JSC re-advertises Concourt vacancy

THERE’S still a position vacant in the Constitutional Court.

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) yesterday re-advertised the position, which became vacant after the discharge of Justice Johann van der Westhuizen.

According to the Concourt, there are positions for 11 judges and they serve for non-renewable terms of 12 to 15 years.

When a position is vacant, the JSC calls for nominations, holds public interviews of candidates, then draws up a list of candidates; there must be three more names than there are vacancies.

The president, in consultation with the chief justice and the leaders of political parties represented in the National Assembly, then chooses from that list.

The JSC is also advertising two vacancies for judges in the Electoral Court, two in the Competition Appeal Court and 13 vacancies in high courts.

Those vacancies include six in the Gauteng high courts, three in the Free State including the deputy judge president position, two in the Eastern Cape and one each in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

The Electoral Court vacancies won’t be filled until after the elections, as the deadline for nominations for all the positions is August 5.

“Nominations must be accompanied by the candidate’s written consent, detailed curriculum vitae disclosing the candidate’s formal qualifications for appointment, the standard questionnaire completed and signed by the candidate, as well as copies of at least three written judgments by the candidate,” said the JSC.

“The JSC reserves the right to recommend a candidate for the filling of any vacancy which may exist at the time of the interviews. This is to avoid the situation which has arisen in the past when, despite the availability of suitable candidates, no appointments could be made to fill vacancies which had occurred subsequent to the notice calling for nominations.”

Interviews are expected to take place in Cape Town in early October.