Justice and Constitutional Development
South African Human Rights Commission on its 2017/18 Annual Performance Plan
30 Mar 2017
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) presented a report to the Committee on its current work, the budget and the Annual Performance Plan. The new Commission, with seven new commissioners and a new Chairperson, Adv Bongani Majola, started its work on 23 January 2017. The Commission was currently in ...
International Relations
Foreign Service Bill: National Treasury & National Health Education and Allied Workers Union input
29 Mar 2017
National Treasury had done an appraisal of the Bill within the context of existing legislative and policy frameworks of government. Consideration was given to align the Bill with the Public Service Act and the Public Finance Management Act. Issues of concurrency on conditions of service, acquisition and disposal of state ...
Justice and Constitutional Development
National Prosecuting Authority on its 2017/18 Annual Performance Plan
29 Mar 2017
The National Director of Public Prosecutions, Adv Shaun Abrahams, addressed concerns raised by a Member the previous day on the effects of crime on victims of crime and of economic exclusion. He referred to the Service Charter for Victims of Crime approved in 2004 and said that the Minister had ...
Justice and Constitutional Development
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on its Annual Performance Plan, with Acting Minister present
28 Mar 2017
A delegation from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ&CD), led by the Acting Minister of Justice, presented the Strategic Plan for 2017/20 and the Annual Performance Plan for 2017/18.
The Department’s challenges were mainly the inability to fill vacancies because of limits placed on the state wage bill, ...
International Relations
Foreign Service Bill: SAPS briefing
22 Mar 2017
The Committee was provided with a short run down on how the South African Police Services (SAPS) perceived the Foreign Service Bill. SAPS agreed with the Bill. Initially, SAPS had concerns with the definition of “employee” in the Bill - the definition made mention of the Public Service Act however ...
International Relations
Western Sahara and South Africa relations: Public lecture, with Deputy Minister
15 Mar 2017
The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation hosted a public lecture around the role of South Africa and its role in mobilising the international community in pursuit of the independence of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). Keynote speakers included the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, the ...
Justice and Constitutional Development
Constitutional Court & Supreme Court of Appeal jurisprudence assessment
14 Mar 2017
The Department presented a progress report on a survey on the impact of the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court of Appeal on the transformation agenda and how the decisions of the courts impacted the lives of citizens. It was not an assessment of the merits of the courts’ decisions but ...
Justice and Constitutional Development
Bail policy & minimum sentencing legislation on inmate population; Suspension of magistrates
8 Mar 2017
Inmate population in South African prisons has over the last fifty years increased by 114.06%.
The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services heard this during a joint presentation by the Department of Correctional Services, Judiciary, SAPS, NPA, and Legal Aid SA.
It was reported that factors that play a ...
International Relations
International Criminal Court ruling; Foreign Service Bill: input by Department of Defence
8 Mar 2017
Both Ministers of Justice and of International Relations were absent from the meeting which irked the Committee as they needed to account for the International Criminal Court withdrawal without seeking Parliament’s approval and repeal of the Rome Statute Act. They said that a department official could not answer political questions. ...
International Relations
Foreign Service Bill: input by Department of Trade and Industry
1 Mar 2017
The Committee continued to hear presentations by departments on the Foreign Service Bill (Bill). The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) informed the Committee that it had made comments in 2014 when the Bill was first issued and the comments had not been incorporated in the draft. The dti believed ...