Legal Aid Bill [B8-2014]

The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services invites you to submit written comments on the Legal Aid Bill.

The Bill seeks to repeal the Legal Aid Act of 1969 as it is not aligned to the Constitution of South Africa and its founding principles.

The new legislation is intended to, amongst others, ensure access to justice and the realisation of the right of a person to have legal representation as envisaged in the Constitution, to establish an entity called Legal Aid South Africa with a Board of Directors and to define its objects, powers, functions, duties and composition. It further seeks to provide for its independence and impartiality, to provide for its finances and to provide for the provision of legal aid by direction of courts in criminal matters.

Kindly indicate your interest in making a verbal presentation.

Find here: Briefing on Bill to Portfolio Committee

Comments can be emailed to Cindy Balie at [email protected] by no later than 12h00 on Wednesday, 20 August 2014.

Enquiries can be directed to Cindy Balie on tel (021) 403 3667 or cell 083 547 4115

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson for the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services

Background
Currently the Legal Aid Act, 1969 (Act No. 22 of 1969)(''the Act''), regulates matters relating to the provision of legal aid. The Act was passed in 1969 and has been amended on a piece-meal basis. Its revision and substitution are long overdue because many of its provisions do not accord with changed circumstances. Its application gives rise to challenges that are sought to be addressed in the Legal Aid Bill (''the Bill''). The revision of the Act is therefore intended to replace it with a new Act in accordance with prevailing circumstances, particularly the new constitutional dispensation, and to streamline its application, by substituting the provisions which currently give rise to the challenges and impact on service delivery.