Minister Lamola appoints Justice Kate O’Regan as COVID-19 Designated Judge
3 April 2020
Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Mr Ronald Lamola, has appointed Justice Catherine (Kate) O'Regan, as the COVID-19 Designate Judge.
The Regulations issued in terms of section 27(2) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002, and as published on 2 April 2020 in Government Gazette No 43199, make provision for contact tracing and for a national database to enable the tracing of persons who are known or reasonably suspected to have come into contact with any person known or reasonably suspected to have contracted COVID-19.
Regulation 11H empowers the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services to designate a judge who has been discharged from active service under section 3(2) of the Judges’ Remuneration and Conditions of Employment, 2001 or a retired High Court judge, as the COVID-19 Designated Judge.
The Regulations provide that the Director-General of Health may direct an electronic communications service provider to provide him or her with information regarding the location or movements of any person known, or reasonably suspected, to have contracted COVID-19 or any person known, or reasonably suspected, to have come into contact with such a person. The requested information would be for inclusion in the COVID-19 Tracing Database.