STATE REGULATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN INSOLVENCY LAW – AN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW APPROACH

Although the Constitution must inform the way legislation is interpreted by the courts, there is currently no Constitutional Court decision or secondary source which deals directly with the application of the Constitution to state regulation in South African insolvency law. With regard to the role and function of the Master as well as any future state regulation in insolvency law, certainly the most significant development within the context of the Constitution is the enactment of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA) which gives effect to the principles envisaged in section 33 of the Constitution. The aim of this article is not to provide a detailedexposition or comprehensive overview of constitutional and administrative law, but rather to highlight the relevance and potential impact of certain administrative law aspects on the functioning and day-to-day operation of a regulatory institution in South African insolvency law.