Legal challenge to MK MP Hlophe’s JSC appointment …

There has been outrage in some circles over the National Assembly’s decision to designate as members of the Judicial Service Commission and Magistrates Commission, MPs “who have previously been found guilty of misconduct or have been criticised by courts for ethical breaches, such as Dr John Hlophe and Ms Faith Muthambi”. In this interview with BizNews, Mbekezeli Benjamin of Judges Matter says: “So for us, it is ironic and it is really inappropriate for the people who are scrutinising lawyers to be judges and magistrates are themselves unethical or have been found to have been unethical. Parliament as a body was supposed to be careful and thoughtful in who it puts forward, especially when there are findings by the Judicial Service Commission that said that Dr. Hlophe was guilty of gross misconduct, which is the worst form of misconduct that a person holding judicial office can be found guilty of. They completely ignored those findings and they said he's suitable to sit on the JSC. So that is the argument that has been made and that case is being filed by the Freedom Under Law NGO.”