The Judicial discretion to allow unlawful Government procurement Awards to stand

134 Pages·2015·0.78 MB·English

THE JUDICIAL DISCRETION TO ALLOW UNLAWFUL GOVERNMENT
PROCUREMENT AWARDS TO STAND: JUSTIFICATION AND
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PRINCIPLE OF LEGALITY AND THE RULE OF
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by

Michael Jones
JNSMIC016
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submitted to the University of Cape Town in fulfilmenTt of the requirements for
the degree of
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Master of Laws

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tPublic Law
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Supervisors: Prof. Hugh Corder
Department of Public Law
University of Cape Town

Prof. Tjakie Naudé
Department of Private Law
University of Cape Town

Word count: 37 642 (with footnotes)
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The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No
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quotation from it or information derived from it is to be

published without full acknowledgeement of the source.
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The thesis is to be used for private study or non-
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commercial research purposes only.

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Published by the Universit y of Cape Town (UCT) in terms
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of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author.
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The copyright of this dissertation vests in the author. No quotation
from it or information derived from it is to be published without full
acknowledgement of the source. The dissertation is to be used for
private study or non-commercial research purposes only.
Published by the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-
exclusive license granted to UCT by the author.
DECLARATION:

I, Michael Jones, hereby declare that I have read and understood the
regulations governing the submission of Masters in Law dissertations, including
those relating to length and plagiarism, as contained in the rules of this
University, and that this dissertation conforms to those regulations.

Research dissertation presented for the approval of Senate in fulfilment of the
requirements for the degree of Master of Laws.

I authorise the University of Cape Town to reproduce for the purpose of
research either the whole or any portion of the contents in any manner
whatsoever.

Name: Michael Jones

Student number: JNSMIC016

Signature: ___________________

Date: 20 July 2015
PLAGIARISM DECLARATION:

I, Michael Jones, know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is to use another's
work and pretend that it is one's own.

I have used the footnote convention of citation and referencing. Each
significant contribution to, and quotation, in this project from the work/s of
other people has been duly attributed to said author/s, and has been cited
and referenced accordingly.

This dissertation is entirely my own work.

I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone to copy my work with the
intention to pass it off as his / her own work.

Name: Michael Jones

Student number: JNSMIC016

Signature: ___________________

Date: 20 July 2015
Abstract
The development of subjecting government procurement awards to judicial
review is a relatively recent development in South African law. It accords with
a similar development in the United States, as well as South Africa’s own
constitutional requirements of transparency and public accountability.
Given the often lucrative nature of public contracts, challenges to the
lawfulness of government procurement awards have become a regular
occurrence in South Africa. However, the setting aside of such an award does
not automatically follow upon a finding of unlawfulness. For a number of
reasons, a court may decline to set aside an unlawful government
procurement award.
This raises a number of interesting questions, particularly with regard to how
such a decision may be reconciled with, and the implications this may have
for, the principle of legality and the Rule of Law. This dissertation will address
these issues, arguing that, ultimately, the concerns are resolved by
appreciating the nature of the principle of legality, and the Rule of Law’s place
as a value in society.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1
1.1 The judicial review of government procurement ................................................... 1
1.2 The judicial discretion to set aside unlawful tender awards .................................. 2
1.3 The Rule of Law and the principle of legality .......................................................... 3
1.4 Research question ....................................................................................................... 3
1.5 The relevance of government procurement .......................................................... 5
1.6 Structure of the dissertation ........................................................................................ 6

Chapter 2
THE REVIEWABILITY OF GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA ........... 8
2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 8
2.2 The historical development of subjecting government procurement to judicial
review ............................................................................................................................ 9
2.2.1 Immunity from review .................................................................................... 9
2.2.2 South Africa .................................................................................................. 11
2.3 The judicial review of government procurement in comparative context ...... 17
2.3.1 The United States .......................................................................................... 17
2.3.2 England ......................................................................................................... 20
2.3.3 Commentary on the English approach .................................................... 26
2.3.3.1 Conflating jurisdiction with relief ............................................... 26
2.3.3.2 The requirement of a public law element ............................... 27
2.4 Evaluating the South African approach to the judicial review of government
procurement .............................................................................................................. 29
2.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 34
Chapter 3
THE NATURE AND DETERMINATION OF UNLAWFULNESS IN GOVERNMENT
PROCUREMENT AWARDS ........................................................................................ 36
3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 36
3.2 The legal framework of government procurement in South Africa ................... 37
3.2.1 The Constitution ............................................................................................ 37
3.2.2 Legislation ..................................................................................................... 39
3.2.3 A fragmented, burdensome, and problematic procurement regime 39
3.3 The peremptory nature of government procurement law ................................. 41
3.4 The basis of unlawfulness in government procurement....................................... 42
3.4.1 Non-compliance with s 217 ........................................................................ 42
3.4.2 Non-compliance with legislation ............................................................... 44
3.4.3 Lawfulness unrefined ................................................................................... 49
3.4.3.1 The incorporation of s 217 into the legislation ......................... 49
3.4.3.2 Varying degrees of comprehensiveness in the procurement
framework .................................................................................... 51
3.5 The requirement of materiality in unlawful irregularities ....................................... 52
3.5.1 Separating the lawfulness and remedial enquiries ................................. 52
3.5.2 The notion of fundamental irregularities ................................................... 55
3.5.3 Linking lawful compliance with the purpose of the provision ............... 56
3.6 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 61

Chapter 4
THE SETTING ASIDE OF UNLAWFUL GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT AWARDS ...... 63
4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 63
4.2 The right/s infringed in unlawful tender awards .................................................... 63
4.2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 63
4.2.2 A right over and above just administrative action ................................. 64
4.2.3 Awarding a tender to an initially unsuccessful tenderer ........................ 66
4.2.4 The rejection of a right to be awarded a government tender ............. 67
4.3 The courts’ approach to setting aside unlawful tender awards ........................ 69
4.3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 69
4.3.2 The setting aside of an unlawful tender award as a just and equitable
remedy ............................................................................................................ 70
4.3.2.1 The unsuccessful tenderer’s interests ....................................... 71
4.3.2.2 The successful tenderer’s interests ............................................ 71
4.3.2.3 The public interest ....................................................................... 72
4.3.3 Weighing the various interests relevant to setting aside unlawful tender
awards ............................................................................................................ 76
4.4 Justifying the decision to allow an unlawful tender award to stand ................. 78
4.4.1 Ubi jus, ibi remedium .................................................................................... 78
4.4.2 Interest Balancing and Rights Maximising ................................................ 81
4.4.3 Preferring Interest Balancing over Rights Maximising .............................. 84
4.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 87

Chapter 5
IMPLICATIONS OF UNLAWFUL GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT AWARDS FOR THE
PRINCIPLE OF LEGALITY AND THE RULE OF LAW .................................................... 89
5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 89
5.2 The Rule of Law .......................................................................................................... 90
5.2.1 Contestation and uncertainty ................................................................... 90
5.2.2 Understanding the Rule of Law .................................................................. 91
5.2.3 Restraining governmental power .............................................................. 92
5.2.4 Instrumental and substantive conceptions of the Rule of Law ............. 94
5.2.5 The Rule of Law as an ideal ........................................................................ 99
5.3 The Rule of Law in South Africa .............................................................................. 103
5.3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 103
5.3.2 The principle of legality ............................................................................. 104
5.3.3 Additional requirements of the Rule of Law ........................................... 105
5.3.4 Distinguishing the Rule of Law from the principle of legality ............... 107
5.3.5 The Rule of Law as a formal principle ..................................................... 108
5.4 Unlawful tender awards, the principle of legality and the Rule of Law .......... 109
5.4.1 Implications for the principle of legality .................................................. 109
5.4.2 Implications for the Rule of Law ............................................................... 112
5.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 113

Chapter 6
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................ 115

BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................... 118