Parliament to miss deadline on Customary Marriages Amendment Bill

Parliament has heard that the Justice and Correctional Services Department will seek an extension of the November 2019 Constitutional Court deadline on the Recognition of Customary Marriages Amendment Bill.

Parliament will miss the November 2019 deadline to correct a defect in the Act on the rights of women in polygamous marriages.

The Bill has not yet been processed  two years after the Constitutional Court gave an order for certain clauses to be corrected by Parliament.

However, it still has to be tabled following Cabinet approval of the draft Bill.

State Law Adviser, Lawrence Bassett, briefed the Justice and Correctional Services Committee on the status of the Bill and the ConCourt deadline.

“Application to the Constitutional Court for an extension of a deadline has already been filed. I think in the middle of October, the 14th of October, so I am hoping that the Constitutional Court will possibly give judgment very very soon.”