South Africa: Directions for Court Operations During COVID-19 Lockdown Issued
South Africa: Directions for Court Operations During COVID-19 Lockdown Issued (Apr. 23, 2020) On March 31, 2020, the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services issued directions to “address, prevent and combat the spread of COVID-19 in all courts, court precincts and justice service points in the Republic of South Africa.” (Directions, preamble.) The directions are valid for the duration of the national lockdown, which the government originally imposed from March 26 through April 16, 2020, and which President Cyril Ramaphosa extended through the end of April. Legal Authority for the Directions The authority to issue the directions is rooted in the declaration on March 15, 2020, of a national state of disaster under the 2002 Disaster Management Act (DMA). According to President Ramaphosa , the declaration was made to enable the government to “have an integrated and coordinated disaster management mechanism that wil...