DA: Assessment of independent court judgments can be relevant
Imogen Vollenhoven
27
August 2013
The Democratic Alliance said the Justice
Department has finally revealed that the successful tenderer to conduct the
controversial assessment of judgments of the Constitutional
Court Law School
DA Deputy MP of Justice and Constitutional
Development Debbie Schafer said how an assessment of independent court
judgments can be relevant to policy unless the intention is to interfere with the
courts in some way.
“Given the move toward tracing the chief
justice in charge of all aspects of the courts, if there were a need for a
study it should be commissioned by him and our question has been all along what
has this assessment found,” added Schafer.
She furthermore in the opinion of the
researchers and the courts who have not sufficiently aligned with what the
executive wishes to see and other similar objectives in the terms of reference.
“What remedy is there other than to try and
influence the courts to appease the executives,” said Schafer.
Furthermore she added that the DA will submit
further parliamentary questions to the minister of justice to find out what he
suggests be done, should the assessment find that the judiciary is not sufficiently
aligned with the executives policy.
Comments