Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
J37
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
FORM 1
[Regulation 2]
INFORMATION NOTICE TO COMPLAINANT OR PERSON WHO APPLIES FOR
PROTECTION ORDER ON BEHALF OF COMPLAINANT
SECTION 2(2) OF THE PROTECTION FROM HARASSMENT ACT, 2011 (ACT NO. 17 OF 2011)
1. This notice explains —
(a) the relief that is available in terms of the Protection from Harassment Act, 2011; and
(b) the right of the complainant to also lodge a criminal complaint against the respondent.
2. You will be required to sign this notice to confirm that there has been compliance with section 2(2) of the
Protection from Harassment Act, 2011, and regulation 2 of the Protection from Harassment Regulations, 2013, made in
terms of that Act, and which obliges me —
(a) to hand this notice to you, which must, if reasonably possible, be in the official language of your choice;
(b) to read out or cause this notice to be read out to you if you are unable to read this notice;
(c) to inquire from you whether you understand the contents of this notice; and
(d) to explain any part of the notice which you don’t understand.
3. A complainant (that is the person who is being harassed) may on any day and at any time, in the prescribed
manner apply for a protection order against harassment at the Magistrate`s Court in whose area —
(a) the complainant permanently or temporarily resides, carries on business or is employed;
(b) the respondent (that is the person who commits an act of harassment) permanently or temporarily resides,
carries on business or is employed; or
(c) the act of harassment occurred.
4. A person commits an act of harassment if he or she directly or indirectly engages in conduct which he or she
knows or ought to know —
(a) causes harm or inspires the reasonable belief that harm may be caused to the complainant or a related person by
unreasonably following, watching or pursuing the complainant or a related person, or engaging in verbal,
electronic or any other communication aimed at the complainant or a related person, by any means, whether or
not conversation ensues or sending, delivering or causing the delivery of letters, telegrams, packages, facsimiles,
electronic mail or other objects to the complainant or a related person; or
(b) amounts to sexual harassment of the complainant or a related person.
Harm is defined to mean any mental, psychological, physical or economic harm.
5. An application for a protection order against harassment may be made by another person on behalf of the
complainant if the person who intends to apply for the protection order has a material interest in the well-being of the
complainant or related person. However, such application must be brought with the written consent of the complainant,
except in circumstances where the complainant is a person who, in the opinion of the court, is unable to do so.
6. Any child, or person on behalf of a child, may apply to the court for a protection order.
7. The court will consider the application of the complainant or person referred to in section 2(3)(a) of the Protection
from Harassment Act, 2011, and may, if the evidence substantiates the fact that —
(a) the respondent is engaging or has engaged in harassment;
(b) harm is being or may be suffered by the complainant or a related person as a result of that conduct if a
protection order is not issued immediately; and
(c) the protection to be accorded by the interim protection order is likely not to be achieved if prior notice of the
application is given to the respondent,
issue an interim protection order against the respondent.
8. An interim protection order is of force and effect from the time it is issued by the court and the existence thereof
has been brought to the attention of the respondent. A copy of the application and evidence noted during the application
will be served on the respondent, together with the interim protection order, and the respondent will be called upon to
show cause on the return date specified in the order why the interim protection order should not be made final. The
protection afforded by an interim protection order is temporary in nature and will expire on the return date.