Grahamstown attorney Brin Brody has been appointed to challenge the suspension and fine of Democratic Alliance provincial leader Athol Trollip via an urgent application made to the high court.
Grahamstown attorney Brin Brody has been appointed to challenge the suspension and fine of Democratic Alliance provincial leader Athol Trollip via an urgent application made to the high court.
Trollip is fighting a decision to suspend him from performing parliamentary duties and to fine him for allegedly having brought the name of the Eastern Cape Legislature into disrepute.
This is according to a statement released by attorneys Wheeldon, Rushmere and Cole. According to the statement Trollip was informed by the Deputy Speaker of the Eastern Cape Legislature, Bulelwa Tunyiswa, that from 3 October he is being suspended from the legislature for a period of 15 days and is being fined the equivalent of a month's salary.
Trollip and the Democratic Alliance have appointed, Brin Brody of Wheeldon, Rushmere & Cole in Grahamstown, to challenge his suspension and fine via an urgent application made to the high court.
"Trollip believes that the country's Constitution provides for a means of recourse in matters such as these and that such recourse is provided for not only in common law but also in the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislature's Act No 4 of 2004," the statement reads.
The decision to sanction Trollip was taken after a sitting of the Legislature's Ethics Committee which was convened due to refusal to unconditionally apologise to Premier of the Eastern Cape, Phumulo Masualle, for comments attributed to Trollip in the print media.
