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South Africa: Home Affairs Committee Adopts Refugee Amendment Bill

Source: ISSUED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HOME AFFAIRS, MR LEMIAS MASHILE, 05/08/2015


The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs yesterday unanimously adopted
the Refugee Amendment Bill 2015 and will recommend that the Bill be
adopted and passed by the National Assembly.
This technical amendment was initiated by the Committee following its
request to the National Assembly to initiate legislation as guided by
Rule 238(1) of the National Assembly Rules.
The Bill was necessitated by a Constitutional Court judgement that
found Section 21 (5) of the Refugee Act unconstitutional in that it
did not allow members of the media or public to attend the hearings of
the Refugees Appeal Authority under certain circumstances.
On its ruling, the Constitutional Court had provided a read-in
provision and suspended the invalidity for two years pending the
correction of the defect. The Bill was therefore initiated to prevent
a gap in law as the deadline for the correction given by the
Constitutional Court is on 26 September 2015.
The Committee is satisfied that it has managed to correct the mistake
and hopes that the respective public members will have access to the
hearings on successful applications once the two Houses have agreed to
the Bill.
The report and the Bill will now be sent to the NA for consideration
and adoption.
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE
CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HOME AFFAIRS, MR LEMIAS MASHILE


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