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Plain language in the Consumer Protection Bill (CPB) in South Africa

Frances Gordon | 10 June 2008 | 23:58
We have been doing a few presentations for CLASA (Corporate Lawyers' Association of South Africa) in Johannesburg, in which we’ve been discussing the definition of plain language in the Consumer Protection Bill.
It's very similar to the definition given in the National Credit Act (discussed here). But here it is anyways - the whole 121-word sentence:
A notice, document or visual representation is in plain language if it is reasonable to conclude that an ordinary consumer of the class of persons for whom the notice, document or visual representation is intended, with average literacy skills and minimal experience as a consumer of the relevant goods or services, could be expected to understand the content, significance, and import of the document without undue effort, having regard to:
  • the context, comprehensiveness and consistency of the notice, document or visual representation
  • the organisation, form and style of the notice, document or visual representation
  • the vocabulary, usage and sentence structure of the notice, document or visual representation
  • the use of any illustrations, examples, headings, or other aids to reading and understanding.
(Section 22, Consumer Protection Bill)
This definition merits careful study as it will have wide application in consumer documents. Plain language is mentioned in the Bill more than six times! The Bill is expected to come into effect next year.
Click here to read an article about plain language and the Consumer Protection Bill.


1 comments on this article | Add a comment

Long sentence

Martin Hesse | 03 March 2009 | 14:20
It seems the legislators who worded the definition in the Bill could have done with a little assistance themselves in using plain language!