Human Rights Commission rejects complaint against Nel

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has rejected the complaint filed against Prosecutor Gerrie Nel, it announced on its website on Tuesday (15/04/14).

The complaint, which was lodged on Friday last week, asked the SAHRC to investigate and rule on whether the State Prosecutor Adv, Gerrie Nel was permitted to refer to the accused Oscar Pistorius, as “a liar” while he was still on the witness stand.

The complainant, Jan Landman, a former commissioner of the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious, and Linguistic Communities, said it was his opinion that in calling Pistorius a liar, Nel infringed on his right to a fair trial.

He claimed Nel further contravened Pistorius's right to be presumed innocent and his right to freedom of expression, and to ensure his dignity was respected and protected.

Pistorius is on trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. He shot her dead through a locked toilet door at his Pretoria home on Valentine's Day 2013.

Nel is arguing that it was premeditated murder.

- The Herald.