People's Assembly

NW1215E - 04 May 2012

N J J van R Koornhof to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development

How many positions for judges were vacant in the various divisions of the High Court on 24 April 2012?

CW259E - 04 May 2012

Mafemane Wilson Makhubela to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development

(1) Whether the register of all legal practitioners which also indicates their gender assists the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to fill vacant judicial positions to meet transformation considerations (details furnished); if not, why not; if so, what does the register indicate regarding the (a) existing demographic totals of registered and practicing judicial officers in terms of (i) Blacks and (ii) Whites and (b) levels of experience; (2) (a) why has it become an imperative for the JSC to establish the progressive credentials of all the candidates and (b) how will his department avoid racial tensions within the department?

Reply from the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development on 4 May 2012

- 1) I wish to bring to the attention of the Honourable Member that my Department does not keep a register of all legal practitioners. The only register of practitioners the Department maintains is the roll of admitted advocates which is a requirement in terms of section 8 of the Admission of Advocates Act, 1964 (Act No. 74 of 1964). This section requires the ...

More »

NW1139E - 26 April 2012

Deborah Anne Schäfer to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development

What (a) are the relevant details of the presidential project United in Diversity, (b) amount has been spent on the project in the (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12 financial years, (c) is the breakdown of the expenditure in each of the specified financial years and (d) are the relevant details of all the activities of this project in each specified financial year?

NW1138E - 26 April 2012

Deborah Anne Schäfer to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development

(1) Whether any action has been taken against any officials of the SA Police Service as a result of the death of a certain person (name furnished) in the cells of the Durbanville Police Station; if not, why not; if so, what (a) action and (b) are the further relevant details; (2) whether any (a) mechanisms and (b) protocols are in place at police stations to prevent (i) violence in cells and (ii) injury to arrested persons; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?

NW1118E - 26 April 2012

Makhosazana Abigail Alicia Njobe to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development

(1) Whether his department has developed a cluster team approach to prosecute sexual offences by bringing in nongovernmental organisation specialists and counsellors to work with prosecutors and police officers; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details (2) what are the conviction rates in ordinary courts?

NW1117E - 26 April 2012

Makhosazana Abigail Alicia Njobe to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development

(1) Whether he intends to re-establish specialist courts for teenage sexual offences given the increase in the number of these crimes; if not, why not; if so, (2) what (a) steps has he taken to ensure that victims do not have to wait longer for trial dates while his department re-establishes these courts and (b) steps has his department taken to develop a specialised body of knowledge around sexual offences in order to improve efficiency and case-flow management; (3) whether the moratorium of 2005 on the creation of specialist courts is still in place; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW1116E - 26 April 2012

Makhosazana Abigail Alicia Njobe to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development

(1) What is the extent of the steps taken by the criminal justice system to give effect to the victim-centred commitment of the Victim's Charter; (2) (a) what are the observation duties of the specified members in the cluster, (b)(i) how and (ii) by whom are they monitored and (c) which official is ultimately accountable in each case?

NW1122E - 26 April 2012

N J J van R Koornhof to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development

(a) How many (i) advocates and (ii) lawyers are there in total, (b) how many (i) male advocates and (ii) lawyers are (aa) Black and (bb) White and (c) how many female (i) advocates and (ii) lawyers are (aa) Black and (bb) White?

Reply from the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development on 15 May 2012

Yes, the Minister has responded to accusations by the SA Democratic Teachersâ Union that she does not undermine collective bargaining. Her department is engaged in the ELRC and PSCBC where negotiations take place. Her departmental officials have been present in all scheduled meetings of the ELRC and PSCBC. The unions have also been present and they have not disengaged the Department in these forums.

More »

NW1121E - 26 April 2012

N J J van R Koornhof to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development

(a) How many judges are there in total, (b) how many male judges are (i) Black and (ii) White and (c) how many female judges are (aa) Black and (bb) White?

Reply from the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development on 15 May 2012

1) My department has seen an increase in the participation and pass rate of learners in mathematics, science and technology. It is hoped that these learners will pursue fields in mathematics and science in higher education and add to the human capacity shortages of the country. My department has focused its teacher recruitment campaign on attracting prospective mathematics, science and technology teachers. Through the ...

More »

NW1100E - 20 April 2012

Deborah Anne Schäfer to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development

Why do the terms for the assessment of the impact of court decisions now also include the decisions of the Supreme Court of Appeal, while the discussion document (details furnished) initially limited this focus on the Constitutional Court decisions?