GENERAL INTELLIGENCE LAWS AMENDMENT BILL: SCOPE TO BE EXTENDED?

GENERAL INTELLIGENCE LAWS AMENDMENT BILL: SCOPE TO BE EXTENDED?

• 15 March 2024
• Parliament
• SA Legal Academy

The National Assembly has been approached for permission to extend the scope of the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill. This is according to a report tabled in the House by the ad hoc committee established to process the Bill.

In the committee’s view, the Bill does not deal with certain ‘critical matters’, namely:

• ‘the operational efficiency of the constitutional civilian oversight body known as the Inspector-General of Intelligence’, and
• parliamentary oversight by the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (in which regard the report refers to the requirements of the Intelligence Services Oversight Act, 1994, and the Secret Services Act, 1978).

This gives context to two recent committee media statements. The first announced that the committee has been given until 22 March 2024 to complete its work on the Bill. The second outlined advice from Parliament’s constitutional and legal services office on the State Security Agency’s response to input during the public participation process.

Since NCOP committees now have until 3 May 2024 to finalise what is understood to be key legislation before their House rises for the general elections, is seems likely that a revised Bill will be passed in time.

• parliamentary papers including request for more time and report on the public participation process (pages 5 and 8)
• Bill, as tabled
• committee media statement announcing new deadline for completing its work
• committee media statement on legal advice

Published by SA Legal Academy Policy Watch

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