Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe’s request for his matter to be heard by a judge in another division has been dismissed by Deputy Judge President of the High Court in Johannesburg Roland Sutherland.
The court briefly heard the first part of Hlophe’s urgent review application.
His counsel Lihle Sidaki also said the court interdict should be abandoned.
In his court papers, Hlophe names Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo as one of the Judicial Services Commissioners (JSC) who upheld the gross misconduct finding against him.
Discussion on Judge President John Hlophe’s guilty verdict: Paul Hoffman:
Judge President Mlambo heads the Gauteng Division.
Sutherland read out parts of the letter from Hlophe’s lawyer, to Sidaki who seemed surprised by the contents of the letter.
“The request that the matter in a different division given the implication of Mlambo JP [Judge President] in the review application, this is the punch line, resulting in the inability of any judges in this division being impartial enough to hear this matter.”
“That is the ground in which you advance this request. Do you think that all of the members of the Gauteng Division constitute as swam of minions who are enthroned to the Judge President and who suck up to him on each and everything he has a whim about.”
Sidaki responds by: “Justice [Sutherland] I can only say the contents of the letter is unfortunate.”
Meanwhile, in April, the Judicial Conduct Tribunal found Hlophe guilty of trying to influence two Constitutional Court Justices, Chris Jafta and Bess Nkabinde, in a matter involving then former President Jacob Zuma in 2008.
VIDEO: Legal Expert, Elton Hart responds to the tribunal’s report:
