When the hearing started on Tuesday in Louis Trichardt, it first had to entertain a request by Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) to be allowed as an amicus curiae (friend of the court). Mr William Bird, director of MMA, later explained that the organisation believes it can assist the court to come to a decision that is just and fair. He explained that this is new territory for the South African law, as it deals with issues such as social media, where information spreads at a staggering speed. The court also needs to consider potential harm in such an environment.