Quote of the week
Universal adult suffrage on a common voters roll is one of the foundational values of our entire constitutional order. The achievement of the franchise has historically been important both for the acquisition of the rights of full and effective citizenship by all South Africans regardless of race, and for the accomplishment of an all-embracing nationhood. The universality of the franchise is important not only for nationhood and democracy. The vote of each and every citizen is a badge of dignity and of personhood. Quite literally, it says that everybody counts. In a country of great disparities of wealth and power it declares that whoever we are, whether rich or poor, exalted or disgraced, we all belong to the same democratic South African nation; that our destinies are intertwined in a single interactive polity.
August and Another v Electoral Commission and Others (CCT8/99) [1999] ZACC 3
Training for magistrates on sexual offences and child justice Acts
MEDIA STATEMENT ON THE UPCOMING TRAINING FOR MAGISTRATES ON THE SEXUAL OFFENCES and CHILD JUSTICE ACTS
For Immediate Release
13 March 2013
A TOTAL of about 200 Magistrates from Regional Courts across the country will attend a three-day comprehensive interactive training workshop on the Sexual Offences Act as well as the Child Justice Act from 14 to 16 March 2013 in Johannesburg.
The aim of the workshop, conducted under the auspices of the South African Judicial Education Training Institute (SAJEI) is to further enhance the skills of Regional Court Magistrates who, in their daily work as Judicial Officers, preside over sexual offences matters that come before their courts.
It is also in line with on-going efforts by SAJEI to equip all Judicial Officers, at all three levels of the Judiciary (Magistrates Courts, Regional Courts and High Courts) with on-going training that will enable them to deliver good quality justice to all citizens.
Amongst other things; Judicial Officers attending this week’s training workshop will be appraised on developments on the Sexual Offences Courts; Judicial case management of sexual offenses and guidelines on case flow management; best practices in dealing with child witnesses and intermediaries and dealing with various evidential aspects in sexual offenses.
Legislation governing trafficking in persons, Sentencing, Constitutional Interpretation, the role of the Constitution and International/Regional Conventions in dealing with children in conflict will also be covered during the workshop which will be addressed by a wide range of renowned speakers including Judges, academics and Constitutional and child justice experts.
Chairperson of the SAJEI Curriculum Committee Justice Yvonne Mokgroro said the seminar would help ensure the strengthening of the skills of Judicial Officers who already preside over sexual offences matters placed before their courts.
“At its most recent Council meeting earlier this month; the SAJEI Council – under the stewardship of Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng and whose members include Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke and Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mr Andries Nel MP – fully endorsed this much-needed training programme,” said Justice Mokgoro.
Meanwhile, in another development aimed at furthering the skills of Judicial Officers, SAJEI hosted a one-day training workshop on Family Court matters that was attended by Senior District Court Magistrates in the Western Cape. This training session covered, amongst other topics; the Domestic Violence and Harassment Acts; as well as the Maintenance and Children’s Acts.
The facilitators included experienced senior Magistrates and distinguished expert on Child Justice issues, Professor Julia Sloth-Nielsen, the Dean of Law at the University of Cape Town.
Ends.
Enquiries
Lulama Luti; Director: Media Relations, Office of the Chief Justice
Tel: +27 (0) 11 359 7537; Cell: +27 (0) 76 424 0667; Email: luti@concourt.org.za
