Chris Oxtoby

6 days ago | ewn.co.za | Judith February |Chris Oxtoby

Two incidents in recent weeks have raised concerns about aspects of the governance of the court system and the legal profession. They invite questions about both individual and structural leadership, which are crucial to upholding the Constitution and the rule of law. The Legal Practice Council (LPC)’s disciplinary process against Advocate Dali Mpofu was always going to be a significant moment.

3 weeks ago | ewn.co.za | Judith February |Chris Oxtoby

The rule of law has been under pressure for some time in South Africa. This is not surprising. There is a global trend, prominent in the United States under the Trump presidency but by no means unique to it, of democratic institutions and constitutional checks on power being undermined and fundamentally called into question.

1 month ago | ewn.co.za | Judith February |Chris Oxtoby

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) held its first sitting for 2025 last week. Described as a "small but significant affair", the JSC spent just one day interviewing candidates for positions on the Electoral Court and the Labour Court. The commission also discussed the stats of several complaints against judges. The interview process normally lasts far longer – at the JSC’s previous sitting, in October 2024, the interviews spanned two weeks.

1 month ago | ewn.co.za | Judith February |Chris Oxtoby

Recently, the Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC) found, by majority decision, that complaints against retired KwaZulu-Natal High Court Judge Anton van Zyl could not be referred to a Judicial Conduct Tribunal. This means that the judge cannot be impeached, but will rather face an inquiry, following which a range of lesser sanctions – such as an apology, a written warning, compensation, counselling, or attendance at a training course, could be imposed.

2 months ago | dailymaverick.co.za | Judith February |Chris Oxtoby

GroundUp reported on 4 March that the Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC) had found, by majority decision, that complaints against the retired KwaZulu-Natal High Court judge Anton van Zyl could not be referred to a judicial conduct tribunal. This means that the judge cannot be impeached, but will rather face an inquiry, following which a range of lesser sanctions — such as an apology, a written warning, compensation, counselling or attendance at a training course — could be imposed.