A Polokwane-based group of legal practitioners said on Sunday that it will be challenging a decision by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) recommending Limpopo High Court Judge, George Phatudi to be the province’s next judge president.
Three candidates were interviewed for the position last week as presiding judge president, Ephraim Makgoba’s retirement looms.
The Amalgamated Lawyers Association wrote to the president, indicating its plans to challenge Phatudi’s recommendation.
The association said the decision was taken unlawfully and it wants the decision to be declared invalid, reviewed, and set aside.
The secretary general of the Amalgamated Lawyers Association told Eyewitness News that their reasons include that Judge Maake Kganyago, who was also up for the same position, was made to withdraw comments which the JSC labeled as ‘tribalism’.
Further, current judge president Makgoba sat on the panel when it interviewed Judge Phatudi, who was quizzed about a meeting he had with Makgoba on allegations of capture at the court.
Pending the outcome of the court action, the organization on Friday asked the president to halt Phatudi’s appointment.
The presidency has written back, saying the president hasn’t yet received the JSC’s recommendation and that it would be “premature” to make such an undertaking at this stage.
In the meantime, the organization’s also written to the JSC requesting the record of deliberations.
The commission has refused, saying these deliberations are confidential. But the organization has asked it to reconsider – citing a previous case between the JSC and the Helen Suzman foundation in which the former was ordered to provide the latter with a record of deliberations.
-EWN
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