Good of you to post the Ngobeni link

The problem is that poor Ngobeni has so discredited hiimself at this point that I would assume him to be wrong if he said the sky was blue.

(One of the smallest of his deceptions — allowing himself to be billed as “Dr” on SABC, when it is public record that he has no such degree. What is galling is that he really does not care about being caught out. There is not even redeeming shame.)

Indeed – the Zuma matter establishes my point. What chance lesser mortals.

Here’s more interesting reading http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/paulngobeni/2009/09/18/will-the-jsc-debunk-the-myth-of-white-judicial-competence/

If that be so, I suppose your logic would dictate that Kemp J. Kemp never be appointed as a CC judge — and not solely for the reason that he is a white male …

Hmm – I must have said that in a way which possibly gave the opposite meaning.

Let’s substitute criminals for “adequately resourced criminals”, arrrgghh – let’s just say rotters with money.

Maggs, the tens of thousands of indigent defendants who are convicted every year in Magistrates Courts, very often without the benefit of proper counsel, would be surprised to learn from you that the justice system “leans in [their] direction.”

Good for Judge Malan if he gets appointed.

That aside, I would be much happier if Judge Theron gets appointed – we need desperately to have judges who are victim centered.

I initially thought your analogy with the pilots was silly, it now takes a different slant. Practice over and over and over through the many years makes pilots act instinctively – that makes a difference between people becoming daisy pushers or living to fly another day.

Lawyers with the vast experience that you are looking for in judges, day in and day out are defending mainly criminals and or the rich and/or powerful. It’s unsurprising then that our justice system leans in that direction.

@ Kameraad Mhambi – thanks for the Achmat update.

http://mhambi.com/2009/09/jsc-and-achmat-judgement-on-judge-hlophe/

Some sad news for those of us who firmly grasp the need for racially-based transformation of the bench.

Judge Cachalia — a man from struggle nobility — tells the JSC on Sunday he does not care what the colour of a Judge’s skin is, so long as he is fair.

Now it is reported that Judge Mapati, the black (!) judge who heads the Supreme Court of Appeals, resisted the demands of racial nationalists on the JSC that a white judge, Franz Malan, not be appointed.

According to the M&G, Mapati told the Black Lawyers Association that he needed a judge who was an experienced specialist in banking law, and Malan J was the best.

What a slap in the face for those of us who know very well that “experience” is just an excuse to exclude black judges!

You cannot stunt evolution you can only change its direction.