INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE
How DA plans to fight withdrawal from Rome Statute
The DA has warned that a proposed bill for the repeal of SA’s commitment as a signatory to the Rome Statute — to enable it to pull out of the International Criminal Court (ICC) — will not pass through Parliament unchallenged. The bill was tabled in Parliament last Wednesday and will go through formal processes before final approval. It prescribes a legal framework for how SA deals with international crimes committed in this country. But DA MP James Selfe, who is also the opposition party’s federal executive chairman, said the bill was flawed and "is not intended to achieve justice for international crimes but will only assist in evasion of justice". Chief among issues of concern was that the bill "leaves an enormous loophole for prosecutions to be stillborn at the investigative phase". This, said the DA, was because the bill placed the onus on the "ill-placed" Hawks to investigate complaints related to international crimes. While the bill acknowledged the shortcomings of a Hawk-driv...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.