Quote of the week
Universal adult suffrage on a common voters roll is one of the foundational values of our entire constitutional order. The achievement of the franchise has historically been important both for the acquisition of the rights of full and effective citizenship by all South Africans regardless of race, and for the accomplishment of an all-embracing nationhood. The universality of the franchise is important not only for nationhood and democracy. The vote of each and every citizen is a badge of dignity and of personhood. Quite literally, it says that everybody counts. In a country of great disparities of wealth and power it declares that whoever we are, whether rich or poor, exalted or disgraced, we all belong to the same democratic South African nation; that our destinies are intertwined in a single interactive polity.
August and Another v Electoral Commission and Others (CCT8/99) [1999] ZACC 3
Judicial Vacancies: nominations sought
MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT: JUDICIAL VACANCIES
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) invites nominations to fill vacancies as Judges in the following Courts:
- Eastern Cape Division of the High Court
Two vacancies (Deputy Judges President, Bhisho and Mthatha)
One vacancy (Port Elizabeth)
- Free State Division of the High Court
Two vacancies
- Gauteng Division of the High Court
Six vacancies
- Labour Court
Two vacancies
- KwaZulu-Natal
One vacancy (Deputy Judge President)
Two vacancies
- Northern Cape Division of the High Court
One vacancy
Nominations must be accompanied by the candidate’s written consent, detailed curriculum vitae disclosing the candidate’s formal qualifications for appointment, the standard questionnaire completed and signed by the candidate, as well as copies of at least three written judgments by the candidate. The standard questionnaire to be completed by all nominees is available on the South African Judiciary website: www.judiciary.org.za alternatively on the Constitutional Court website: www.constitutionalcourt.org.za.
The JSC reserves the right to recommend a candidate for the filling of any vacancy which may exist at the time of the interviews. This is to avoid the situation which has arisen in the past when, despite the availability of suitable candidates, no appointments could be made to fill vacancies which had occurred subsequent to the notice calling for nominations. Consequently, in making nominations, regard should be had to the possibility that more judicial vacancies may occur than have been advertised.
The Secretariat wishes to emphasize the following points:
- Interviews with short-listed candidates will be conducted in public, i.e. members of the public and the media (both electronic and print) will be entitled to be present.
- It is open to persons or bodies nominating candidates to motivate their nominations by referring the JSC to the candidate’s qualifications and general fitness for appointment.
- The questionnaire must be accompanied by the standardized “clearance certificate” which the candidate is required to obtain from his/her professional body regarding the candidate’s professional status within that body, his or her suitability for appointment to the Bench and the nature of any disciplinary proceedings completed or pending in respect of the relevant candidate.
- Nominations must be addressed to and reach the Secretariat of the JSC not later than Monday, 11 August 2015.
Interviews will take place during the week of 05-09 October 2015 in Cape Town. The exact venue for the interviews will be communicated to shortlisted candidates and members of the public in due course.
Applications must be addressed to:
The Secretariat of the JSC
Constitutional Court
Private Bag X1
Constitution Hill
Braamfontein
Johannesburg
2017
Tel: (011) 838 2019/2015
Fax2Email: 086 649 0944
Email: Chiloane@concourt.org.za alternatively Dube@concourt.org.za
Candidates who wish to hand deliver their nominations could do so either at 14th Floor Edura House, 41 Fox Street, Johannesburg alternatively at the Constitutional Court.
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Sello Chiloane
Secretariat: Judicial Service Commission
