JSC invites submissions on making Hlophe hearing public
The Judicial Services Commission (JSC) has invited interested parties - including the Constitutional Court and Judge President John Hlophe - to make written submissions on whether the hearing into the complaints by the court and Hlophe should be public, and if so what media coverage should be permitted, says a report on the IoL site.
DA leader Helen Zille said yesterday the call for submissions followed her request to the JSC last Monday that the hearings be held in public. 'The DA intends making a full submission to the JSC in time for the 22 July deadline (set by the JSC for submissions). 'We will reiterate that, given the political controversy generated by the ANC around the hearing of the Constitutional Court's allegations against Judge Hlophe, full transparency will be vital for the successful resolution of the matter. 'The public must have no doubt that justice has been done because it was seen to be done,' Zille said.
Full report on the IoL site
Who are the members of the JSC complaints committee who will decide Hlophe's fate? Already they have come under intense pressure, with his legal team applying for the recusal of those seen as unsympathetic to him. The commission was split last year over whether to refer a complaint - about Hlophe's moonlighting for the financial services firm Oasis - to a full impeachment hearing. It narrowly decided not to. A Mail & Guardian Online article looks at the members of the JSC and who voted for and against tougher action against Hlophe.
Full Mail & Guardian Online article