contumelia

Literal translation

insult; affront; humiliation

Legal meaning

In South African law, contumelia refers to the injury to a person's dignity, self-respect, or reputation caused by an insulting or humiliating wrongful act. It is a recognised form of non-patrimonial harm in the law of delict and is often relevant in claims for iniuria, including unlawful arrest, defamation-related dignity infringements, and other intentional violations of personality rights. Courts assess contumelia when determining general damages for the impairment of dignitas.

• 🇿🇼 Dambudzo Oliver Munyebvu v Talent Musvibe
  High Court (Harare)· CIV ‘A’ 170/21
• 🇿🇼 Maclean Masimba Nyandoro v Godfrey Tizirai
  Other Courts
• 🇿🇼 Timothy Chinyadza v Melton Phiri
  Other Courts
• 🇿🇼 Kudzai Gombakomba v Tsitsi Bhudhiyo
  Other Courts
• 🇿🇼 Judith Tikiwa v Makomborero Adiyolah Charlie
  High Court (Harare)· HC 4379-12
• 🇿🇼 Getrude Mupazviriwo v Blessed Kubeta
  High Court (Harare)
• 🇿🇼 Fezile Murahwa v Mayibongwe Ncube
  High Court (Bulawayo)
• 🇿🇼 Chipo Dera v Cynthia Kambeza
  High Court (Harare)· HC 2384-09
• 🇿🇼 Chipo Jhamba v Aleta V. Mugwisi
  High Court (Bulawayo)
• 🇿🇼 Elizabeth Masvimbo (Nee Mutema) v Natasha Masvimbo (Nee Marufu)
  High Court (Harare)· HCHF 861/25

Live search across the public SA + ZW case corpus. Results may include false positives where the same Latin lexeme appears in a different context.

Areas of law