615:
290:(SCA). The arguments made in the High Court were rejected by the SCA as they had been in the lower court. However, before the hearing the SCA pointed out the possible unconstitutionality of the unequal age of consent, and invited argument on that point. Both parties agreed that the law discriminated unfairly on the basis of sexual orientation and the government conceded that there was no justification for the discrimination. The court consequently found that sections 14(1)(b) and 14(3)(b) were unconstitutional because they violated
29:
315:(NPA) conceded the unconstitutionality, but argued that the age limits in sections 14(1)(b) and 14(3)(b) should be set at a uniform 18 rather than 16. The NPA justified this argument by reference to the legal definition of "child" as including all people under the age of 18, and to the fact that 18 was the age limit in other related laws, such as those prohibiting child pornography.
318:
The court rejected the NPA's argument, pointing out that it would create an incongruity in the law. Firstly, the effect of the NPA's proposal would be to set the age of consent at 16 for acts termed "carnal intercourse" but 18 for those termed "immoral or indecent acts", and this would in fact cause
282:
on several grounds. He attacked the correctness of the verdict on the evidence presented; he also asserted that it was unconstitutional to prohibit consensual sex with a person over the age of twelve because the common law regarded twelve as the age at which a child was capable of consenting; and he
310:
The argument for
Geldenhuys was simple: the inequality in the age of consent was discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation; there was no justification for the discrimination; and therefore it was unconstitutional. Consequently, the SCA was correct in altering the affected sections to reduce
302:
The SCA's order was referred to the
Constitutional Court for confirmation, in compliance with the requirement that any court order declaring an Act of Parliament to be unconstitutional be confirmed by the Constitutional Court before it has effect. The court heard oral argument on 28 August 2008 and
322:
The
Constitutional Court therefore confirmed unaltered the order of the Supreme Court of Appeal. The words "under the age of 19 years" were to be replaced by the words "under the age of 16 years" in sections 14(1)(b) and 14(3)(b) of the Sexual Offences Act, and, subject to certain limitations, the
270:
on ten charges of "committing an immoral or indecent act with a boy under the age of nineteen years" in contravention of section 14(1)(b). Four of the charges related to acts committed when the boy was aged fourteen and fifteen, while the other six related to acts committed when he was sixteen or
239:
struck down as unconstitutional the laws prohibiting consensual sex between men, based on the prohibition of discrimination and the right to privacy. That case did not address the unequal age of consent, although in his judgment
Justice
319:
the unconstitutional discrimination to persist, as "carnal intercourse" was understood to include only heterosexual sex. Secondly, Parliament had already chosen to set 16 as the uniform age of consent in the 2007 amendment act.
538:
492:
514:
531:
231:
255:, which codified and reformed the law on sexual offences. It repealed section 14 of the Sexual Offences Act, and fixed a uniform age of consent of 16. This reform did not, however, have retrospective effect.
283:
attacked the sentence. The issue of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation was not raised at this stage. The appeal against conviction was rejected, but the sentence was reduced to seven years.
252:
294:, and that the words "under the age of 19 years" should be struck out and replaced by the words "under the age of 16 years". The conviction of Geldenhuys on the six later charges was set aside.
580:
797:
552:
497:
545:
920:
559:
487:
291:
225:, which came into force in 1994, contained a provision prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and this provision was preserved in the final
413:
895:
720:
910:
855:
905:
287:
83:
222:
173:
117:
39:
267:
236:
406:
915:
566:
466:
461:
214:
Section 14(3), added in 1988, contained a mirror provision with the genders inverted. The effect of these sections was to fix the
715:
614:
507:
471:
312:
900:
876:
802:
399:
275:
110:
203:(b) commits or attempts to commit with such a girl or with a boy under the age of 19 years an immoral or indecent act; or
860:
226:
456:
332:
279:
248:
189:
141:
391:
865:
694:
352:
323:
order was made retrospective to 27 April 1994, the date on which the
Interim Constitution came into force.
28:
654:
502:
784:
792:
826:
674:
200:(a) has or attempts to have unlawful carnal intercourse with a girl under the age of 16 years; or
774:
241:
573:
114:
206:(c) solicits or entices such a girl or boy to the commission of an immoral or indecent act,
841:
807:
649:
133:
748:
684:
664:
659:
304:
215:
177:
129:
125:
889:
679:
669:
639:
634:
629:
121:
386:
91:
769:
438:
381:
67:
689:
644:
602:
434:
137:
145:
107:
753:
734:
699:
430:
264:
422:
271:
older. The total sentence handed down was eleven years' imprisonment.
70:, 2009 (2) SA 310 (CC), 2009 (1) SACR 231 (CC), 2009 (5) BCLR 435 (CC)
232:
National
Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality v Minister of Justice
50:
Geldenhuys v
National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others
253:
Criminal Law (Sexual
Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act
169:
Geldenhuys v
National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others
395:
426:
244:
took note of it without commenting on its constitutionality.
180:
at 19 for homosexual sex but only 16 for heterosexual sex.
176:
which struck down as unconstitutional a law which set the
229:, which came into force in 1997. In 1998, in the case of
303:
handed down its unanimous decision, authored by
Justice
218:
at 16 for heterosexual sex and 19 for homosexual sex.
22:
Geldenhuys v National Director of Public Prosecutions
848:
836:
818:
783:
762:
741:
729:
708:
622:
597:
523:
480:
445:
157:
152:
103:
98:
79:
74:
63:
55:
45:
35:
21:
192:, as amended in 1969 and 1988, read as follows:
407:
8:
921:Constitutional Court of South Africa cases
449:
414:
400:
392:
27:
18:
721:Organisation of Lesbian and Gay Activists
263:Geldenhuys was convicted in 2005 in the
344:
7:
223:Interim Constitution of South Africa
174:Constitutional Court of South Africa
40:Constitutional Court of South Africa
581:Strydom v NG Gemeente Moreleta Park
286:Geldenhuys appealed further to the
896:South African LGBT rights case law
560:J v Director General, Home Affairs
14:
567:Minister of Home Affairs v Fourie
311:the age limit from 19 to 16. The
716:Lesbian and Gay Equality Project
613:
539:NCGLE v Minister of Home Affairs
387:Supreme Court of Appeal judgment
292:section nine of the Constitution
911:South African criminal case law
210:shall be guilty of an offence.
906:2008 in South African case law
313:National Prosecuting Authority
1:
877:Category:LGBT in South Africa
553:Du Toit v Minister of Welfare
515:Sexual Offences Amendment Act
488:Section 9 of the Constitution
382:Constitutional Court judgment
276:Transvaal Provincial Division
227:Constitution of South Africa
798:Out In Africa Film Festival
532:NCGLE v Minister of Justice
353:"Consent judgment welcomed"
333:LGBT rights in South Africa
274:Geldenhuys appealed to the
937:
611:
874:
452:
196:(1) Any male person who—
190:Sexual Offences Act, 1957
26:
916:Sex laws in South Africa
359:. Sapa. 26 November 2008
16:South African legal case
288:Supreme Court of Appeal
92:[2008] ZASCA 47
84:Supreme Court of Appeal
655:Beverley Palesa Ditsie
212:
68:[2008] ZACC 21
546:Satchwell v President
498:Alteration of Sex Act
194:
188:Section 14(1) of the
172:is a decision of the
901:2008 in LGBT history
237:Constitutional Court
793:Mr Gay South Africa
259:History of the case
827:Wrapped (magazine)
675:Gert-Johan Coetzee
307:, on 26 November.
142:Van der Westhuizen
883:
882:
609:
608:
588:Geldenhuys v NDPP
467:Civil partnership
462:Same-sex marriage
165:
164:
928:
617:
450:
416:
409:
402:
393:
369:
368:
366:
364:
349:
99:Court membership
59:26 November 2008
31:
19:
936:
935:
931:
930:
929:
927:
926:
925:
886:
885:
884:
879:
870:
844:
842:Corrective rape
832:
814:
808:Cape Town Pride
779:
758:
737:
725:
704:
650:Pieter-Dirk Uys
618:
605:
593:
519:
503:Civil Union Act
476:
472:Intersex rights
441:
420:
378:
373:
372:
362:
360:
351:
350:
346:
341:
329:
300:
261:
186:
161:Justice Mokgoro
17:
12:
11:
5:
934:
932:
924:
923:
918:
913:
908:
903:
898:
888:
887:
881:
880:
875:
872:
871:
869:
868:
863:
858:
852:
850:
846:
845:
840:
838:
834:
833:
831:
830:
822:
820:
816:
815:
813:
812:
811:
810:
800:
795:
789:
787:
781:
780:
778:
777:
772:
766:
764:
760:
759:
757:
756:
751:
749:Gayle language
745:
743:
739:
738:
733:
731:
727:
726:
724:
723:
718:
712:
710:
706:
705:
703:
702:
697:
692:
687:
685:Zakhele Mbhele
682:
677:
672:
667:
665:Caster Semenya
662:
660:Somizi Mhlongo
657:
652:
647:
642:
637:
632:
626:
624:
620:
619:
612:
610:
607:
606:
601:
599:
595:
594:
592:
591:
584:
577:
570:
563:
556:
549:
542:
535:
527:
525:
521:
520:
518:
517:
512:
511:
510:
500:
495:
490:
484:
482:
478:
477:
475:
474:
469:
464:
459:
453:
447:
443:
442:
421:
419:
418:
411:
404:
396:
390:
389:
384:
377:
376:External links
374:
371:
370:
343:
342:
340:
337:
336:
335:
328:
325:
299:
296:
268:Regional Court
260:
257:
216:age of consent
208:
207:
204:
201:
185:
182:
178:age of consent
163:
162:
159:
155:
154:
150:
149:
105:
104:Judges sitting
101:
100:
96:
95:
88:S v Geldenhuys
81:
77:
76:
72:
71:
65:
61:
60:
57:
53:
52:
47:
46:Full case name
43:
42:
37:
33:
32:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
933:
922:
919:
917:
914:
912:
909:
907:
904:
902:
899:
897:
894:
893:
891:
878:
873:
867:
864:
862:
859:
857:
854:
853:
851:
847:
843:
839:
835:
829:
828:
824:
823:
821:
817:
809:
806:
805:
804:
803:Pride parades
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
790:
788:
786:
782:
776:
773:
771:
768:
767:
765:
761:
755:
752:
750:
747:
746:
744:
740:
736:
732:
728:
722:
719:
717:
714:
713:
711:
709:Organisations
707:
701:
698:
696:
693:
691:
688:
686:
683:
681:
680:Zanele Muholi
678:
676:
673:
671:
670:Portia Modise
668:
666:
663:
661:
658:
656:
653:
651:
648:
646:
643:
641:
640:Pierre de Vos
638:
636:
635:Edwin Cameron
633:
631:
630:Zackie Achmat
628:
627:
625:
621:
616:
604:
600:
596:
590:
589:
585:
583:
582:
578:
576:
575:
574:Gory v Kolver
571:
569:
568:
564:
562:
561:
557:
555:
554:
550:
548:
547:
543:
541:
540:
536:
534:
533:
529:
528:
526:
522:
516:
513:
509:
506:
505:
504:
501:
499:
496:
494:
491:
489:
486:
485:
483:
479:
473:
470:
468:
465:
463:
460:
458:
455:
454:
451:
448:
444:
440:
436:
432:
428:
424:
417:
412:
410:
405:
403:
398:
397:
394:
388:
385:
383:
380:
379:
375:
358:
354:
348:
345:
338:
334:
331:
330:
326:
324:
320:
316:
314:
308:
306:
297:
295:
293:
289:
284:
281:
277:
272:
269:
266:
258:
256:
254:
250:
245:
243:
238:
234:
233:
228:
224:
219:
217:
211:
205:
202:
199:
198:
197:
193:
191:
183:
181:
179:
175:
171:
170:
160:
156:
153:Case opinions
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
119:
116:
112:
109:
106:
102:
97:
93:
89:
85:
82:
80:Appealed from
78:
73:
69:
66:
62:
58:
54:
51:
48:
44:
41:
38:
34:
30:
25:
20:
861:LGBT tourism
825:
770:De Waterkant
763:Gay villages
587:
586:
579:
572:
565:
558:
551:
544:
537:
530:
493:Equality Act
439:South Africa
361:. Retrieved
356:
347:
321:
317:
309:
301:
285:
273:
262:
251:enacted the
246:
230:
220:
213:
209:
195:
187:
168:
167:
166:
87:
75:Case history
49:
695:Mike Waters
690:Lynne Brown
645:Simon Nkoli
603:Section 20A
481:Legislation
457:LGBT rights
435:transgender
363:27 November
158:Decision by
890:Categories
866:Pride flag
437:topics in
339:References
280:High Court
249:Parliament
184:Background
754:IsiNgqumo
742:Languages
735:Jozi Cats
700:Ian Ollis
508:Amendment
242:Ackermann
64:Citations
856:Timeline
775:Melville
598:Repealed
524:Case law
431:bisexual
327:See also
298:Judgment
265:Pretoria
247:In 2007
115:Moseneke
423:Lesbian
305:Mokgoro
278:of the
134:O'Regan
126:Mokgoro
56:Decided
837:Issues
785:Events
623:People
357:News24
235:, the
146:Yacoob
144:&
130:Ngcobo
122:Madala
849:Other
819:Media
730:Sport
138:Sachs
108:Langa
90:
36:Court
433:and
365:2011
221:The
446:Law
427:gay
118:DCJ
892::
429:,
425:,
355:.
148:JJ
140:,
136:,
132:,
128:,
124:,
120:,
113:,
111:CJ
415:e
408:t
401:v
367:.
94:)
86:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
