Understanding Judge Davis' dope judgment

While a step towards decriminalisation, there’s a way to go before you can light up a joint without fear of arrest
Ground Up (South Africa)
Sunday, April 2, 2017

south africa daggaOn 31 March 2017, Justice Dennis Davis handed down a judgment in the Western Cape High Court that declared sections of the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act, 1992 invalid and unconstitutional. The applications brought by Gareth Prince, Jeremy Acton and Jonathan Ruben argued that the criminalisation of dagga use and possession was a violation of the right to equality, dignity and freedom of religion. Interestingly, however, Davis instead chose to address their challenge almost solely within the context of the right to privacy. (See also: Dagga ban goes up in smoke - and so do some cases)