Jailed Paralympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius’ latest bid for parole at the Constitutional Court centers on the correct interpretation of his parole eligibility.
In papers filed before the apex court, Pistorius seeks direct access for clarity on the November 2017 order of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) which sentenced him to 13 years and 5 months – (an increase from the sentence of six years he was given in 2016).
The sentence imposed by the SCA took into consideration that Pistorius had already served a period of imprisonment and correctional supervision.
Papers reveal, however, that in March 2023, the SCA issued a communique, prior to the sitting of his parole hearing, that the sentence of the November 2017 order is effective from 24 November 2017.
Pistorius states in papers that the said communication is not correct.
He further argues, among other things, that the “unjustified, arbitrary, and unlawful” implementation of the November 2017 order infringes on his fundamental rights and has in effect increased the amount of time he has to serve leaving him only eligible to apply for parole in August 2024.
Oscar Pistorius denied parole:
