praktykveld verband hou, insluitend die 2019 in duplum saak (University of Stellenbosch Law Clinic & 11 Others v The National Credit Regulator & 48 Others) en die University of Stellenbosch Law Clinic & 8 Others v Lifestyle Direct Group International (Pty) Ltd & 18 Others klasaksie wat gedurende 2019 aanhangig gemaak is. Hy adviseer en bied ook opleiding aan oor skuldverwante aangeleenthede, en spesifiek beslagleggingsbevele vir vergoeding, om menslike hulpbronbedrywe op nasionale vlak.

Stephan is ‘n voormalige sekretaris en tesourier van die South African University Law Clinic Association (SAULCA) en is tans ‘n lid van die International Association of Legal Ethics en ‘n genoot van die National Institute for Teaching Ethics & Professionalism (NIFTEP), gebaseer te Georgia State University, VSA. Hy het verskeie artikels in geakkrediteerde joernale gepubliseer en sy akademiese belangstellingsveld is Kliniese Regsopleiding. In 2019 is hy met die Universiteit Stellenbosch se Institusionele Toekenning vir Onderriguitnemendheid in die kategorie ‘Skolariese Onderwyser’ bekroon. Die toekenning is gebaseer op ervaring en leierskap in die wetenskap van onderrig en leer. In 2024 was hy ook op die kortlys vir die Universiteit Stellenbosch se Institusionele Navorsingsuitnemendheidstoekenning. Hy doseer Praktiese Regsopleiding, Regsetiek en Fundamentele Mondelinge Voorspraak aan die Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid, Universiteit van Stellenbosch.

Eerbewyse en Toekennings

  • Universiteit van Stellenbosch Institusionele Toekenning vir Uitnemendheid – 2019
  • United Nations ‘E4J Ethics Champion’ Grant – 2019
  • Grant from Research Committee of Faculty of Law – 2018
  • Grant from the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) – 2018
  • Grant from Research Committee of Faculty of Law – 2017
  • Grant from Fund for Innovation and Research into Learning and Teaching (FIRLT) – 2017

Publikasies

  • “Paid in full: The enduring battle for advanced emolument attachment order debtor protection in South Africa” Stell LR 2023 1 137-160.
  • “Examining Attachment of Earnings Orders: Does the English Wage Garnishment Mechanism Offer Solutions to the Challenges Experienced by its Contemporary South African Counterpart?” Civil Justice Quarterly (2023) 42 C.J.Q., Issue 4 301-332.
  • “Caught in the Crossfire: Employers of Emolument Attachment Order Debtors and the Challenge to Achieve Proportionally Fair Wage Deductions” Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal, 26, (Published on 7 July 2023) 1 – 31.
  • “Judicial intervention and the call to transformative constitutionalism in the context of consumer law, debt collection and the National Credit Act: Bayport Securitisation Ltd v University of Stellenbosch Law Clinic” 2023 SALJ 140(2): 328-364.
  • “Evaluating the Role of Judicial Oversight in the Context of the Post-2018 Emolument Attachment Order Legal Framework: Revisiting University of Stellenbosch Legal Aid Clinic V Minister of Justice 2015 5 SA 221 (WCC)” Journal for Juridical Science 2023:48(1):1-15.
  • “Responding to the call for legislative development to alleviate the challenges with wage deduction as civil debt enforcement mechanism in South Africa: formulating a cohesive emolument attachment order act” Journal of South African Law (TSAR) 2023 (1) 60 – 78.
  • “The Development of The South African Emolument Attachment Order Mechanism: A Historical Overview” Fundamina Legal Journal (Juta) 2022 28(1) 140 – 170.
  • “Towards Designing a Validated Framework for Improved Clinical Legal Education: Empirical Research on Student and Alumni Feedback” Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal 2020(23) 1-31
  • “Too simple for National Credit Act matters: Reconsidering the scope of Magistrates’ Court Rule 5(2)(b)” 2019 SALJ 136(3) 397-403
  • “Traversing the South African Emolument Attachment Order Legal Landscape Post 2016: Quo Vadis ?” 2019 30(1) Stell LR 77 – 96
  • “Contemporary challenges facing law clinics” De Rebus November 2018: 15 – 16
  • “Robots and the Law” (With Richards-Bray, Hardy and East) European Foundation for Management Development Global Focus Journal 2018 (3) 12: 46 – 49
  • “Different Methods of Teaching and Learning: Simulated Exercises” Law Clinics and the Clinical Law Movement in South Africa (2018) 217-219
  • “Teaching Portfolio: Civil Trial Advocacy” Law Clinics and the Clinical Law Movement in South Africa (2018) 343-364
  • “A Case Study in Advocating for Expanded Clinical Legal Education: The University of Stellenbosch Module” 2017 28(3) Stell LR 679-701
  • “Cautioning the careless writer: The importance of accurate and ethical legal writing” 2014 Journal for Juridical Science 39(2):23‑52
  • “Lacking proper judgment?” Letter to editor: De Rebus January 2013
  • “Objections in Civil Litigation by P van den Heever” 2011 22(1) Stell LR 228 – 230 (Book review)
  • “Failure to discharge. A discussion of the insufficient legal recourse afforded to judgment debtors in the South African context” 2008 Journal for Juridical Science Special Issue: 71 – 86
  • “Litigation Skills for South African Lawyers by CG Marnewick” 2005 16(1) Stell LR 165 – 167 (Book review)

Aanbiedings en lesings by nasionale en internasionale forums

  • “Expanding the reach of CLE: Fashioning decrease to facilitate increase” delivered at the Clinical Legal Education: The creation of knowledge through transformative experience ENCLE/IJCLE Conference 2024 in Amsterdam on 23 July 2024.
  • “Integrating old and new: The role of the traditional ՙfit and proper’ standard in regulating the use of new technologies within the legal profession” delivered at the Legal Professionals in a Digitalising World International Legal Ethics Conference 2024 in Amsterdam on 18 July 2024.
  • Heeding Aesop’s advice: A fable of buses, seats, and legal ethics” delivered at the Regional Teaching and Learning Conference of The Law Faculties of UCT, UWC and Stellenbosch University on 28 September 2023.
  • “Increasing access to justice through Clinical Legal Education” online guest lecture delivered at School of Law Christ University, Bangalore, India on 13 April 2022.
  • “Increasing access to justice: How University Law Clinics can contribute to alleviating poverty by making an impact in their community and beyond” delivered at the Online Access to Justice Roundtable Discussion of University Hasselt, Belgium, 2 July 2021.
  • “Consumer law case discussion: Stellenbosch University Law Clinic & Others v Lifestyle Legal & Others – Western Cape High Court” delivered at the Fourth Bi-Annual University of Pretoria International Consumer Law Conference, 21-23 September 2020.
  • “Strategies to protect consumer rights” presented at the Open Society Foundations Abusive Lending Community of Practice Convening in Naples, Italy on 22 November 2019.
  • “Spotlighting innovative accountability strategies” (discussion as member of expert panel) delivered at the Open Society Foundation: Justice Initiative Pan-African Convening on Abusive Lending Practices and Social Protection in Nairobi, Kenya on 1 November 2019.
  • “South African debt industry’s ‘dirty little secret’” delivered at the 10th Annual African Debt Collection Convention, held at Emperor’s Palace, Johannesburg on 12 September 2019.
  • “Negotiating the South African emolument attachment order legal landscape” delivered as part of the Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry training roadshows in Durban, East London, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Johannesburg during August to October 2019.
  • “What are Legal Ethics & Why Do They Matter When Addressing Injustice?” delivered at the National Institute for Teaching Ethics & Professionalism (NIFTEP) Fall Workshop, held at Melbourne University, Australia on 4 to 6 December 2018.
  • “Framing Ethics & Professionalism in a Climate of Uncivility” (discussion as member of expert panel) presented at the National Institute for Teaching Ethics & Professionalism (NIFTEP) Fall Workshop, held at Melbourne University, Australia on 4 to 6 December 2018.
  • “Intentional about impact: Changing lives and laws through the work of University Law Clinics” delivered at the International Journal of Clinical Legal Education Conference, held at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia on 28 to 30 November 2018.
  • “Advocacy in clinical legal education: presenting real life cases in real life tribunals” (with mr Alan East of Coventry University) delivered at the International Journal of Clinical Legal Education Conference, held at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia on 28 to 30 November 2018.
  • “Towards empirical validation of theoretical assumptions in Clinical Legal Education” delivered at the SU Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference in Somerset West on 30 – 31 October 2018.
  • “Inculcating ethics in the LLB curriculum: The question is not why, but how?” delivered at the Regional Teaching and Learning Conference of the Law Faculties of UCT, UWC and Stellenbosch University on 13 September 2018.
  • “Advocating for expanded clinical legal education” delivered at the Stellenbosch University Law Clinic Conference in Stellenbosch on 19 – 20 July 2018.
  • “Early Steps in Employing Double Robot Technology in Clinical Legal Education” delivered at the 4th Writing Skills in Legal Education Conference in Somerset West on 20 – 21 June 2018.
  • “Rise of the robot lawyers: Employing Double Robot Technology in Clinical Legal Education” delivered at the 1st African Digital University Network Colloquium in Stellenbosch on 17 to 18 April 2018.
  • “What’s wrong with the present state of legal reasoning?” delivered at the 3rd International Advocacy Training Council Conference in Stellenbosch on 2 to 3 April 2018.
  • “Changing lives and (occasionally) changing the law: An illustration of the work of University Law Clinics” delivered at the Regent Lecture Theatre, Aberdeen University, Scotland on 22 November 2017.
  • “Some Reflections on Teaching Legal Skills Through Clinical Legal Education (CLE)” delivered at Coventry University, England on 15 November 2017.
  • “Changing lives and (occasionally) changing the law: An illustration of the work of University Law Clinics” – Keynote address delivered at the Partnerships in Clinical Legal Education Conference at Coventry University, England on 15 November 2017.
  • “The present legal challenges in the South African Emolument Attachment Order landscape” delivered at the Dullah Omar Institute Community Engagement Conference at the University of the Western Cape on 2 to 3 August 2017.
  • “A discussion of the legal environment relating to Emolument Attachment Orders (“EAO’s”) before and after The University of Stellenbosch Legal Aid Clinic & 15 Others vs The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services & 17 Others” delivered at the 29th Annual Labour Law Conference at Kempton Park, Johannesburg on 24 to 25 August 2016.
  • “Failure to discharge. A discussion of the insufficient legal recourse afforded to judgment debtors in the South African context” delivered at the 5th International Journal of Clinical Legal Education Conference, held at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg on 9 to 11 July 2007.
  • “Report on the challenges facing University Law Clinics in South Africa“ delivered as National Secretary on behalf of the Association of University Legal Aid Institutions at the Open Society Justice Initiative Legal Clinics Organizations Roundtable, held at Warsaw, Poland on 14 to 17 June 2007.