Gauteng judges to hear Judge Hlophe review

THE judges in the Gauteng division will hear the application by their Western Cape colleague, Judge John Hlophe, to review the Judicial Service Commission’s gross misconduct finding against him.

Presiding Judge Roland Sutherland made the ruling when part one of the urgent review application was heard in the Johannesburg High Court yesterday.

In his court papers, Judge Hlophe named Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo as one of the commissioners that upheld the gross misconduct finding against him.

The first part of his application sought to stop President Cyril Ramaphosa from suspending him and Parliament from instituting the impeachment process.

Judge Hlophe also wants, in the main application, to review the decision of the JSC on the grounds that the judicial body was not properly constituted when it took the decision.

Judge Sutherland he said there was no merit on any grounds for inviting a member of another division to hear the matter.

“It is the responsibility of this division to hear it. I will case-manage this matter until the hearing, and a judge of this division will hear the matter.”