The South African branch of the international group, Economists Allied for Arms Reduction (Ecaar), is set to launch urgent court action to block the National Conventional Arms Control Bill, which it describes as unconstitutional and draconian.

The contentious bill, which has been in the making for two years, is set to be passed by the National Assembly on Thursday after being finalised by the assembly's defence committee today.

Peace activist and economist Terry Crawford-Browne said yesterday his organisation would challenge the bill the minute it becomes law, "because it had very important implications for parliamentary oversight and the public's right to know about business conducted by the government on its behalf".

Crawford-Browne said yesterday: "The intention is as soon as it (the bill) goes through parliament, we will launch an urgent court interdict to have the matter declared constitutionally unlawful on the basis that commercially confidential agreements between South Africa and unsavoury dictators ... should not hold constitutional precedence over the rights of South Africans".

Crawford-Browne and other human rights activists and NGO's have for years being advocating greater parliamentary oversight of arms sales since, he says, we have an "atrocious" record of selling arms to countries with consistent records of human rights abuses.

He points out that the executive already has a poor record of reporting arms sales to the nation.

Crawford-Browne will argue in his application that the new law would further limit parliamentary oversight.

The bill contains "draconian" provisions which allow the government to jail members of the public or journalists for up to 20 years if they disclose confidential information about arms sales. Crawford-Browne will also challenge the constitutionality of this.

Crawford-Browne is involved in another court matter in which Ecaar is challenging the R53 billion arms acquisition package.

With acknowledgements to Andre Koopman and Cape Times.