Submission by the Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative (CSPRI) to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development on the National Prosecuting Authority Annual Report, 16 October 2012
This one page submission speaks to the relationship between pre-trial detention and the right to liberty in South Africa
Submission on the JICS Annual Report 2011/12
With this submission, CSPRI wishes to draw the Portfolio Committee’s attention to the fact that since its establishment in 2000, the JICS has not been the subject of a review process scrutinising whether it is indeed advancing prisoners’ rights in South Africa. CSPRI submits that continuous and regular review is necessary in order for state institutions to adapt to changing needs and improve efficiency and effectiveness. The submission discusses the independence of JICS and the current investigative regime and encourages JICS to include recommendations, based on national and international law and jurisprudence, whenever it reports concerns.
Submission on the DCS Annual Report 2011/12
This submission deals with human resources, staff training, children in prisons, discipline and turnstiles. Many of the problems facing the Department of Correctional Services are longstanding and the Portfolio Committee is familiar with these. CSPRI expresses concern about the persistence of these problems. For reasons that are not always clear the same issues undermine performance in the Department without a solution in sight. CSPRI makes a number of recommendations as to how to address the concerns noted.
Submissions on the Prevention and Combating of Torture of Persons Bill [B21 of 2012]
CSPRI made the following submissions to Parliament on the Prevention and Combating of Torture of Persons Bill. These submissions represent the views of a group of organisations and address, primarily, whether the contents of the Bill comply fully with the obligations imposed on the state in terms of the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT). These submissions also include recommendations on what the Bill should include and / or exclude as well as suggestions on how the text could be amended.
Submission on the budget (2012/13), strategic plan (2012/13 – 2016/17) and annual performance plan (2012/13) of DCS
On Tuesday 17 April, CSPRI delivered a submission on the budget vote (Vote 21, 2012/13), the strategic plan (2012/13 – 2016/17) and the annual performance plan (2012/13) of the Department of Correctional Services to the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services.
Submission to the 51st Ordinary Session of the ACHPR
On 18 April 2012, the Community Law Centre delivered a submission to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. The submission dealt with three issues, namely compliance with the Robben Island Guidelines, domestic oversight over places of detention and limiting the use of pre-trial detention.
Submission by CSPRI to Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services on torture in prisons
The submission calls for the criminalisation of torture and cites instances where torture was perpetrated in prisons. It also calls on the South African government to ratify OPCAT.
Official submissions, presentations and press statements issued by CSPRI or by coalitions to which CSPRI is party.
Statement on Pre-trial detention submitted to the 50th session African Commission
Sixteen organisations submitted a statement on pre-trial detention on 25 October 2011 calling on the African Commission to adopt a set of measures to guide police agencies in their work on pre-trial detention.
Submission by CSPRI to Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans on the Implementation of the Geneva Conventions Bill B10-2011.pdf
The submission deals with the Implementation of the Geneva Conventions Bill and addresses: lack of a definition of “grave breaches”; the criminalisation of all breaches not of a grave nature; the need to determine the sentence; and applicable law.
Submission by CSPRI to the Portfolio Committee on Police on the Independent Police Investigative Directorate Bill [B15 of 2010] and the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service Bill - B16 of 2010.PDF
The submission deals with two bills, being the Independent Police Investigative Directorate Bill and the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service Bill. The first places the emphasis on the absolute prohibition of torture and argues for the inclusion of the crime of torture into the bill and strengthening the investigative powers of the proposed Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) as well as its independence. In respect of the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service Bill attention is paid to establishing a detention visiting mechanism to enhance transparency in line with OPCAT.
Parliamentary Submission on the Implementation fo the Geneva Conventions Bill (2011)
This submission discusses the South African Implementation of the Geneva Conventions Bill 10 of 2011, which aimed at domesticating the Geneva Conventions into South Africa's domestic legal framework. The Implementation of the Geneva Conventions Act was adopted in 2012 (Act 8 of 2012).
