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The SALT Knowledge Bank is your gateway to a wealth of articles and videos covering a wide spectrum of legal topics. Here, you’ll find a collection of thought-provoking articles and informative videos previously released by SALT. Whether you’re seeking legal guidance, staying updated with the latest legal trends, or simply expanding your legal horizons, our Knowledge Bank is your go-to resource.
A quest for implementing technology

A quest for implementing technology

Fast forwarding through the early days ofmost candidate attorneys and you will seeflashes of staples, punching paper,devoured stacks of sticky-notes, papercuts, sweat, and an ever-consumingattempt to organise files and sort out tasks.Usually, these files and tasks are foundwithin a pre-existing system replete withfiling cabinets, reference numbers, clientdata, records, and various software (yes,Microsoft Word included). However, if youcan choose a system or recommend asystem – it could be an opportunity toradically change your daily life. And that isa quest worth embarking on!
AI in forensics

AI in forensics

In recent years, forensic science has become a‘sexy’ topic and area of interest. This is in part dueto the hit-TV series, CSI, but also due to aproliferation of fascinating specialisations withinforensics. This article introduces the contemporaryfield of forensics, and then analyses to what extentArtificial Intelligence (AI) can be of service to thisindustry. The challenges and prospects faced byforensic science in relation to AI-powered softwaresolutions are discussed, touching on issues of bigdata, distributed environments, building statisticalevidence, pattern recognition, and data sovereignty.
API

API

The use case for artificial intelligence (“AI”),machine learning and more recently smartcontracts curated by blockchain technology hasbecome heavily popularized in the legal field. Thishas been great in inspiring innovative solutionsthat further advance legal practice. However, thepopularization of certain technologies has leftsome equally effective alternative technologies tobe overlooked and left out of the conversationand development of the legal field. A goodexample of this is the neglectful consideration ofuse cases for application protocol interfaces(“APIs”) in the legal industry.
Decentralising the decentralised

Decentralising the decentralised

The use case for artificial intelligence (“AI”),machine learning and more recently smart contracts curated by blockchain technology has become heavily popularised in the legal field. This has been great in inspiring innovative solutions that further advance legal practice. However, the popularisation of certain technologies has left some equally effective alternative technologies to-be overlooked and left out of the conversation and development of the legal field. A good example of this is the neglectful consideration of use cases for application protocol interfaces(“APIs”) in the legal industry.
Digital onboarding of customers

Digital onboarding of customers

Financial crime prevention and data security is a major concern especially in today’s decentralised space, but to streamline your anti-money laundering (AML) processes is easier than you might think. We live in a digital age where you cannot browse, scroll or click without providing and consenting to your data being used, and not always knowing how that data will be used. More and more concerns keep on creeping in as to what our data is being used for. With the GDPR and POPIA (almost) in place, this may provide a sense of relief but there still remains a huge gap as the mundane and outdated face-to-faceCustomer Due Diligence (CDD) is not always possible with the far-reaching effects of the pandemic.
Digitisation of the South African Legal System

Digitisation of the South African Legal System

The Digitisation of the South African Legal System analyzes the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation in the justice sector, considering the impact on both legal professionals and unrepresented litigants.
Duty of Care

Duty of Care

The case of Spar Group Limited (“Spar”) v Absa Bank Limited (“Absa”) (74870/2019) [2020] ZAGPJHC 259 has extended the common law of delict by imposing a legal duty on banks where they have a discretion to reverse a payment, to not reverse a payment without first verifying or investigating the customers instructions received. This imposes a legal duty of care to avoid economic loss to the beneficiary or payee of the funds (and not just the bank’s customer).
Ediscovery

Ediscovery

Ediscovery in South Africa examines the slow adoption of eDiscovery practices in legal procedures, its benefits for case management, and the push for technological integration to improve judicial efficiency.
Electronic Isignatures

Electronic Isignatures

The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed a new era of change and has resulted in many businesses having to delve into uncharted waters to adopt new business practices. Most of the time, finalizing a contract or any other business process can turn into a time-consuming conundrum that is accompanied by the burden of tedious paperwork. If there is one advantage that the pandemic has brought, it would be the optimization of time by working digitally. Electronic signatures through authenticated software, offers flexibility, efficiency, and convenience.
GovCoins

GovCoins

GovCoins investigates the emergence of government-backed digital currencies, discussing their potential benefits, regulatory challenges, and implications for privacy and state control.
How I Left Big Law

How I Left Big Law

How I Left Big Law recounts the transition from M&A law to a tech startup, reflecting on the versatility of legal skills and the different dynamics and pressures of startup culture versus corporate law.
Information Governance

Information Governance

Information Governance is crucial for POPIA compliance and managing the integrity and accessibility of business information, emphasizing the role of governance in legal and ethical data management.
Law of AI

Law of AI

The Law of AI argues for South Africa to lead in developing an ethical AI law framework, addressing the potential for AI's societal impact and the balancing act between innovation and human rights.
Legal Design

Legal Design

Legal Design explores the infusion of design thinking into the legal industry, highlighting the need for innovative, client-focused solutions and collaborative reform in legal education and practice.
Legal Operations

Legal Operations

"Legal Operations" highlights optimizing legal practice efficiency through innovative operations management, integrating business activities with legal processes. It discusses the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium's (CLOC) role and technology's impact on improving legal service delivery.
Legal Tech Resources

Legal Tech Resources

This document provides a compilation of legal tech educational resources, including courses, programmes, and publications, for legal professionals interested in advancing technology's role in law. It also lists blogs and social media related to legal tech innovation.
Mastering Law and Technology Abroad

Mastering Law and Technology Abroad

"Mastering Law and Technology Abroad" narrates the experience of pursuing a Master's in Law and Technology, emphasizing the value of specialized legal education in the tech sector. The author reflects on studying in the Netherlands and applying the knowledge to the South African legal context.
New Law Environment

New Law Environment

The document discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the legal industry in South Africa and the evolution of 'NewLaw',
Regulatory Sandboxes

Regulatory Sandboxes

In 2021, the Alternative Legal Services Providers (ALSPs) market is reportedly worth USD14 billion. In many parts of the world, law firms and corporate departments have shown significant interest in partnering with ALSPs to stimulate growth, lower costs and accelerate the adoption of technology. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the demand for legal technology tools and new techniques of increasing revenue while closing the access to justice gap. To balance the adoption of legal technology and interests of the profession, Law Societies and Bar Associations had to intervene as critical stakeholders of the profession. As seen in other jurisdictions, this intervention was done through the creation of regulatory sandboxes to maintain the expected standard of the profession while accelerating innovation and reinvention in the business of law.
Retailers using AI

Retailers using AI

The acceleration of the fourth industrial revolution due to the Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to our general understanding of artificial intelligence (AI). AI is no longer viewed as a creation of science fiction. Instead, it is now understood in relation to its capabilities that allow machines to perform tasks that require human intelligence. Specifically, AI functions by using complex algorithms to assess large amounts of data and gain insights from the data. The continuous ingestion of data teaches the AI tool to identify patterns and provide insights that can be predictive in nature. Increasingly, retailers are seeing the benefits of using these AI capabilities to better service consumers.
Tax Payers Information

Tax Payers Information

This article aims to analyse Article 26 of the Model Tax MTC”) in order to determine whether an exchange of tax Convention on Income and on Capital 2017 (“Article 26 of the information would be in accordance with the relevant provisions of One of the objectives that Article 26 aims to achieve is to allow for the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”). the effective exchange of information to enable countries to apply as providing tax authorities with a legal framework to operate in, and enforce domestic tax laws outside of their jurisdiction, as well whilst protecting the sovereignty of the countries involved and the rights of taxpayers.
The Metaverse

The Metaverse

The metaverse, once a concept of science fiction, has evolved into a significant commercial frontier, reshaping how industries operate and interact. This document delves into the multifaceted implications of the metaverse, highlighting its potential to transform various sectors from entertainment to finance. It emphasizes the critical roles of telecommunications and software development in shaping this digital ecosystem, underscoring both the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
Virtually Administrative Oaths

Virtually Administrative Oaths

Introduction: The Eastern Cape Local Division of the High Court recently delivered an interesting judgment in the matter of FirstRand Bank Limited v Jacques Louis Briedenhann (3690 of 2021) [2022] ZAECPEHC 4, in which Goosen J addressed the usage of technology solutions to virtually administer an oath for purposes of commissioning an affidavit. Brief background of the matter The plaintiff in this matter had instituted proceedings against the defendant. The defendant had failed to serve a notice of intention to defend, the upshot being that the plaintiff proceeded with a default judgment application. Upon the matter appearing before Goosen J, it was requested by the Court that counsel provide submissions on the acceptance of the supporting affidavit attached to the application being commissioned after administration of the oath virtually through Microsoft Teams.
Who's Responsible for your Data?

Who's Responsible for your Data?

The questions one might ask is whether the boundaries between controller, joint controller and the processor are clear as the Consequences that flow from each title under the GDPR. According to Kamarinou et al, the relatinship between controllers and The processors is symbiotic, as they depend on each other to comply with their respective GDPR obligations. There is an Obligation on controllers and/or processors to compensate data subjects for damage caused by processing unless proved otheriwse per Article 82 (4) of the General Date Protection Regulation.
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