Zuma's team's Hlope warning
2008-06-26 10:55
Johannesburg - Jacob Zuma's attorneys have warned the Constitutional Court that the way it handles its complaint against Cape Judge President John Hlophe will have consequences for "confidence" in the bench.
Hlophe is alleged to have tried to improperly influence two of the court's judges regarding cases involving the African National Congress (ANC) president.
Business Day reported on Thursday that the matter was raised in a letter to Chief Justice Pius Langa by Zuma's lawyer Michael Hulley.
In the correspondence, Hulley said he was making a "most gentle inquiry" as to when the court's judgments on Zuma would be delivered.
The Constitutional Court still had to rule on two matters relating to Zuma that would affect his corruption trial later this year.
Hulley confirmed that Langa had acknowledged "the concerns raised" in the letter.
"The chief justice has issued further directives wherein the parties may make further submissions in the context to which our letter was addressed to the court," he said.
The deadline for all submissions is July 5.
- SAPA