National Assembly passes Bills to combat gender-based violence

The National Assembly (NA) has passed the Gender-Based Violence Bills - Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill, Domestic Violence Amendment Bill and the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act Amendment Bill.

The three Bills were introduced in Parliament following a November 2018 Presidential Summit against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF). The summit resolved to fast-track the review of existing laws and policies on gender-based violence making them victimcentred, ensure all other relevant laws respond to GBV, revisit and fast-track all outstanding laws and bills that relate to GBVF.

The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act Amendment Bill proposes amendments to the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007, being one of several legislative measures identified to strengthen South Africa’s response to GBVF, in particular the legislation regulating the National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO).

The bill also aims to expand the scope of the NRSO to include the particulars of all sex offenders, not only sex offenders against children and persons who are mentally disabled, and to expand the list of persons who are to be protected to include other vulnerable persons, namely, certain young women, persons with physical, mental, sensory or intellectual disabilities and