Madam Deputy Speaker, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development yesterday pledged to uphold the independence of the judiciary and the Constitution. However, his statement does not support this commitment and it remains unclear what the ultimate purpose of this review process will be.
In responding to the outcry over the President's comments, the President's spokesperson, Mac Maharaj, said that we should view the President's comments on changing the powers of the court in the context of this assessment. The President's remarks were clearly different to what the Minister is referring to here, which is the question of jurisdiction. He was talking about the powers of the court.
The report that was released by the Minister yesterday has failed to clarify the very purpose of this review and it has not allayed fears that the review will precede an amendment to the powers of the Constitutional Court.
Will the hon Minister provide this House with the assurance that Cabinet will not propose changes to the powers of the Constitutional Court, regardless of what the outcome of this review process is? Thank you. [Applause.]