Hlophe says his impeachment has no bearing on his eligibility to sit on JSC
MK Party parliamentary leader, John Hlophe, said that his impeachment as a judge had no bearing on whether he was eligible or suitable to sit on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
MK Party parliamentary leader, John Hlophe, in Parliament. Picture: @ParliamentofRSA/X
CAPE TOWN - MK Party parliamentary leader, John Hlophe, said that his impeachment as a judge had no bearing on whether he was eligible or suitable to sit on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
The only requirement is that he be a member of Parliament.
His lawyer, Advocate Thabani Masuku, on Wednesday told the Western Cape High Court that it would also not undermine the judicial independence of the commission if he sat on the body that interviews candidates to recommend for appointment as judges.
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Hlophe and the MK Party are opposing separate applications by the Democratic Alliance (DA), Freedom Under Law and Corruption Watch to set aside Hlophe's designation by the National Assembly in July last year.
Masuku said that Hlophe's judicial experience can not be discounted and claims of public concern by the applicants about the impact of his designation to the JSC were contrived.
"Why should we be saddled with this notion that there’s a public out there which is concerned about this one member of the National Assembly being part of the JSC. We are not concerned about members who had criminal records but are now beyond the five-year period and are therefore serving quite comfortably on the JSC or serves the National Assembly in any capacity."