SA courts on brink of collapse: top judge

[dArKeR]

By Jeremy Michaels and Christelle Terreblanche


South Africa's courts are being strangled by a lack of finances and could be undermined to the extent that the country's judicial institutions crumble.

This dire warning comes from Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson - the country's most senior judge - who this week warned parliament that budgetary constraints imposed by the government are threatening the country's courts and judiciary.

Chaskalson on Friday complained bitterly to parliament's ad hoc committee on justice, saying he had "absolutely no doubt" that the major problem confronting the courts was one of resources from the state.

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