Today marks 100 days since Justice Raymond Zondo was appointed to be Chief Justice. His appointment came after a tumultuous process that included chaotic interviews at the Judicial Service Commission.
While judicial appointment bodies do consider race and gender in diversifying the judiciary – and there has been an improvement over the years – there is still a gap in our judicial system. The gap is in respect of judicial leadership positions. Here women are under-represented by far.
Having recently been interviewed for the higher position of Chief Justice, Justice Mandisa Maya’s interview next week might be perceived as a case of deja vu, or worse still, a complete waste of time? To answer this question, it might be useful to look at what the role of Deputy Chief Justice entails and what qualities Maya brings to the job.
The Judicial Service Commission has failed to deal with the complaint against Judge Makhubele effectively or efficiently. To us, this raises serious concerns about how the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) carries out its constitutional responsibility of holding judges accountable for misconduct.
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s remarks that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s election as ANC leader spared the country from “further damage” have prompted a judicial misconduct complaint against him. Although the complaint itself lacks merit, it’s a timely reminder about the risk to judicial independence caused by judges participating in commissions of inquiry.
The JSC was established to guard the integrity of the judiciary. To, without bias or favour, scrutinise a candidate’s track record and check their commitment to the values of the constitution. Is the JSC still maintaining, and respecting this original mandate? We had our suspicions, but instead of speculating, we wanted evidence.
There is a huge expectation that the JSC sitting from 4 – 8 April will signal that the institution has turned a corner. And there are some early indications for optimism.
Following a grueling and rowdy series of Judicial Service Commission interviews, the ball of who will become the next chief justice of South Africa is now firmly in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s court. As many have stated, the decision ultimately lies with the President, despite the JSC’s recommendation of Supreme Court of Appeal President Mandisa Maya. […]
The process of appointing South Africa’s next Chief Justice was never going to be a simple one. There was unprecedented process involving the consideration of four candidates, part of which involved public interviews by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), a body which has been subject to much criticism over the years. And, in 2021, had […]
On 16 September 2021 President Ramaphosa kicked-off the process of selecting South Africa’s next chief justice by making an unprecedented call for nominations from the public. Although it came only 20 days before the retirement of outgoing Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, this historic break from past practice is a boost for transparency and participatory democracy, […]
