Lawyers in East London and Bhisho have welcomed Justice Minister Ronald Lamola’s announcement in responding to a question in the NCOP last week that apartheid-era High Court boundaries might be on the way out.

But a Daily Dispatch report says this could come at a cost for East London, where the High Court may shut down permanently.

Cases from East London to Komani would then possibly be heard in Bhisho, unless the East London court becomes a permanent circuit court of Bhisho.

It is currently a circuit court of the High Court in Makhanda. The court has long been a virtually permanent civil court.

Lamola said the chair of the government’s committee on rationalisation of the country’s High Courts, retired Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke, would deliver an initial report in October, with a final report due next April.

At least two city attorneys have expressed concern about the Eastern Cape High Court (East London) shutting down after seeing the draft proposals prepared by the Department of Justice & Constitutional Development.

The proposals appear to have been in circulation for at least a year and were part of documentation provided to Moseneke’s committee by Justice Department officials.

Full Daily Dispatch report