/ 26 February 2009

Commission hopes for April Hlophe hearing date

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is hoping to hear the matter relating to Cape Judge President John Hlophe between April 1 and 8, spokesperson Marumo Moerane said on Thursday.

The date would be finalised when the Constitutional Court judges and Hlophe confirmed that they would be available for the dates proposed.

The venue had not been finalised but the commission was hoping to have it in Johannesburg.

They would also have to decide whether the hearings would be open to the public.

Last year the Constitutional Court judges lodged a complaint with the commission that Hlophe had allegedly approached two judges in an inappropriate manner.

This was while they were considering how to rule on African National Congress president Jacob Zuma’s challenge to searches carried out in the investigation against him.

Hlophe subsequently complained to the JSC that his rights had been violated when the court made the complaint public minutes after informing him.

He also approached the Johannesburg High Court saying his rights had been infringed and that the JSC hearing should stop.

The court ruled in his favour, and the Constitutional Court judges were given leave to appeal the matter in the Supreme Court of Appeal on March 23.

The JSC, meanwhile, decided to wait for the outcome of the SCA application before holding the hearing.

Hlophe is on special leave, although he tried unsuccessfully to go back to work at the beginning of February. — Sapa