Have Your Say: Judicial Matters Amendment Bill [B7B-2023]
The Select Committee on Security and Justice invites stakeholders and interested persons to submit written submissions on the Judicial Matters Amendment Bill [B 7B-2023]
The Judicial Matters Amendment Bill [B 7B-2023]
- Provides for amendments to 19 different Acts administered by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. The “proposed amendments are intended to address practical and technical issues of a non-contentious nature”
- The Bill also proposes the repeal of the common law crime of defamation
- The Bill also seeks to decriminalise admission of guilt fines issued during the Covid-19 hard lockdown in terms of the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002, during which thousands of ordinary citizens were fined for various transgressions of the Covid-19 Regulations issued in terms of this Act
- Other noteworthy amendments include the amendment of the: (a) Matrimonial Properties Act, 1984 to ensure that the regimes of all existing customary law marriages are now regarded as being in community of property; and
(b)(i) Intestate Succession Act, 1987 and (ii) Maintenance of Surviving Spouses Act, 1990 to include a partner in a permanent life partnership in which the partners have undertaken reciprocal duties of support under the definition of a spouse, for the purposes of inheritance and maintenance, respectively.
Written submissions must be received by no later than 13:00 on 17 November 2023.
Request for copies of the Bill and submission of written submissions or general enquiries, must be emailed to JMABillB7B-2023@parliament.gov.za.
Issued by Hon. S Shaikh, MP, Chairperson: Select Committee on Security and Justice
(National Council of Provinces)
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