Probe into top judges will be without fear, expeditious
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has vowed that its investigaion into alleged unlawful conduct by Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe and Hlophe’s wife, Judge Gyaat Salie-Hlophe, will be conducted without fear and in a timeous manner.
In a 14-page affidavit submitted to the JSC, Deputy Judge President Patricia Goliath accuses the pair of wrongdoing.
The affidavit has been leaked.
Goliath claims that Hlophe sought to influence the appointments of judges in the 2015 nuclear case.
She also claims that Hlophe's wife, Salie-Hlophe gets preferential treatment at the expense of more senior judges to handle certain high-profile cases.
Salie-Hlophe has since dismissed Goliath's allegations in a scathing statement released earlier the week.
In a statement, the JSC has taken the “unprecedented step” to comment on the investigation.
Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and other senior judges will conduct the probe.
“[The investigating officers] are duty bound to deal with complaints without fear, favour or prejudice and would do so as expeditiously as reasonably practicable. There is therefore no need for anyone to provide any unsolicited guidance on how the JCC should deal with complaints,” it said in a statement released on Wednesday evening.
The JSC has also pleaded for patience and restraint to allow the Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC) to “exercise its statutory mandate without any hindrance or undue influence”.