Statistics Act, 1999
R 385
Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 (Act No. 51 of 1977)Chapter 33 : General Provisions342A. Unreasonable delays in trials |
| (1) | A court before which criminal proceedings are pending shall investigate any delay in the completion of proceedings which appears to the court to be unreasonable and which could cause substantial prejudice to the prosecution, the accused or his or her legal adviser, the State or a witness: Provided that when the court requires information pertaining to an infrastructure related or operational matter that arose at the court which falls within the responsibility of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, the court manager of that court must be subpoenaed to give evidence for this purpose and if he or she is unavailable or unable to respond or provide a satisfactory response, the following officials of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development may be subpoenaed: |
| (a) | The provincial Head of the province in which the court is situated; |
| (b) | the Deputy Director-General responsible for court administration; or |
| (c) | the Director-General. |
[Section 342A(1) substituted by section 11 of the Judicial Matters Amendment Act, 2023, Notice No. 4597, GG50430, dated 3 April 2024]
| (2) | In considering the question whether any delay is unreasonable, the court shall consider the following factors: |
| (a) | The duration of the delay; |
| (b) | the reasons advanced for the delay; |
| (c) | whether any person can be blamed for the delay; |
| (d) | the effect of the delay on the personal circumstances of the accused and witnesses; |
| (e) | the seriousness, extent or complexity of the charge or charges; |
| (f) | actual or potential prejudice caused to the State or the defence by the delay, including a weakening of the quality of evidence, the possible death or disappearance or non-availability of witnesses, the loss of evidence, problems regarding the gathering of evidence and considerations of cost; |
| (g) | the effect of the delay on the administration of justice; |
| (h) | the adverse effect on the interests of the public or the victims in the event of the prosecution being stopped or discontinued; |
| (i) | any other factor which in the opinion of the court ought to be taken into account. |
| (3) | If the court finds that the completion of the proceedings is being delayed unreasonably, the court may issue any such order as it deems fit in order to eliminate the delay and any prejudice arising from it or to prevent further delay or prejudice, including an order— |
| (a) | refusing further postponement of the proceedings; |
| (b) | granting a postponement subject to any such conditions as the court may determine; |
| (c) | where the accused has not yet pleaded to the charge, that the case be struck off the roll and the prosecution not be resumed or instituted de novo without the written instruction of the attorney-general; |
| (d) | where the accused has pleaded to the charge and the State or the defence, as the case may be, is unable to proceed with the case or refuses to do so, that the proceedings be continued and disposed of as if the case for the prosecution or the defence, as the case may be, has been closed; |
| (e) | that— |
| (i) | the State shall pay the accused concerned the wasted costs incurred by the accused as a result of an unreasonable delay caused by an officer employed by the State; |
| (ii) | the accused or his or her legal adviser, as the case may be, shall pay the State the wasted costs incurred by the State as a result of an unreasonable delay caused by the accused or his or her legal adviser, as the case may be; or |
[Date of commencement of paragraph (e) : to be proclaimed)
| (f) | that the matter be referred to the appropriate authority for an administrative investigation and possible disciplinary action against any person responsible for the delay. |
| (4) |
| (a) | An order contemplated in subsection (3)(a), where the accused has pleaded to the charge, and an order contemplated in subsection (3)(d), shall not be issued unless exceptional circumstances exist and all other attempts to speed up the process have failed and the defence or the State, as the case may be, has given notice beforehand that it intends to apply for such an order. |
| (b) | The attorney-general and the accused may appeal against an order contemplated in subsection (3)(d) and the provisions of sections 310A and 316 in respect of an application or appeal referred to in that section by an accused, shall apply mutatis mutandis with reference to a case in which the attorney-general appeals and, in the case of an appeal by the accused, the provisions of section 309 and 316 shall apply mutatis mutandis. |
| (5) | Where the court has made an order contemplated in subsection (3)(e)— |
| (a) | the costs shall be taxed according to the scale the court deems fit; and |
| (b) | the order shall have the effect of a civil judgment of that court. |
[Date of commencement of subsection (5) : to be proclaimed]
| (6) | If, on notice of motion, it appears to a superior court that the institution or continuance of criminal proceedings is being delayed unreasonably in a lower court which is seized with a case but does not have jurisdiction to try the case, that superior court may, with regard to such proceedings, institute the investigation contemplated in subsections (1) and (2) and issue any order contemplated in subsection (3) to the extent that it is applicable. |
(7)
| (a) | The National Director of Public Prosecutions must, within 14 days after the end of January and of July of each year, submit a report to the Cabinet member responsible for the administration of justice, containing the particulars indicated in the Table of Awaiting Trial Accused in respect of each accused whose trial has not yet commenced in respect of the leading of evidence, as contemplated in section 150 and who, by the end of the month in question, has been in custody for a continuous period exceeding— |
| (i) | 18 months from date of arrest, where the trial is to be conducted in a High Court; |
| (ii) | 12 months from date of arrest, where the trial is to be conducted in a regional court; and |
| (iii) | six months from date of arrest, where the trial is to be conducted in a magistrate's court. |
| (b) | The Cabinet member responsible for the administration of justice must, within 14 days of receipt of a report contemplated in paragraph (a), table such report in Parliament. |
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Table of Awaiting Trial Accused |
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Court and case number |
Name and age of accused |
Particulars of charge(s) |
Period in detention |
Number of court appearances |
Date of next court appearance |
Reasons why trial has not commenced |
Whether bail has been granted and if so, the conditions of bail |
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[Subsection (7) inserted by section 7 of Act No. 55 of 2003]
[Section 342A inserted by section 13 of Act No. 86 of 1996]
