CONSTITUTIONAL COURT HANDS IN JUDGEMENT re: Certifying that amendments by Constituent Assembly comply with principles REACTIONS: Leon Wessels, Colin Eglin, Roelf Meyer, Vali Moosa JUDGE READING JUDGEMENT

Record ID: 893488

  • Title: CONSTITUTIONAL COURT HANDS IN JUDGEMENT re: Certifying that amendments by Constituent Assembly comply with principles REACTIONS: Leon Wessels, Colin Eglin, Roelf Meyer, Vali Moosa JUDGE READING JUDGEMENT
  • Date: 4th December 1996
  • Summary: CONSTITUTIONAL COURT HANDS IN JUDGEMENT re: Certifying that amendments by Constituent Assembly comply with principles REACTIONS: Leon Wessels, Colin Eglin, Roelf Meyer, Vali Moosa JUDGE READING JUDGEMENT
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  • City: BRAAMFONTEIN
  • Country: South Africa
  • Reuters ID: 96DEC04R03
  • Story Text:CONSTITUTIONAL COURT HANDS IN JUDGEMENT CERTIFYING THAT THE AMENDMENTS MADE BY THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY, COMPLY WITH CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES: BRAAMFONTEIN

    15.58.03 EXTERIOR CONSTITUTIONAL COURT
    15.58.18 PEOPLE WALKING INTO BUILDING
    15.59.46 VIDEO MONITOR WITH SEATED JUDGE ARTHUR CHASKALSON [PRESIDENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL COMMITTEE]
    16.01.21 INTERVIEW: LEON WESSELS [DEPUTY CHAIRMAN CONSTITUTIONAL COMMITTEE]...I am relieved and I feel pretty proud of the fact that the Constitutional Court has enriched our whole process. I believe this is the dawning of SA becoming truly a constitutional state.
    16.01.53 COLIN EGLIN [FORMER LEADER OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY] We're satisfied that the Democratic Party did its duty by drawing its reservations to the Court and no doubt we haven't read the detailed judgement, but the Court gave serious consideration. In the end the Court has found that it does comply with the principles. We accept it and we now say, it's the end of a long road in getting the Constitution into effect as soon as possible. We don't SA can afford to have constitution uncertainty any longer.
    16.03.31 ROELF MEYER [SECRETARY GENERAL NATIONAL PARTY NEGOTIATOR] It's a very important moment; it's all over now. We're quite happy with the fact that the Court has been prepared to certify the Constitution and although the Constitution might not be perfect in every respect, it is the National Law of the land; it belongs to every South African; it belongs to all of us and therefore we're very proud of this moment.
    16.03.57 MOHAMMED VALI MOOSA [MINISTER OF CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS] The judgement is in our view, would be welcomed by the majority of South Africans. It marks the end of the constitution-making era in SA....it places us in a position to once & for all put in place, the constitutional order which SA now will live with for generations to come...
    16.04.55 ...we can say for ourselves that there is no doubt whatsoever that never again will SA when in Parliament, any government in this country be able to practise injustices agaist our people, never again will we have human beings discriminating against human beings...forever we will have a situation where all South Africans participate in the choice of their government where all South Africans enjoy the rights & the freedoms that are enjoyed by people throughout the country....
    16.05.37 ...this marks..we are entering the league of democratic nations in this world; we can truly can become a proud part of the international community...
    16.06.05 What is very symbolic about the fact that the President has decided to sign the Constitution at Sharpeville...he's going to do it on International Human Rights Day because the SA Bill of Rights in the new constitution is the most advanced and democratic and modern Bill of Rights anywhere in the world...
    16.06.35 ...the President has insisted that he wanted to do this in a black township which is recognized not only in SA but worldwide, Sharpeville because the Sharpeville massacre is what has led to the turn in the Struggle...
    16.07.02 ...and then of course Sharpeville is in Vereeniging, which is the place where the 1902 Treaty is signed - that gave birth to SA as we know it today - of course it was an all white affair, but it is in fact what created the present boundaries of SA so it becomes very significant then that the new constitution...once again we go back to the same spot and the President signs the Constitution there publicly...
    16.19.40 INTERIORS OF COURT - JUDGES IN GREEN OUTFITS
    16.20.30 JUDGE CHASKALSON: A written Judgement has been prepared in this matter, which is the judgement of all the judges of this Court. ..we certify that all the provisions of the amended constitutional text, the Constitution of the RSA 1996, passed by the Constitutional Assembly on 11 October 1996 comply with the constitutional principles contained in Schedule 4 to the Constitution of the RSA 1993. I hand in the Judgement.
    16.21.25 EVERYBODY GETTING SHAKING HANDS
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