The Judicial Service Commission has announced a number of vacancies in various courts, including the Western Cape and Gauteng High Courts. Nominations must reach the JSC by the 28th of June, after which the sifting committee will meet to decide which of the nominated will be shortlisted to be interviewed by the JSC in the […]
Six candidates were interviewed for the Constitutional Court on Wednesday 3 April 2019 for two vacancies at the highest court. Of these candidates, five were recommended to the President for appointment. In line with section 174(4) of the Constitution the President will now appoint two Constitutional Court judges from the list of five names sent […]
Over the last few years, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has vastly improved its approach to gender parity among judicial candidates. It has begun to ask important questions about the bench as a working environment for women, and to gauge ideas from both male and female candidates on removing barriers in the profession that stop […]
Originally the Constitutional Court was established as the final court on all constitutional matters. However, following the 17th amendment Act of 2012 it is now South Africa’s highest court on all matters. The Constitutional Court consists of the Chief Justice, the Deputy Chief Justice and nine other judges. Thus, the Court’s bench is supposed to […]
Throughout the year we write articles to share more information about the JSC, the judges’ interview process and the South African judicial system as a whole. Here is a list of our most popular articles in 2018. 1. The JSC’s uneven line of questioning on judicial transformation Posted: 8 June 2018 Section 174 (2) of […]
Here is our overview of some of the highlights from the JSC Interviews and other judicial developments during the year of 2018. April 2018 JSC interviews At the April round of interviews the JSC interviewed nine candidates for the Supreme Court of Appeal. This included interviewing Judge President Betty Molemela who was duly nominated to […]
After the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) Interviews on 2 October 2018, the Chief Justice sat down with Judges Matter and the media to address the question of Constitutional Court vacancies. The question raised was to address the fact that in 2018 the JSC did not advertise (or call for nominations) for Constitutional Court vacancies even […]
Progressive constitutional democracies from around the world are anchored on certain fundamental values and principles which include separation of powers and accountability. South Africa is regarded in certain circles as a model of constitutional democracy, especially for many African States. This view is not without a valid basis. Notwithstanding a myriad of challenges confronting it, […]
The Judge President of the Western Cape asked a number of questions in the October 2017 hearings of the JSC. These questions went to what are called the skewed briefing patterns that exist, generally referring to how members of the advocates’ profession obtain work from attorneys. He asked Mr Papier: The issue Mr Papier, of […]
This article was written by Paul Hoffman SC and was originally published in the Daily Maverick on 13 August 2018. Daily Maverick columnist, Stephen Grootes, has cast aspersions on the legitimacy of the judiciary in a recent wide-ranging piece of political analysis. It is important to interrogate the legitimacy of the judiciary carefully as it […]
