South Africa: Limiting the Pardon Power

Presidential pardons have become a hot issue since speculation began that President Jacob Zuma was considering pardons for apartheid killer Eugene de Kock and fraudster Schabir Shaik. Critics say the prerogative to grant pardons should no longer be unfettered but exercised according to a set of criteria embodied in legislation. They propose that the president be required (1) to seek advice on pardon applications from the justice department which would (2) be obliged to apply certain criteria. The president would then have (3) publicly disclose evidence that successful applicants conformed with the requirements. See story here.