'Apartheid laws being removed from statute books'

A project to remove the last remnants of apartheid laws from the statute books was launched by the Law Commission on Friday.

It hopes to review around 2 800 statutes that had been placed on the law books since 1910 within the next 18 months, modernising and simplifying the statute book.

Constitutional Court judge Yvonne Mokgoro says: "The focus of the statutory law division investigation at this stage is the constitutionality of legislation and to repeal the updated provisions."

Mokgoro described the effort as "huge", saying experts from outside the commission would be appointed to assist in the review. All of the national government departments and the laws they oversee would be reviewed. - Sapa