Hon House Chairperson, Deputy President, hon Ministers and Members of Parliament, although I am allocated five minutes, I will speak for less than that. I stand here to submit the report regarding the Ad Hoc Committee on Code of Judicial Conduct and Regulations on Judges' Disclosure of Registrable Interests. This is the second phase. The first phase was regarding the Code of Judicial Conduct. This report is relating to the Regulations on Judges' Disclosure of Registrable Interests. This ad hoc committee illustrates exactly the three arms of the state, namely Parliament, the executive and the judiciary. All three of us are the arms of the state.
As much as we, as parliamentarians and the executive, are required to declare, the judiciary is also required to declare now. It also illustrates that we have separation of powers. As Parliament, we have the power or the competence to make legislation. We have the power to make these regulations whilst neither the judges nor the Ministers can do that. The Minister tables a Bill and it is processed through Parliament.
Now, we are presenting to you the regulations for judges' disclosure of registrable interests, so that judges should also disclose and to say that the judges cannot, on their own, make the rules for themselves. It also brings into play the separation of powers. We respect the independence of the judges because their duty is to dispense justice without fear or favour. As parliamentarians, we also request and expect the judiciary not to encroach either on the territory of the executive or on the territory of Parliament in making legislation. Hon House Chair, I hereby present this report, recommending that it be adopted in terms of section 13(8) of the Judicial Service Commission Act of 1994. I thank you. [Applause.]
There was no debate.
House Chairperson, I move on behalf of the Chief Whip of the Majority Party:
That the Report be adopted.
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.