LexisNexis® South Africa, a leading provider of content and technology solutions, launched the country’s first ever Anti-Human Trafficking Legislation Compendium at the 25th Annual Labour Law Conference opening ceremony in Sandton.
A copy of the compendium was handed over to Brigadier Leon Gossman of the South African Police Service, and a total of 1000 copies will be donated to assist the South African Government with the prevention and prosecution of human trafficking crimes.
“It is difficult to monitor the scale of human trafficking in South Africa due to a lack of data,” said LexisNexis South Africa HR Director, Vuyo Dwane. “But because this crime is often conflated with prostitution and drug abuse, there are clear indications that human trafficking happens at an alarming rate in South Africa, and this heinous crime will mature if we don’t take action.”
LexisNexis took action and consulted with the SAPS, people within the South African justice system and NGOs to find a way to manage the trafficking of persons and decided to do what it does best – supply information in a coherent and accessible way.
Above is LexisNexis’s HR Director, Vuyo Dwane, handing over the compendium to the South African Police Service’s Brigadier Leon Gossman.
The result is a box set of A6-sized pocket books, a special compendium of all South African legislation, existing and proposed, which in any way impacts on human trafficking. It also includes codes, basic guidelines and explanatory commentary.
This compendium is small enough for the authorities to take on the road with them – and yet comprehensive enough to act as a complete reference in the office.
“We wanted to provide everyone in the system – particularly the specialised enforcement and prosecution units with a ready reference guide to the weapons they have available to tackle those responsible for human trafficking and to protect the thousands of victims,” said Dwane. “We are also working with our colleagues in the police to hopefully add the content of the compendium on to the SAPS website as a free add-on in the near future.”
LexisNexis created and produced the copies of these box sets entirely at its own cost in the genuine hope to make a difference. The copies of the compendiums will be given to the Government’s specialised enforcement and prosecution units, including the Child Protection Units, the South African Police, National Prosecuting Authority, Legal Aid Board and the Department of Justice, to name but a few.
“We believe that awareness of the law and awareness of people’s rights is the first and most crucial step to stopping the abuse of those rights and ensuring that the rule of law prevails,” concluded Dwane.
For more information on Anti-Human Trafficking Legislation Compendium and LexisNexis efforts to combat human trafficking, please visit: www.lexisnexis.com/REDLIGHT/index.html or call LexisNexis on 031-268-3111.
About LexisNexis Legal & Professional
LexisNexis Legal & Professional (www.lexisnexis.com) is a leading global provider of content and technology solutions that enable professionals in legal, corporate, tax, government, academic and non-profit organizations to make informed decisions and achieve better business outcomes. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis® and Nexis® services. Today, LexisNexis Legal & Professional harnesses leading-edge technology and world-class content, to help professionals work in faster, easier and more effective ways. Through close collaboration with its customers, the company ensures organizations can leverage its solutions to reduce risk, improve productivity, increase profitability and grow their business. Part of Reed Elsevier, LexisNexis Legal & Professional serves customers in more than 100 countries with 10,000 employees worldwide.
In South Africa, LexisNexis’s (www.lexisnexis.co.za) unique combination of Butterworths authoritative content and powerful online research offers an extensive range of print and online research solutions for professionals, government, business and students. In addition, with professional seminars, practical training, safety, health and environment compliance and online access to public record information, LexisNexis helps customers reach decisions confidently.
