The Portfolio Committee on Office of the Premier shall hold public hearings on the State Attorney Amendment Bill.

Key objectives are to:

develop legal skills in the private sector through the equitable outsourcing for legal work to previously disadvantaged individuals in order to redress the imbalances of the past. State Departments, State entities and the Office of State Attorney will be required to comply with these objectives when outsourcing legal work.

amend the State Attorney Act, 1957 so as to establish various offices of the State Attorney each with its head as opposed to the current arrangement where the Office of the State Attorney is located in Pretoria.

establish the Office of the Solicitor-General who will be appointed the Head of State Legal Services responsible to oversee all State legal work so as to ensure that litigation against or on behalf of the state is well managed.

Members of the public and interested stakeholders are invited to attend and comment on this Bill. Copies of the Bill may be obtained at www.ecleg.gov.za. Written and verbal submissions may be made to the Committee Coordinator, Mr Buang Mzaca on mbuang@ecleg.gov.za or by fax 086 734 4737 or at 082 779 9027. All submissions must be made before Friday, 14 March 2014.

Details of the public hearings are as follows:

Date: 14 March 2014

Time: 10h00

Venue: Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, Dolly Mzaidume Committee room

Members of the media are invited to be part of these public hearings. For interviews, kindly liaise with the undersigned.

SOURCE: South African Official News