INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE

• The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition extended the deadline for public comments on proposals regarding:
  • limiting the sources of copper used in producing semi-finished products for export, and
  • prohibiting the export of used and second-hand rails.

 

CLIMATE CHANGE

• The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment called for public comments on a draft biennial update report prepared in terms of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change requirements. The document includes the national greenhouse gas inventory for 2000-2020.

 

FILMS AND PUBLICATIONS ACT

• The Film and Publications Board called for public comments on:
  • a draft code on curbing the proliferation of harmful material online
  • a draft guideline on what constitutes harmful or prohibited content, and
  • a draft guideline on peer-to-peer video sharing.

 

COMPANIES ACT

• The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition gazetted the explanatory summaries of two Bills proposing amendments to the Companies Act, 2008. According to the summaries:

• the Companies First Amendment Bill seeks to:
  • reduce red tape
  • improve the transparency around executive pay, and
  • further strengthen anti-money laundering and terrorism financing measures.
• The Companies Second Amendment Bill seeks to significantly extend ‘the time bar in applications for declarations of delinquency’.

 

LEGAL PRACTICE COUNCIL

• A notice was gazetted calling for public comments on minimum remuneration proposals for:
  • candidate attorneys under practical vocational training contracts, and
  • those in pupillage under the supervision of practising advocates.

 

• Amendments were made to regulations on the procedures to be followed when electing legal practitioners to the Legal Practice Council.

 

LAW COURT RULES

• The Rules Board for Courts of Law called for public comments on two sets of proposals affecting sheriffs’ fees and tariffs:
  • proposed fees for ‘service and execution as well as for attempted service and attempted execution’, and
  • proposed ejectment tariffs.

Please note: At the time of writing the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development website was offline. Once it is restored, the documents can be found by clicking alerts to each one on the website’s home page.

 

Prepared by Pam Saxby