Issued by: Department of Justice
MEDIA RELEASE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PERTAINING TO A MEETING OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF THE CANADA - SOUTH AFRICA JUSTICE LINKAGE PROJECT.
7 August 1997
The first meeting of the South African Advisory Committee of the Canada - South Africa Justice Linkage Project will take place on Friday, 8 August 1997 at the Office of the Minister of Justice, in Pretoria.
The Canadian Government, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is assisting South Africa with the Reconstruction and Development Programme by providing assistance in various areas. The Canada - South Africa Justice Linkage Project forms part of this programme. The Canadian Department of Justice is the executing agency for the Project. Canada will fund the Project to a maximum of roughly R15,000,000 over the next five years.
The Minister of Justice, Dr A M Omar, MP, has requested that the Project focus on training of Judges and Magistrates, in order to improve the overall skill and knowledge of the magistracy and the judiciary, to entrench human rights sensitivity on the Bench, and to improve the administration and management of the courts. The Project will also contribute to long-term institutional development and capacity building for judicial education.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two governments in September 1996, outlining the context of the Project. Overall policy direction will come from the Minister of Justice, working with the South African Advisory Committee. The South African Advisory Committee consists of the following ten members.