NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION NO.: 1394
DATE OF QUESTION: 07 MAY 2010

1394. Mrs N W A Michael (DA) to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development:

Whether his department is paying for any of Justice John Hlophe's legal cost; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what total amount has been spent on such costs as at the latest specified date for which information is available, (b) what is the breakdown of such costs in each case, (c) which person in his department made the decision to pay for the said person's legal costs, (d) on what grounds and (e) what is the estimated expenditure of future legal costs for the said person?   

NW1632E

REPLY:-

(1)(a) The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has paid the legal costs of the individual identified in the question. The total amount paid to date is R 6,785,920.65.

(b)(i) WLD Application - Hlophe vs Judges of Constitutional Court & Others

R 1,364,635.23
R 373,850.03

(ii) Appearances before SCA

R 1,154,973.07

(iii) Application by Hlophe JP to Constitutional Court

R 247,202.57

(iv) JSC Hearings

R 1,176,126.75
R 281,172.84
R 733,210.87

(v) Interdict and Review Application - Hlophe JP vs JSC & Others

R 895,457.65

(vi) ETV (Pty) Ltd and 1 Others vs JSC & Others (Various Media Houses)

R 559,291.64

(c)&(d) The decision to pay the legal costs in each instance was made by the Director-General. The standing policy in my Department at the time, was that legal expenses incurred by a judicial officer and which arise from judicial work, whilst the judicial officer is still in office, shall be paid by the Department.

(e)  It is not known what the expenditure for future legal costs will be as these costs must still be finalised.

Issued by Parliament, August 2 2010

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