JSC unveils choices for SCA judicial posts
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has unveiled its choice of judges to fill five vacant posts at the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein.
The announcement was made on Thursday following the much-publicised interview sessions for the roles at the SCA and the Constitutional Court this week.
The JSC’s five choices for the SCA are Judges Zeenat Carelse, Trevor Gorven, Wendy Hughes, Nolwazi Mabindla Boqwana, and Selewe Mothle. Overall, 11 judges were in the running for the coveted posts.
These names will now be referred to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The conduct of previous SCA judges came in the spotlight this week during the Constitutional Court interviews when former SCA Judge Rammaka Mathopo was probed regarding the alleged offensive comments made by previous SCA Justices in their various judgments against their colleagues.
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"I know of a colleague who is alleged that he did not apply his mind. That offended the colleague tremendously. It is important to know when we write the judgments, they are not for the judge concerned. Posterity will come and deal harshly with us for having written so freely and wrongly about colleagues," Mathopo said.
The choice of Judge Wendy Hughes is interesting after members of the JSC, the bulk of whom are in the legal fraternity, criticised Hughes’ High Court judgments over her judicial reasoning and competent, but not excellent, use of the English language in her interview.
Senior Council Advocate Griffiths Madonsela came to Hughes’ defence, saying he longs for the day when the JSC could judge the language proficiency of English speakers in IsiZulu.
