Criminal Procedure Amendment Act 65 of 2008

The Criminal Procedure Amendment Act 65 of 2008 aims:

• to amend the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977, to provide for the postponement of certain criminal proceedings against an accused person in custody awaiting trial through audiovisual link;
• to further regulate the falling away of certain convictions as previous convictions after the expiry of a fixed period;
• to provide for the expungement of criminal records of certain persons in respect of whom certain sentences have been imposed after the compliance with certain requirements and the expiry of a fixed period;
• to provide for the expungement of certain criminal records of persons under legislation enacted before the Constitition of the Republic of South Africa, 1993, took effect; and
• to provide for matters connected therewith.

Commencement

• 6 May 2009, Sections 2 and 3 (Gazette  32205 of 6 May 2009)
• 1 October 2010,  Section 1 in terms of magisterial districts of Bellville, Bloemfontein, Cape, Durban, Khayelitsha, Kroonstad, Kimberley, Klip River, Kuils River, Mitchells Plain, Nelspruit, Paarl, Pinetown, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, Thohoyandou and Wynberg (Gazette 33605 of 1 October 2010)
• 15 February 2011, Section 1 in terms of magisterial district of Pietermaritzburg (Gazette 34000 of 4 February 2011)
• 31 October 2011, Section 1 in terms of magisterial district of Highveld Ridge (G 34713 of 28 October 2011)
• 11 November 2011, Section 1 in terms of magisterial districts of Alberton, Benoni, Boksburg, East London, Germiston, Inanda, Johannesburg, Kempton Park, Krugersdorp, Mdantsane, Moretele, Mthata, Odi, Pietermaritzburg, Randburg, Roodepoort, Uitenhage, Umlazi, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging and Wonderboom (G 34744 of 10 November 2011)
• 1 December 2014, Section 1 in terms of magisterial sub-district of Tembisa (Gazette 39237 of 28 November 2014)
• 31 January 2017, Section 1 in terms of subdistrict of Soweto (Gazette 40578 of 27 January 2017) 
• 31 January 2017, Section 1 in terms of subdistrict of Garankawu (Gazette 40578 of 27 January 2017)
• 31 January 2017, Section 1 in terms of subdistrict of Sebokeng (Gazette 40578 of 27 January 2017)
• 24 February 2017, Section 1 in terms of magisterial districts of Gordonia and Namaqualand (Gazette 40578 of 27 January 2017)