John Jeffery, MP is South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development. He studied law at the University of Natal and holds BA and LLB degrees, as well as a postgraduate diploma in environmental law, all from the University of Natal. He is an admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa.
He is a member of the ruling party, the African National Congress. After South Africa’s transition to a constitutional democracy in 1994, Mr Jeffery became a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature where he chaired the Environment and Conservation Portfolio Committee.
Mr Jeffery has been a member of the National Assembly of Parliament since 1999. He is a former member of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development where he was instrumental in shaping a number of pieces of legislation such as, amongst others, the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, 2007 and the Child Justice Act, 2008.
He has held the position of Parliamentary Counsellor to the President and Deputy President from 1999 to July 2013, serving under Presidents Mbeki, Motlanthe and Zuma. He was appointed as Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development in July 2013 and was re-appointed in 2019 by President Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term of office. Mr Jeffery is passionate about justice, human rights and constitutional awareness.
Source: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
