Our Courts:
- Our Courts are open, however only accessible for specific people, limited to the duty Judge / Magistrate, the relevant Judge’s secretary, the Chief Registrar, the Court Manager, Security Personnel, Legal Practitioners and parties identified for the limited matters;
- Only urgent applications will be issued, limited to matters relating to Covid-19, children, urgent maintenance and domestic violence. No further process (civil or criminal) will be issued during this period;
- No new civil matters will be enrolled during this time and criminal trials, civil trials, opposed motions, taxations, pre-trials, appeals and reviews already enrolled must be postponed to a date arranged with the division clerk, preferably after 1 May 2020;
- The Sheriff will only be allowed to serve applications relating to matters specifically mentioned herein above;
- Execution by the Sheriffs will be limited to urgent matters;
- Bail Applications will be heard;
- No member of the public except an accused person, sub poena’d witnesses and persons accompanying children who are accused persons or witnesses will be allowed access into Courts;
- Access to Courts will further only be allowed in respect of emergency and essential services;
- The number of people entering Courts / Justice Service Points will be limited;
- People from high risk countries or people having been exposed to people from high risk countries or people who tested positive for Covid-19 will not be allowed into Courts / Justice Service Points;
- Trials will be limited to a number of cases regarded as emergencies and essential to be heard;
- A distance of at least 1 (one) m will be enforced between all people present in Court rooms;
- Parties need to consider extending the dies-periods by agreement, in order to limit unnecessary travel and only the filing of Notices of Intention to Oppose / Defend and Pleas will be accepted during this period.