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Cape Town - The justice ministry has changed pending legislation to retain the Labour and Competition Appeal Courts and to keep the seat of the Eastern Cape High Court in Grahamstown, Justice Minister Jeff Radebe said on Monday.
The decision to amend the Superior Courts Bill to retain the seat in Grahamstown follows a concerted campaign by the legal profession and political groups against a proposed move to Bhishu.
Radebe said the bill also provided for the seat of the Gauteng high court to be in Pretoria.
The minister, who made the announcement following a meeting with the heads of courts on Sunday, said the Constitution Seventeenth Amendment Bill was changed to "take into account sentiments expressed" in favour of allowing the specialist high courts to continue to exist.
Scrapping the Labour Appeal Court and the Competition Appeal Court would have placed additional pressure on other courts, he said.
"The earlier version of the bill would have prolonged the finalisation of cases as it would have created an added layer of appeal cases that require expediency."
The ministry has also heeded opposition to the Legal Practice Bill and said it would be implemented in two phases, with the contested provisions being put on hold for the time being.
The bill controversially seeks to introduce community service for young law graduates, and to set up a single regulatory body for all legal practitioners.
"This law will be implemented in two phases, starting with those areas around which there is no dispute," Radebe said.
"This will allow time for us to find ways of dealing with the contested issues."
The decision to amend the Superior Courts Bill to retain the seat in Grahamstown follows a concerted campaign by the legal profession and political groups against a proposed move to Bhishu.
Radebe said the bill also provided for the seat of the Gauteng high court to be in Pretoria.
The minister, who made the announcement following a meeting with the heads of courts on Sunday, said the Constitution Seventeenth Amendment Bill was changed to "take into account sentiments expressed" in favour of allowing the specialist high courts to continue to exist.
Scrapping the Labour Appeal Court and the Competition Appeal Court would have placed additional pressure on other courts, he said.
"The earlier version of the bill would have prolonged the finalisation of cases as it would have created an added layer of appeal cases that require expediency."
The ministry has also heeded opposition to the Legal Practice Bill and said it would be implemented in two phases, with the contested provisions being put on hold for the time being.
The bill controversially seeks to introduce community service for young law graduates, and to set up a single regulatory body for all legal practitioners.
"This law will be implemented in two phases, starting with those areas around which there is no dispute," Radebe said.
"This will allow time for us to find ways of dealing with the contested issues."
