School of Law

Biography:

Mr Michael Wood-Bodley is a Senior Lecturer in the fields of Succession and Legal Studies, and formerly lectured Foundations of Law, Introduction to Law and Sale, at the School of Law. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree, and Master of Laws (LLM) degree cum laude from the University of Natal. Wood-Bodley is an admitted Attorney and Conveyancer of the High Court, South Africa and was formerly a partner at Durban law firm, Goodrickes. His research interests include Succession, Trusts, Sectional Title and Share Block Schemes, and Gay and Lesbian issues in the law. He is a co-author with Juanita Jamneck et al of The Law of Succession in South Africa published by Oxford University Press.

Academic Qualifications:

• BComm LLB
• LLM (cum laude) (Natal)

Research Interests:

• Succession
• Gay and Lesbian issues in law

Publications

Journals

• ‘Lost wills and s 2(3) of the Wills Act 7 of 1953’ (2015) 132 SALJ 734—747.
• ‘The implied revocation of a will: Pienaar v Master of the Free State High Court, Bloemfontein’ (2014) 131 SALJ 509—521.
• ‘Can s 2(3) of the Wills Act 7 of 1953 properly be applied to a mere instruction to draft a will? Mabika v Mabika’ (2013) 130 SALJ 244—260.
• ‘Suicide notes, wills, and testamentary capacity, and s 2(3) of the Wills Act 7 of 1953: Smith v Parsons NO; Henriques v Giles NO’ (2011) 128 SALJ 612—620.
• ‘That “devilish little point” – the impact of s 6(1) of the Trust Property Control Act 1988 on the capacity of trustees to contract, sue, and be sued: Lupacchini v Minister of Safety and Security’ (2011) 128 SALJ 233—245.
• ‘Proving unworthiness to inherit because of criminal conduct of a beneficiary: the rule in Hollington v Hewthorn’ (2010) 127 SALJ 605-608.
• Revival of a lost or destroyed will’ (2010) 127 SALJ 397—400.
• Life policies and marriages in community of property – who owns the proceeds of the policy on the insured’s death? Danielz NO v de Wet’ (2010) 127 SALJ 224–230.
• ‘Forfeiture by a beneficiary who conspires to assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm: Danielz NO v de Wet [2008] 4 All SA 549 (C)’ (2010) 127 SALJ 30–37.
• ‘Revival of wills – The Supreme Court of Appeal resolves long standing uncertainty: Wessels NO v Die Meester’ (2009) 126 SALJ 50—61.
• ‘Same-sex couple discrimination in employment benefits: where to now?’ (2008) 125 SALJ 483—488.
• ‘’Establishing the existence of a same-sex life partnership for the purposes of the Intestate Succession Act’ (2008) 125 SALJ 259—273.
• ‘Intestate succession and gay and lesbian couples’ (2008) 125 SALJ 46—62.
• ‘Freedom of testation and the Bill of Rights: Minister of Education v Syfrets Trust Ltd NO’ (2007) 124 SALJ 687—702.
• ‘Revocation of a will by the presumed destruction of a copy: Sansole NO v Ncube’’ – (2006) 123 SALJ 3.
• ‘Tertius Bosch’s final over — Van Wetten v Bosch’ (2005) 122 SALJ 52-58.
• ‘Did you say “Asinine” Milord? – Bekker v Naude 2003 5 SA 173 (SCA)’ (2004) 25 Obiter 222-230.
• Wills, data messages, and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002’ – (2004) 121 SALJ 526.
• ‘Macdonald v The Master: Computer files and the “rescue provision” of the Wills Act’ (2004) 121 SALJ 34-43.
• ‘”House rules” in sectional title schemes – are they ultra vires?’ (2003) 120 SALJ 602.
• ‘The transactions of unauthorised trustees: Section 6(1) of the Trust Property Control Act, 1988’ (2001) 118 SALJ 374.
• ‘One small step for “Gay Liberation”’ (1998) 115 SALJ 424.
• ‘The coup de grâce provision – judicial revocation of wills in terms of the Wills Act 1953’ (1998) 115 SALJ 202.
• ‘More on sections 2(3) and 2A of the Wills Act 1953’ (1997) 114 SALJ 455.
• ‘Exclusive use areas in sectional title schemes and problems relating to them’ 1997:TSAR 463.
• ‘The ‘rescue provisions’ of the Wills Act, 1953 (As Amended)’ (1997) 114 SALJ 1
• ‘An alternative view of sections 13 and 14 of the Share Blocks Control Act 1980’ 1997:1 De Jure 63.
• ‘Abuse of the juristic personality of a close corporation’ (1995) 112 SALJ 9.

Books

• Juanita Jamneck (Ed), Christa Rautenbach (Ed), Mahomed Paleker, Anton Van Der Linde, and Michael Wood-Bodley The Law of Succession in South Africa 2ed (2012).

Useful Websites:

http://www.austlii.edu.au/
http://www.nzlii.org/
http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/index.html
http://www.triangle.org.za/