Land Court Bill gets thumbs up
MPs have given a boost to the Land Claims Court, while giving the boot to Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula’s plan to reduce alcohol in motorists’ specimens to zero.
A Cape Argus report says the National Assembly plenary passed the Land Court Bill which seeks to establish a permanent and specialist Land Court and give it the same status as a High Court.
The plenary also passed the Drugs & Drug Trafficking Amendment Bill, the Economic Regulation of Transport Bill and the National Road Traffic Amendment Bill.
MPs asked for the two transport bills to be passed with amendments.
The National Road Traffic Amendment Bill proposed a further reduction of the limit on alcohol in blood specimens taken from motorists, but Mbalula’s totally alcohol-free motorists suggestion was shot down by MPs.
ANC MPs championing the Land Court Bill said it would fast-track cases and the new court would be afforded the status of a High Court, whereas the Land Claims Court was established as a temporary solution post-1994.
Justice & Correctional Services Committee chairperson Gratitude Magwanishe said the Restitution Act never foresaw the need for a permanent court with permanent judges.
According to the Cape Argus, Magwanishe said: ‘Instead, the Land Claims Court was established as a dedicated court with a limited lifespan to deal with claims for restitution of land. However, the restitution process became protracted and is still not completed. A lack of permanency of judges presiding over matters before the court and the absence of a permanent (judiciary) seat has contributed to the slow processing of and backlogs in land restitution claims to the dissatisfaction of land claimants.’
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
