Con Ct Judgment: Judge President Hlophe

25 August 2016

Freedom Under Law respectfully welcomes and endorses the following statement by the Constitutional Court in its judgment yesterday in the case of Nkabinde and another v The Judicial Service Commission and others:

In conclusion, we would be failing in our duty if we did not take this opportunity to emphasise that it is in the interests of justice that the matter of the complaint against Judge President Hlophe should be dealt with and concluded without any further delay. The events that gave rise to the complaint occurred in 2008. Eight years later, the matter has not been finalised. It is in the interests of justice that this matter be brought to finality. 

We believe it is high time the Judge be given the opportunity to explain (under oath, we trust) why and how he saw fit to raise and discuss the admissibility of the evidence against Mr Zuma – then not yet President – with judges of the Constitutional Court at a stage when they were considering their verdict.

Statement issued by Judge Johann Kriegler, Freedom Under Law, 25 August 2016