Welcome to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development’s web portal on HIV and AIDS, Human Rights and Access to Justice. The web portal is the information destination for all legal practioners, policy makers, legal researchers and judicial officers who require up to date information on; policies, legislation, research, case law, internet and resource links on HIV and AIDS, Human Rights and Access to Justice.

Through the web portal, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, together with other government departments and civil society organizations (currently organised in the South African National AIDS Council aim to build our collective response to the HIV and AIDS pandemic in South Africa, that is rights-based and in line with international standards.

WHAT'S NEW

• President Zuma's address, 01 Dec '09
• Key Messages for World AIDS Day - 1st December 2009
• Draft Discussion Paper:  Hiv/Aids, Human Rights And Access To Justice
• Maintenance and HIV/AIDS
• Notice Board
• ARTICLE: A time to act …defining a legal response to HIV and AIDS, 2009

The web portal overall aim is to demonstrate the link between HIV and AIDS and Human Rights. Particularly for the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, our exploration of the link focuses on access to justice and vulnerability. Given our mandate, our vision for access to justice is defined as:

• Access to court – facility, personnel, information, process and procedure
• Access to information about the justice system – court, police, prosecutors, correctional services
• Acknowledgement of differences among women in accessing justice

Vulnerability is determined by factors such as underdevelopment, economic insecurity, poverty, lack of empowerment of women, lack of education, social exclusion, illiteracy, discrimination, lack of information and or commodities for self protection and all types of sexual exploitation of women, girls and boys, including for commercial reasons.

Our vision for the web portal is an interactive site where we provide relevant information that facilitates an understanding of the critical link between HIV and AIDS and Human Rights as we strive to make justice accessible for vulnerable communities infected and affected by the pandemic.

Enquiries: hivandaids@justice.gov.za