Hon House Chairperson, hon members, Legal Aid SA provides legal representation to detained and sentenced prisoners in accordance with section 35(2) of the Act; the right to a fair trial of every accused person in accordance with section 35(3) of the Act and the right to legal presentation in respect of children in accordance with section 28(1) of the Act.
As the Legal Aid Act predated the Constitution, it needed to be aligned with the final Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, and its founding principles and values, which was passed in 1996. Its mandate provides legal aid for indigent persons and for that purpose to establish a Legal Aid Board to define its functions.
And, of course, as we are listening, there seems to be a little bit of confusion in terms of what the intention of the Bill is all about. When it comes to the provision for children, which we appreciate, I do realise that there are some members who genuinely have a concern in terms of its coverage of representation of women. But, hon Litchfield-Tshabalala, when you actually alluded to domestic violence, I think you are quoting something that cannot be covered directly by this Act.
It is quite evident that South Africa as a country has ratified international, regional and subregional treaties and protocols that were assimilated into some of the Acts that we have; Acts of Parliament that work directly with violence against women, like the Domestic Violence Act. So, you wouldn't be in the position to actually find such elaborate provisions for domestic violence in this Act as we have enacted laws for that in South Africa.
What is actually important is to try and put a magnifying glass on the Bill itself in terms of its coverage of the rights of women. Hon Horn, I think the blindfolded Lady Justice theory is misleading in a system that is still played by the biased stereotypes, engineered by ingenious fork-tongued, two- timing tendencies for gaining cheap political mileage.
You see, if you live in a country that is fair, a country of people who will accept it when good things are done, like now, as we are passing this Bill that you supported in the committee, then you can come with the blindfolded Lady Justice theory. I am not blindfolded and I wouldn't actually buy that theory. [Interjections.]