The Constitutional Court of South Africa announces the launch of its new website at http://www.constitutionalcourt.org.za. The launch coincides with the tenth anniversary of its establishment on 14th February 1995. This national and international legal information resource is intended to be a focal point for legal research in the fields of Constitutional, Public and International and Human Rights Law.

For the past ten years the Faculty of Law at the University of the Witwatersrand has been the custodian of the Court's website. The website has been considered an invaluable source of information about the Court, giving free public access to Constitutional Court judgments during the first decade of the Court's existence. The redesign extends the original idea to create a source of legal information in the public domain ensuring access to relevant, free legal information on the Internet; and to inform the public both nationally and internationally of the role and activities of the Constitutional Court.

The site aims to cater for interests of users at all levels from legal researchers, to school learners and public visitors. It includes information about the Court's history, its role and work, landmark judgments and the constitution-making process. There is a virtual tour of the Court's new building and art collection. The public may access information on human rights as well as identify and link to organisations (other than the Court) that can assist them in the protection of these rights.

The site will be directly relevant on a national level to courts (judges, magistrates, prosecutors, and law clerks), legal researchers, librarians, legal practitioners and the public. It is hoped that the international legal fraternity, especially on our own continent and the legal commercial sector (attorneys, advocates and legal advisors) will also find the website a valuable resource. Visually impaired users will find the separate text-only section designed to meet their needs.

The website consists of a full text database of all Constitutional Court cases handed down since the first hearing in 1995. Documents available for viewing, printing or downloading include full judgments, summaries of judgments highlighting the main questions of law decided in each case as well as heads of argument, pleadings and documents.

The Constitutional Court's library catalogue makes its first appearance on the Internet, with the launch of the website, thereby extending the Court's legal information resources as widely as possible. Visitors can access the catalogue of over 50,000 volumes (including books, journals and law reports) in the fields of Constitutional, Public and International and Human Rights Law. They will have in-depth access, wherever possible, to the Tables of Contents of the text book collection, and (in the near future) free online access to an extensive index to the South African legal periodical literature.

Links to legal websites with free online collections of legislation, case law of major jurisdictions and general legal websites can also be found on the website.

Commenting on the website Sheryl Luthuli, Deputy Director of Library Services said: "We want to deliver a platform for the nation to access decisions that shape their lives and to supply material to the judiciary and legal researchers that will lead to the advancement of foreign and international legal research".

Justice Kate O'Regan, Chairperson of the Website Committee explains: "The launch of the Court's new website and its virtual library is the culmination of years of work by our library team. It is hoped that the website will nourish the development of our constitutional democracy in many ways. It should be a portal which offers something to everyone interested in our Constitution whether a primary school learner, an academic researcher, a lawyer, judge or member of Parliament. The Website Committee of the Court is grateful to all who contributed to this launch."

The Constitutional Court would like to thank Big Media and Vivid New Media for developing the website, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for providing funding for the project, and the University of the Witwatersrand's Faculty of Law for hosting and maintaining the first phase of the Constitutional Court's website for the past 10 years.

The website can be found at http://www.constitutionalcourt.org.za

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sheryl Luthuli: luthuli@concourt.org.za
Merle Ruff: ruff@concourt.org.za
Sibusiso Nodwengu: webmaster@concourt.org.za

Website Feature List:

Constitutional Court judgments for viewing, printing or downloading

The full judgments, summaries, heads of argument, pleadings and documents of all cases since the first case heard in 1995

• located by case name, case number, year of judgment, subject, legislation cited, constitutional issue in question
• hyperlinks to latest judgments

E-mail alert services to receive

• judgments within an hour of being handed down
• notification of the upcoming court calendar of cases to be heard

Constitutional documents for viewing, downloading and printing

• interim Constitution
• updated Constitution
• rules of Court
• original versions of the Constitution in all the official South African languages
• judges' interviews before the Judicial Service Commission

Links to free legal websites of major jurisdictions

• legislation
• case law
• general legal information (by country)

Constitutional Court electronic library catalogue of Constitutional, Public and International and Human Rights Law

• 50,000 volumes (books, journals and law reports)
• in-depth access to tables of contents of the text book collection identifying articles, chapters of the text book collection
• index to South African legal periodical literature

Court and Constitutional History

• courts history, its role and work
• latest judgments
• forthcoming hearings
• landmark judgments
• virtual tours of the new building and art collection

Website Technical Requirements:

The site has been designed for modern browsers, specifically:

• Internet Explorer 5.5 +
• Mozilla
• Text based browsers for visually impaired users