SACP Statement on declaration of interests by Judicial Officers
The SACP notes with concern on what appears to be resistance from members of the judiciary to declare their business and related interests. The SACP is strongly of the view that judges, and other judicial officers, are not only public figures, but perform an important public function, and therefore they should subject themselves to the same processes as expected of other public officials.
Surely it cannot be that the judiciary cannot practice what it preaches, and not follow it's many judgements calling for transparency and intensifying the fight against corruption.
The judiciary, by virtue of its role, often has to preside over cases that may, and actually have led to a conflict of interests. Declaration of interests, whilst not silver bullets in dealing with conflict of interests and corruption, will nevertheless go a long way towards combating this scourge. For judges to declare their interests will go a long way towards enhancing the standing and credibility of the judiciary in our country.
Such a process is in itself an important dimension in the transformation of our judiciary - a task that is far from over - given the fact that we come from an apartheid era where our judicial system was thoroughly corrupted to advance a system condemned as a crime against humanity.
The SACP is extremely concerned about what appears to be some kind of culture of superiority emerging within the ranks of some of our institutions performing a public function. This is the assumption that it is only people occupying executive and other governmental positions that are susceptible to corruption, but all others (whether it be the media, the judiciary or so-called 'civil society') are not, and should be left to account to nobody else other than themselves.