[MEDIA STATEMENT] President Ramaphosa’s announcement of move towards institutional independence for the judiciary

Judges Matter welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of move towards institutional independence for the judiciary

Judges Matter welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s powerful reaffirmation of the Constitutional Court’s role as a beacon of democracy, justice, and transformation in South Africa, and his intention to realise the institutional independence of the judiciary.

Speaking at the Constitutional Court’s 30^th anniversary celebration on 20 June 2025, the President rightly noted that, “we can be nothing short of immensely proud” of what the Constitutional Court has achieved — and continues to achieve — as a guardian of our constitutional order. We also welcome the President’s call for deepening respect for constitutionalism, starting with the state itself.

In particular, we highlight the President’s commitment to strengthen the institutional, administrative, and financial independence of the judiciary. This signals government’s restarting of judicial governance reforms that had stalled nearly a decade ago.

We welcome the President’s announcement of concrete actions to establish the judiciary as a co-equal branch of government, alongside the Executive and the Legislature. This is a vital step forward. The President announced the establishment of a joint committee to develop an action plan to advance judicial independence, which will be finalised in the next six weeks.

These announcements come on the back of a historic meeting on 6 June 2025 between an executive delegation comprising President Ramaphosa and several of his ministers, and Chief Justice Mandisa Maya and several senior judges. There, the President committed to advancing institutional independence, unification of a single judiciary, and enhancing the capacity of the courts. We believe these actions are vital in arresting the crises facing our courts.

While we await further details on the modalities to implement the President’s intention, we urge parliament, civil society, legal professionals, and the general public to ensure this momentum results in lasting reforms — including improved court governance, better judicial support, and full compliance with court orders.

Judicial independence is not a privilege — it is a pillar of our constitutional democracy.