Hlophe facing another complaint

2011-05-29 16:01

Johannesburg - Western Cape Judge president John Hlophe is facing a new "gross misconduct" complaint by a legal advocacy group that wants him disciplined and possibly removed, the Sunday Independent reported.

Freedom Under Law (FUL) said Hlophe was not fit to serve the public as a judge because of his "scandalous public utterances" about judges of the Constitutional Court.

FUL chairperson and retired Constitutional Court judge Johann Kriegler confirmed the complaint and said it would be submitted to the Judicial Services Commission on Monday.

In an affidavit, the group said statements made by Hlophe, while defending a 2008 complaint by justices of the Constitutional Court, were "contemptuous, scandalous, intemperate and false".

At the time, Hlophe was accused of trying to sway the court in favour of President Jacob Zuma and arms company Thint in arms-deal related cases.

The group said Hlophe's statements made in affidavits submitted in the litany of court cases were "unbecoming of a judge and calculated to bring the administration of justice in South Africa into disrepute".

Hlophe's lawyer, Barnabas Xulu, said he was aware of the complaint but would not comment until his client had time to study the document.
 

- SAPA