Hon Deputy Speaker, the ANC would like to thank the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development for its plans for improved state legal services. This initiative was unveiled to address the need for efficient, co-ordinated legal services and to promote the values and obligations arising from the Constitution.
The aim of these plans is to revolutionise the public legal sector to be able to provide legal services of the highest standard that protect and safeguard the interests of the state and advance access to justice for all our people.
The reforms will help to broaden the pool of legal practitioners who are briefed by the state, to ensure that it reflects a fair representation of black and women practitioners consistent with the racial, gender and geographic demographics of our country.
Government also wants the proposed framework to help it win more court cases and to provide alternative remedies for disputes, other than litigation.
The goal of the policies is a transformed, integrated, professional, cost- effective and highly skilled state legal service. I thank you. [Applause.]