ISS Seminar, Pretoria: Transforming the Judicial System: Should South Africans be Concerned?

Date: 2012-04-26

Venue: , ISS Seminar Room, Block C, Brooklyn Court, 361 Veale Street, New Muckleneuk, Visitors are requested to park at the Brooklyn Mall Shopping Centre and walk across to the ISS. Please do not park in front of ABSA Bank or in reserved park

RSVP:
Millicent Mlaba
Tel: (012) 346 9500
Fax: (012) 460 0997/ 086 508 1660
E-mail: [email protected]

Presented by the Crime and Justice Programme, Pretoria

Over the past few months there has been intense debate concerning the subject of Transformation of the Judicial System in South Africa. Court rulings against the Executive have resulted in repeated attacks on the judiciary by senior ANC officials. It is in this context that the ANC and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ) released two separate documents arguing for judicial transformation. In March the DoJ also announced a study to assess how upper court rulings have “impacted on the lives of ordinary South Africans” and how “challenges” to the goals of transforming South African society could be better addressed by the judiciary.

While the President stated that he wanted a review of the Constitutional Courts powers, the Minister of Justice denied that cabinet intends to reduce its powers. This double speak has resulted in many people fearing that there are powerful political forces taking aim at the rule of law and the doctrine of the separation of powers.

In this seminar, speakers will offer their insights on the current state of affairs and what it may mean for the future of the South African judiciary.

SPEAKERS include:

• Judge Johann Kriegler, Former Constitutional and Appeal Court Judge, Republic of South Africa
• Professor Steven Friedman, Director, Centre for the Study of Democracy Rhodes University/University of Johannesburg
• Dr. Narnia Bohler-Muller, Acting Executive Director: Democracy, Governance and Service Delivery at the Human Sciences Research  
  

This seminar is made possible by funding from the Hanns Seidel  Foundation

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