Quote of the week
Mr Zuma is no ordinary litigant. He is the former President of the Republic, who remains a public figure and continues to wield significant political influence, while acting as an example to his supporters… He has a great deal of power to incite others to similarly defy court orders because his actions and any consequences, or lack thereof, are being closely observed by the public. If his conduct is met with impunity, he will do significant damage to the rule of law. As this Court noted in Mamabolo, “[n]o one familiar with our history can be unaware of the very special need to preserve the integrity of the rule of law”. Mr Zuma is subject to the laws of the Republic. No person enjoys exclusion or exemption from the sovereignty of our laws… It would be antithetical to the value of accountability if those who once held high office are not bound by the law.
Secretary of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State v Zuma and Others (CCT 52/21) [2021] ZACC 18
Bang ’em up! Hanging’s too good for them! MPs turned on the three Murdoch employees who are believed to have lied to the Commons culture committee. And pretty comprehensive fibs they seem to have been. Porkies, whoppers, fabrications, terminological inexactitudes – people with noses so long you could have hung your duvet covers on them to dry. If they do decide to lock up the Wapping Three, and they have a perfect – if ancient – legal right to do exactly that, the trio will be the first malfeasants to be jugged by parliament for 132 years. MPs were debating a short motion to refer the culture committee’s report to the committee on standards and privileges, which is stuck with the job of deciding whether the three were lying, and if so, what should be done. Presumably they will get something on the gamut between being forced to apologise and chemical castration. – Simon Hoggart in The Guardian
