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Western Cape judge president John Hlophe has a gross misconduct finding hanging over his head. Picture: TREVOR SAMSON
Last week judge John Hlophe filed the latest in a long line of cases related to his possible impeachment. He is asking the high court in Johannesburg to set aside the Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC’s) recommendation that President Cyril Ramaphosa suspend him pending the National Assembly’s decision on his fate.
In his affidavit Hlophe makes far-reaching allegations not only concerning Freedom Under Law (FUL) and its chair, but also aimed at the members of the JSC.
FUL is said to have conspired with others and carried out “an insidious effort to usurp the power of the JSC, and possibly other constitutional institutions”, while “the JSC seems to have ultimately succumbed to these extralegal and factional pressures” and “should not allow itself to be the incubator of illegality and political campaigns”.
FUL will in its response to the application deal appropriately with this assault on its integrity, as well as that of the members of the JSC. It maintains that Hlophe’s suspension is an urgent necessity, demanded not only by the Constitutional Court case but also by the charges of gross misconduct levelled against him by his deputy judge president more than two-and-a-half years ago.
Judith February Executive director, Freedom Under Law
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: Hlophe must be suspended
Last week judge John Hlophe filed the latest in a long line of cases related to his possible impeachment. He is asking the high court in Johannesburg to set aside the Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC’s) recommendation that President Cyril Ramaphosa suspend him pending the National Assembly’s decision on his fate.
In his affidavit Hlophe makes far-reaching allegations not only concerning Freedom Under Law (FUL) and its chair, but also aimed at the members of the JSC.
FUL is said to have conspired with others and carried out “an insidious effort to usurp the power of the JSC, and possibly other constitutional institutions”, while “the JSC seems to have ultimately succumbed to these extralegal and factional pressures” and “should not allow itself to be the incubator of illegality and political campaigns”.
FUL will in its response to the application deal appropriately with this assault on its integrity, as well as that of the members of the JSC. It maintains that Hlophe’s suspension is an urgent necessity, demanded not only by the Constitutional Court case but also by the charges of gross misconduct levelled against him by his deputy judge president more than two-and-a-half years ago.
Judith February
Executive director, Freedom Under Law
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
LETTER: An assault on integrity
Judicial conduct committee orders Kriegler to retract statement on Hlophe
Hlophe ‘contemplating’ court action against JSC
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