The police's failure to protect samples and confiscated material stored at its forensics science laboratory in Pretoria had resulted in the theft of drugs worth an estimated R50m on the street, the DA said on Wednesday. (from News24))
MEMBERS of the police and the legal fraternity are up in arms because prominent drug dealers are walking free out of the courts. Magistrates in the regional and district courts are at loggerheads with each other due to this situation. (from the Paarl Post)
District Court Magistrates refuse to hear matters relating to drug dealers, as they are of the opinion that certain sections of the law do not give them the necessary jurisdiction to do so. The Chief Magistrate in Cape Town has advised the District Magistrates that it is possible for them to hear evidence and pass stringent sentences in these matters, however the magistrates still refuse to do so.
Instead they refer these cases to the Regional Court, where here too magistrates refuse to fill up their already backlogged case loads, maintaining that the District Court Magistrates can settle these matters.
A magistrate recently refused to hear the case of three prominent drug dealers who were found with drugs worth R96 000 in their possession.
The accused were prepared to plead guilty, but the magistrate instead transferred the matter to the Regional Court and the matter has now been postponed
And on 27 January, when an accused wanted to plead guilty after having been arrested with 96 kilograms of dagga in his possession, the District Magistrate again instructed that the case be transferred to the Regional Court.
These cases are often struck from the roll and drug dealers are then free to get back to business.
MEMBERS of the police and the legal fraternity are up in arms because prominent drug dealers are walking free out of the courts. Magistrates in the regional and district courts are at loggerheads with each other due to this situation. (from the Paarl Post)
District Court Magistrates refuse to hear matters relating to drug dealers, as they are of the opinion that certain sections of the law do not give them the necessary jurisdiction to do so. The Chief Magistrate in Cape Town has advised the District Magistrates that it is possible for them to hear evidence and pass stringent sentences in these matters, however the magistrates still refuse to do so.
Instead they refer these cases to the Regional Court, where here too magistrates refuse to fill up their already backlogged case loads, maintaining that the District Court Magistrates can settle these matters.
A magistrate recently refused to hear the case of three prominent drug dealers who were found with drugs worth R96 000 in their possession.
The accused were prepared to plead guilty, but the magistrate instead transferred the matter to the Regional Court and the matter has now been postponed
And on 27 January, when an accused wanted to plead guilty after having been arrested with 96 kilograms of dagga in his possession, the District Magistrate again instructed that the case be transferred to the Regional Court.
These cases are often struck from the roll and drug dealers are then free to get back to business.
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