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SWAKOPMUND – Southern African Development Community (SADC) judicial officials are discussing the implementation of the legal instruments that are part of the extradition and mutual legal assistance protocols in criminal matters .
Civil servants provide legal advisory services to their respective Ministries of Justice and Attorneys General on issues, projects and proposals submitted to the SADC Council of Ministers for approval.
Speaking at the official opening of the three-day meeting, Nthabiseng Liphapang, Acting Senior Legal Adviser of the SADC Secretariat, said the meeting was proceeding in accordance with the directive of the Committee of Ministers of SADC. Justice and Attorneys General adopted at their last meeting. gathered earlier this year in June.
"Our meeting is therefore intended to continue the deliberations on the recommendations of the report on the implementation of the Protocols on Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. The implementation of the two protocols is one of the problems identified in the action plan of our ministries and attorneys general, "she explained.
The SADC Extradition Protocol (2002) was signed with the aim of reducing the crime rate by allowing Member States to extradite to the other any person within its jurisdiction who is sought for the purposes of prosecution, imposition or execution of a sentence by the requesting member. State. In the area of mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, SADC has adopted common rules on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. By signing the Protocol, the Member States have agreed to provide assistance with investigations, prosecutions and criminal proceedings. The protocol also provides guidance on how this assistance will be provided, the authorities responsible and the reasons for which such assistance may be refused.
According to Liphapang, the committee has decided that senior SADC legal officers should review the report's recommendations in detail in order to make the necessary recommendations to the committee that will meet early next year.
During the meeting, South Africa also transferred the presidency of SADC Legal Affairs to Namibia's Permanent Secretary of Justice Issaskar Njoze.
Eveline de Klerk
2018-11-28 10:17:34 2 hours ago
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