No explanation as to why Cape Judge President John Hlophe has 16 outstanding judgments
Judges are supposed to deliver their judgments within three months of the end of hearings. Yet, 16 judgments at the Western Cape High Court have been outstanding for more than six months.
It is an ongoing problem at the court, GroundUp reports. In December, GroundUp reported that 11 judgments were late. Then, as now, Judge President of the Western Cape High Court John Hlophe, failed to respond to queries to explain why this was happening.
The late judgments have been outstanding (reserved in judicial terminology) since at least November 30, 2017.
One, by Acting Judge Nolita Kose, has been outstanding since July 29, 2016. Acting Judge Kose has nine late judgments. In December she had six late judgments. Judges Nathan Erasmus and Siraj Desai, and Acting Judge Keith Engers each have two late judgments. Judge Lee Bozalek has one late judgment.
Only one judge responded directly to our request for comment. Judge Bozalek wrote that he greatly regretted that his judgment had been outstanding for more than six months. He intends to deliver the judgment in August after the mid-year recess.