JSC scraps interviews for prospective SCA judges

There was uncertainty over the Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC) five-day schedule of interviews of prospective judges after the first round of interviews, of candidates for the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), was scrapped on Monday.

The body, headed by Chief Justice Pius Langa, did not give any immediate explanation.

The interviews of four SCA candidates, including judges who flew down for the day from Gauteng and the Eastern Cape, were supposed to start after lunch on Monday.

Instead Langa held a brief discussion with the three candidates who had arrived, Eric Leach, Bennie Griesel and Ronnie Bosielo.

Shortly afterwards, Griesel, who is a Cape High Court judge and lives in Cape Town, left, followed soon after by Bosielo. Leach in mid-afternoon was preparing to return for the Eastern Cape.

The JSC, which includes a number of new appointees, including Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille, was holding discussions behind closed doors.

The JSC is due to sit until Friday to interview candidates for the Western Cape, North and South Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Free State and Limpopo high courts.—Sapa