Mpofu and Malema Should Not Be on JSC Says Freedom Under Law, Questions EFF’s Place in Judicial Appointments
- Freedom under Law has argued that Julius Malema and Advocate Dali Mpofu should not be on the panel that is interviewing candidates for the position of Chief Justice
- Both Malema and Mpofu have been accused of unethical and inappropriate behaviour in their professional environments
- Freedom under Law believe that due to these allegations they should not be involved in selecting the next Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court
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JOHANNESBURG - Freedom under Law, a civic organisation that champions the correct application of the rule of law, expressed that they believe it's inappropriate for EFF leader Julius Malema and Advocate Dali Mpofu to be involved in interviewing candidates for judicial appointment as part of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC)'s panel.
The JSC are in the process of conducting interviews with candidates for the judiciary. These candidates include Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, Mbuyiseli Madlanga from the Constitutional Court, Dunstan Mlambo and Supreme Court of Appeal president Mandisa Maya.
Freedom under Law justified their claims against Malema and Mpofu by citing their misconduct allegations and alleged unethical behaviour, TimesLIVE reports. Due to these accusations, the organisation do not think they should be put in a position to judge the suitability of judicial candidates for appointment.
Source: Getty Images
Freedom under Law's reasons for requesting Malema and Mpofu's removal from JSC panel
According to The Citizen, Malema recently faced accusations of not adhering to Parliament’s Code of Ethical Conduct due to the EFF leader asking a judge an unprofessional question speaking to his personal interests. As a result, Malema has been ordered to apologise to the judge in question.
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On the other hand, Mpofu allegedly displayed rude and unethical behaviour towards his colleagues during the State Capture Inquiry. The advocate is accused of not aligning himself with the appropriate decorum at the Zondo Commission.
“It found that his conduct was aggravated by his having been being “contemptuous” towards Zondo, and having refused to accept a rebuke from him,” the Legal Practice Council said.
South Africans react to Freedom under Law's request
@54Battalion asked:
"Who's Freedom Under Law?"
@BlackOrpheusAmi believes:
"Correct. Criminals and highly questionable individuals selecting the judges who will judge them. Conflict of interest."
@joykhayelihle said:
"They can blow a gasket all they want. They are not going anywhere."
@Jono25283512 remarked:
"Put a professional panel there. Not a bank robber."
@Zoomer62503227 shared:
"Fully agree they should definitely NOT be involved!"
The next Chief Justice: A look at the legal careers of the 4 shortlisted candidates
Speaking of judicial appointments, Briefly News previously reported that South Africans are one step closer to finding out who will become the next person to replace Mogoeng Mogoeng and become the next Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the shortlist of four candidates who were all in the running for the post last year. These candidates will be subjected to challenging interview processes that will be led by the Judicial Service Commission from Tuesday, 1 February until Friday, 4 February.
The South African public will also have the opportunity to witness the interview process as it will be shown live on television news channels and online platforms, such as YouTube.
Source: Briefly News
