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Crime As Punishment: a Legal Perspective on Vigilantism in South

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Crime As Punishment: a Legal Perspective on Vigilantism in South Crime as Punishment: A Legal Perspective on Vigilantism in South Africa by Mary Nel Dissertation presented for the degree of Doctor of Laws in the Faculty of Law at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Prof Gerhard Kemp Co-Supervisor: Prof Lars Buur December 2016 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za DECLARATION By submitting this dissertation electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. MARY NEL December 2016 Copyright © 2016 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved i Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ABSTRACT This study aims to remedy a gap in legal literature by addressing the phenomenon of vigilantism from a legal perspective, and seeking to conceptualise and understand the problem. To this end, it first arrives at a working definition of vigilantism for a legal context by critically analysing previous (non-legal) efforts to define vigilantism and identifying and discussing elements of a proposed crime of vigilantism. The focus then shifts to interrogating the relationship between (the erosion of) state legitimacy and vigilante self-help. After demonstrating the usefulness of the concept of legitimacy as an overarching framework for understanding the state-vigilante relationship, three dimensions of legitimacy (legal, normative and demonstrative) are explained and the assumed nexus between (deficient) state legitimacy and vigilantism is clarified. Next, factors precipitating state delegitimation in the criminal justice context are identified so as better to grasp the role of deficient state legitimacy in fostering vigilantism – and concomitantly, how the state might remedy such shortcomings. While it is argued that state delegitimation is by no means the only factor contributing to the emergence and prevalence of vigilantism, a common thread running through many vigilante narratives is that the failure of criminal justice agents to do their job properly opens a law-and-order gap that vigilantes are only too willing to fill with their own brand of “justice”. To appreciate the role played by vigilantes as informal criminal justice “providers”, vigilante counter-legitimation strategies and rituals are then explored. They are compared to those utilised by their formal counterparts, with the aim of better delineating the common ground (or lack thereof) between state-sanctioned criminal justice and vigilantism. Thereafter, various divergent state responses to vigilantism are outlined and critically evaluated, divided into chapters focusing on state relegitimation strategies premised on exclusion (e.g., criminal prosecution) and inclusion (e.g., restorative justice). The emphasis throughout is on how to address vigilantism in such a way as to balance a non-negotiable respect for human rights with the need to respond to pressing community order and security concerns. It is concluded that ii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za vigilantes may indeed be willing to abandon violent means of problem-solving sufficiently to legitimate – and work in partnership with – a formal criminal justice system committed to addressing issues of crime and disorder in a community-responsive, inclusive, respectful and restorative manner. iii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ABSTRAK Die oogmerk van hierdie studie is om die leemte wat tans in regsliteratuur bestaan te remedieer deur die verskynsel van vigilantisme (“vigilantism”) te konseptualiseer, begryp en aan te spreek vanuit ʼn regsperspektief. Ten einde die bogenoemde oogmerk te bereik, word daar eerstens ʼn bruikbare definisie van vigilantisme in die regskonteks afgelei deur die kritiese analise van voormalige (nie-wetlike) pogings om vigilantisme te definieer. Verder word die elemente van die voorgestelde misdaad van vigilantisme identifiseer en bespreek. Daarna verskuif die fokus na ʼn ondersoek van die verhouding tussen die (verbrokkeling van) staat legitimiteit en vigilantisme. Nadat die nuttigheid van die legitimiteitskonsep as ʼn oorkoepelende raamwerk vir die begrip van die staat-vigilante verhouding gedemonstreer is, word drie vlakke van legitimiteit (wetlik, normatief en demonstratief), bespreek en die aangenome nexus tussen die (onvoldoende) staat legitimiteit en vigilantisme word verduidelik. Volgende word die faktore wat lei na die ontkenning van staat legitimiteit in die konteks van die (straf)regspleging identifiseer, ten einde die rol van onvoldoende staatslegitimiteit in die bevordering van vigilantisme te begryp. Daar word ook gefokus op hoe die staat hierdie tekortkominge kan regstel. Daar word aangevoer dat alhoewel die ontkenning van die staat se legitimiteit nie die enigste bydraende faktor tot die ontstaan en algemeenheid van vigilantisme is nie, daar ʼn duidelike en algemene denkpatroon onder vigilantes heers dat die gebrek aan ʼn doeltreffende strafregstelsel ʼn gaping in die reg skep. Vigilantes is al te geredelik bereid om hierdie gaping met hulle eie vorm van geregtigheid aan te vul. Ten einde die rol van vigilantes as informele kriminele geregtigheid “verskaffers” beter te verstaan, word die teen-legitimasie strategieë en rituele van vigilantes ondersoek. Hierdie strategieë en rituele word dan vergelyk met dié wat deur formele eweknieë aangewend word, met die oog op die uitbeelding van ʼn gemeenskaplike basis (of die afwesigheid daarvan), tussen straf wat goedgekeur is deur die staat en vigilantisme. Hierna word verskeie uiteenlopende antwoorde op vigilantisme uitgelê en krities geëvalueer. Dit iv Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za word verdeel in hoofstukke wat fokus op strategieë vir die herlegitimasie van die staat, beide gebaseer op uitsluiting (bv. strafvervolging) en insluiting (bv. herstellende geregtigheid). Daar word deurgaans gefokus op hoe om vigilantisme aan te spreek op so ʼn wyse dat daar ʼn balans getref word tussen ʼn nie-onderhandelbare respek vir menseregte en die behoefte om antwoord te bied op die dringende orde en sekuriteit bekommernisse onder die gemeenskap. Die gevolgtrekking wat gebied word, is dat vigilantes wel bereid sal wees om gewelddadige vorms van probleemoplossing te staak, mits ʼn legitieme, saamwerkende en formele regsplegingstelsel, toebetrou tot die oplossing van misdaad en wanorde in ʼn gemeenskapsbetrokke, inklusiewe, respekvolle en regstellende wyse, geskep kan word. v Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Kemp, and also my co- supervisor, Professor Buur. I contacted Professor Buur after reading his work on vigilantism to ask him whether he would help to supervise my thesis, and he was kind enough to accept the challenge. Our Skype debates have been stimulating and instructive, and his probing questions and insights definitely improved the final product. Without my family, doing this doctorate would not have been possible. I am very grateful to my in-laws, who provided continuous moral support and necessary babysitting; to my sisters, for always having my back; to my dad, who is my inspiration; to my mum, who helped with the editing and contributed in her inimitable way; and most of all to Sam, who amazes and amuses me every day. He is the reason this research was completed when it was, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. vi Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION .............................................................................. I ABSTRACT .................................................................................... II ABSTRAK ..................................................................................... IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................. VI TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................... VII 1 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION .......................................... 1 1 1 Filling the gap ........................................................................................ 2 1 2 Setting the scene ................................................................................... 4 1 2 1 A historical perspective ..................................................................... 4 1 2 2 Crime or Punishment? ....................................................................... 6 1 2 3 A slippery phenomenon ..................................................................... 7 1 2 4 The role of legitimacy: the state-vigilante relationship ................... 8 1 3 Aims and objectives ............................................................................ 12 1 4 Underlying assumptions ..................................................................... 14 1 5 Methodology ........................................................................................ 15 1 5 1 The nature of legal research and its implications for this study . 16 1 5 2 Insider v outsider perspectives on law: positioning this study ... 20 1 6 Outline of thesis ................................................................................... 25 2 CHAPTER TWO: WHAT IS VIGILANTISM? .......................... 27 2 1 Introduction .........................................................................................
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