A contract dispute between the Department of Justice and publisher Juta has resulted in judges being locked out from accessing Juta’s content, on which they rely as an archive of judgments and legal commentary. The dispute, which is over payment has left judges frustrated and could obstruct the administration of justice. Juta provides premier law journals, law reports and commentary covering in-depth debate on current issues by expert subject specialists. The journals are often cited and relied on by the courts. Two judges, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that they had been barred from Juta’s online content and had limited access to LexisNexis, another crucial data source. "Because of the dispute judges have been cut off from Jutastat, an electronic library we use every day for doing our work … it is an indispensable tool for judges … we are basically not being provided with the basic tools to be able to do our work," said one judge. The judges called on the office of...
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.