Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services
# Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services

The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services is a portfolio committee of the National Assembly of South Africa. It is responsible for oversight of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the Department of Correctional Services. In addition, it oversees a long list of statutory entities related to justice and law enforcement: the Council for Debt Collectors, the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services, Legal Aid South Africa, the National Prosecuting Authority, the Office of the Chief Justice, the Public Protector, the Rules Board for Courts of Law, the South African Board for Sheriffs, the South African Human Rights Commission, and the Special Investigating Unit.

The committee was established during the first post-apartheid Parliament as the Portfolio Committee on Justice, chaired for two terms by Johnny de Lange. It was later renamed as the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development after the Department of Justice was renamed accordingly. It took its current form after the 2014 general election, when it merged with the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services; the merger was precipitated by the corresponding ministerial merger that created the Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services.

## List of chairpersons

To date, all chairpersons of the Committee have been members of the African National Congress (ANC), the national governing party.

### Since the 26th Parliament

Chairpersons of the Committee on Justice and Correctional Services :

| Session | Chairperson | Party | Election date |
| - | - | - | - |
| 27th Parliament | Gratitude Magwanishe | ANC | 2 July 2019 |
| 26th Parliament | Refiloe Mothapo | ANC | 9 October 2018 |
| 26th Parliament | Mathole Motshekga | ANC | 24 June 2014 |

### Before the 26th Parliament

Chairpersons of the Committee on Justice :

| Session | Chairperson | Party | Election date |
| - | - | - | - |
| 25th Parliament | Luwellyn Landers | ANC | November 2010 |
| 25th Parliament | Ngoako Ramatlhodi | ANC | 1 June 2009 |
| 24th Parliament | Fatima Chohan-Kota | ANC | 11 May 2004 |
| 23rd Parliament | Johnny de Lange | ANC | 16 August 1999 |
| 22nd Parliament | Johnny de Lange | ANC | 1994 |

Chairpersons of the Committee on Correctional Services :

| Session | Chairperson | Party | Election date |
| - | - | - | - |
| 25th Parliament | Vincent Smith | ANC | 27 May 2009 |
| 24th Parliament | Dennis Bloem | ANC | 25 June 2004 |
| 24th Parliament | Lewele Modisenyane | ANC | 11 May 2004 |
| 23rd Parliament | Ntsiki Mashimbye | ANC | 7 May 2002 |
| 22nd Parliament | Limpho Hani | ANC | 1996 |
| 22nd Parliament | Carl Niehaus | ANC | 1994 |
