The Department:

• Renders legal services to the State. This function is performed through State Law Advisers, the State Attorneys and the Office of the NDPP;
• Renders legal services to the public. This function is performed via the Offices of the Master, the Family Advocate, through the Registrar's Office, as well as through structures responsible for public education/information programmes;
• Facilitates access to justice. This is done through the provision of legal aid related infrastructure in regard to justice structures, as well as witness protection;
• Facilitates or conducts legal research. This is done via structures such as the South African Law commission and other institutions;
• Promotes and facilitates constitutional developments. This is done in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

The Department has identified ten (10) key performance areas that will contribute to improved service delivery and enhanced operational efficiency:

The Department's organizational structure and administrative systems are to be reengineered to reflect the organizations role and responsibilities more appropriately and to improve the delivery of services to the public.

This structural realignment is aimed at achieving a more appropriate utilization of human and financial resources within a framework of improved service delivery.

The organizational architecture and operational framework have to be more appropriately re-aligned around the policy imperatives described in the Justice Vision 2000 document.

Successful re-invention of the Department and the way it goes about its business is fundamental to its ability to deliver on broad policy objectives and, indeed, to realise the remaining nine (9) areas of transformation described in this 10-Point Millennium Plan.

Recently initiated consultations with the Department of Public Service Administration have set in motion this extremely ambitious project which, it is estimated, will have a minimum duration of 3 years.

Closely related to the above objective, the Human Resources Management and Development Plan will focus on capacity building and the improvement of skills of court functionaries, in particular, and the improvement of the administration of Justice in general.

This programme will be aimed at developing operational efficiency within the justice system, and will focus on especially prosecutors, magistrates, interpreters and other court functionaries.

In order to provide targeted service levels the Department will be required to increase the number of courts and upgrade and make the existing facilities more secure, accessible and friendly. This programme will improve service delivery via a more effective redistribution of facilities that will ensure greater access to justice to a wider range of people.

This programme implies the realignment of infrastructural development to areas of 'most need", to courts in crime 'hot spots" and especially to historically disadvantaged communities. Identified areas for upgrade, include Alexandria, Orlando and various Eastern Cape rural areas.

In order to enhance productivity, overall efficiency, and in support of the above initiatives, the Department intends to develop its IT infrastructure to introduce on-line services and develop an appropriate Management Information System.

The reengineering of court services has begun and is primarily intended to improve the efficiency of our court and case management processes. This exercise is also intended to address the existing case backlogs and to reduce the significant awaiting trial population. To this extent, two pilot projects are to be launched in Johannesburg and Durban.

Already, the introduction of Reception Courts is beginning to contribute significantly to improved court management.

A review of court working hours and recess periods is receiving ongoing attention to improve court productivity.

An increased number of specialized courts will be established to improve the range of services offered to the public and to make the court experience more user-friendly. These include Family Courts, Sexual Offences Courts, Juvenile Justice Centres, Commercial Courts Small Claims Courts and the extension of the Office of the Family Advocate.

The introduction of ADR mechanisms into our court processes will contribute to the elimination of unnecessary and costly litigation processes.

The Maintenance and Bail Systems will be redesigned and restructured to enhance operational effectiveness and efficiency Extensive II enhancements to the current maintenance payment and bail-management systems have already been specified and implementation is expected soon.

Measures to improve and fast track the production and drafting of legislation have been identified for implementation. A recent project by the SALC to assess and tract the cost implications of new legislation was implemented on the new Juvenile Justice legislation. This has been widely accepted as an extremely successful project and a model for its further development is currently under investigation.

The new democratic legal dispensation calls for a fundamental transformation of the Legal Profession as well as the Judiciary. The Department's Policy Unit is conducting extensive consultation and research and their preliminary issue paper has already been submitted to various role-players for comment.

The Department will continue with its support to assist initiatives in respect of improved prosecutorial services and, in particular, in assistance to the National Prosecuting Authority in consolidating its organisation and operational efficiency.