South Africa: President Ramaphosa invites public participation in selecting the Chief Justice
On 16 September 2021, the Office of the Presidency released a statement inviting the public to nominate candidates for the position of the next Chief Justice of South Africa. The term of current Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng ends on 11 October 2021.
This is the first time the public will be involved in nominating the next head of the Judiciary. The Presidency has said this decision aims to promote transparency and public participation, and to deepen public confidence in the independence and integrity of the Judiciary.
The call for nominations explains that any person may nominate candidates for the position of Chief Justice. These nominations should be accompanied by the endorsement of at least one professional body of legal practitioners, or non-governmental organisation working in the field of human rights or other legal areas. Nominations should set out why the nominee is deemed suitable to be the next Chief Justice, their experience as a legal practitioner and as a leader.
Nominations must be accompanied by:
- A nomination letter detailing the nominator’s contact details;
- The acceptance of the nomination; and
- Letters of support from the relevant legal professional bodies or NGOs endorsing the nominee and any other information deemed relevant for the position of the Chief Justice.
All nominations and supporting documents must be emailed to [email protected] and [email protected] by 1 October 2021. The nominations will be made public on the Presidency’s website by 4 October 2021 and any objections should be sent by 14 October 2021.
The Presidency’s press release can be accessed here.
Please note: The information contained in this note is for general guidance on matters of interest, and does not constitute legal advice. For any enquiries, please contact us at [email protected].
