🔹 A new era for USA 

US president-elect Joe Biden, and vice president-elect Kamala Harris, will be sworn in on January 20, officially putting an end to Donald Trump’s disastrous presidency. 

From Trump’s outright sexism (“grab ‘em by the pussy”) to his alleged tax dodging, many people will breathe a sigh of relief after his term ends. 

Importantly for SA, Biden appears to have extended an olive branch to the African continent and countries previously ignored by Trump 🕊️. Read more about that at explain.co.za. 

Oh, and let’s not forget that Harris will be the first woman, and the first black and Asian American, US vice president. It’s an historic moment. 

🔹 Bringing justice to the people

Public access to the courts in SA is really important. In order for people to have faith in the justice system, they have to see how it actually works. Most court cases in SA are open to the public, unless they involve sexual offenses, children, or divorce proceedings. 

While court closures in 2020 delayed many cases, cases were broadcast live online, allowing access to the public on an unprecedented scale. Think the Oscar Pistorius trial, but in nearly every courtroom. Expect this trend to continue in 2021. 

Although we don’t know how the second surge of Covid will affect court closures in 2021, we know that online streaming of cases is now so normal, that it might well become the method of preference for judges in the future. 

This means you can have a front row seat to our justice system, from the safety of your own home.

These briefs are from our 30 December 2020 edition of The Wrap. Read the rest of it here.

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