The Constitutional Court will hand down its ruling on Thursday on the lawfulness of search and seizures carried out at the premises of African National Congress president Jacob Zuma, his lawyer Michael Hulley and arms company Thint Holdings.

It will also deliver judgment on the lawfulness of a letter asking the Mauritian Attorney-General to send to South Africa 14 documents and statements about their authenticity.

While the Durban High Court upheld a challenge by Zuma and Hulley against the search and seizures, the Pretoria High Court ruled against a similar challenge by Thint.

However, the Supreme Court of Appeals later ruled that the search and seizures were valid and ordered that the State could retain the seized items.

Zuma, Hulley and Thint are now asking the Constitutional Court to order the return of their documents, arguing that the search and seizure warrants were incomplete, overbroad and vague and that Zuma's rights were not adequately protected.

The State wants to use the documents against Zuma and two Thint companies in its fraud and money laundering trial.

The Mauritian documents were seized from the premises of Thint and its director Alain Thetard in 2001. The State also intends using these in the trials.

Sapa