2. Office of the Chief Justice. The Committee is pleased at the pace of progress in capacitating the Office of the Chief Justice, which was proclaimed two years ago as a government department and is mandated to provide support to the Chief Justice in his/her role as both Head of the judiciary and the Constitutional Court. The enactment of the Constitution Seventeenth Amendment Act and Superior Courts Bill will add further functions to this Office. The Department signed a memorandum of understanding with the Office to transfer administrative support functions to it relating to JSC, SAJEI, SCA and Constitutional Court. The Committee notes, however, that the SCA has yet to be transferred. In future, a transfer of certain functions relating to the Magistrates' Commission and the Rules Board is envisaged. These, however, will require legislative amendments. More recently, National Treasury has proposed a budget programme structure that encompasses all Superior Courts, SAJEI and Judges Salaries as a direct charge from the National Revenue Fund. Once the programme structure is approved and Treasury requirements complied with, the Budget Vote for the OCJ will be created. The Secretary-General will become its accounting officer (and not the DG: Justice as is the case at present). The Committee is pleased with this development as it believes that it further strengthens the independence of the courts and the rule of law.