S/A President invites public nominations for next Chief Justice

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng seen at the Constitutional Court

President Cyril Ramaphosa is inviting public nominations for the next Chief Justice of South Africa. The term of the current Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng comes to an end on 11 October.

Even though the President appoints the Chief Justice, Ramaphosa says in a statement that, he wants to promote transparency in appointing key-role players in government. The President’s acting spokesperson Tyrone Seale says nominations should set out the reasons why the nominee is deemed suitable to be the next Chief Justice.

“All nominations and supporting documents except for personal information will be made public on the Presidency website by 04 October 2021. Any objections to the nominees will have to submit in writing, and sent to the two addresses that I have mentioned which are angeline@presidency.gov.za and cjnominations@gcis.gov.za.”

The Chief Justice is the head of the judiciary and in terms of the constitution, third in line to be head of state.

The appointee is the most senior jurist in the country, responsible for the functioning of the Constitutional Court and acts as the guarantor of the independence of all the lower courts.

A look at Mogoeng Mogoeng’s professional life

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng started his professional career as a temporary interpreter and was later appointed as High Court prosecutor from March 1986 to February 1990 in Mafikeng.

He did pupillage at the Johannesburg Bar and practiced as an Advocate at that Bar from June 1990 until the end of 1991.

He left to join the Mafikeng Bar from January 1992 and later served as the Deputy Chairperson of that Bar Association until his elevation to the bench.

In June 1997, he was appointed judge of the North West High Court and in April 2000 a judge of the Labour Appeal Court. In October 2002, he was then elevated to the position of Judge President of the North West High Court.

Mogoeng was requested by fellow judge presidents to serve as a member of the five-member committee led by the then Chief  Justice Pius Langa. That committee investigated racial and gender discrimination within the Judiciary and proposed the necessary remedial action.

He was appointed to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of South Africa in 2009 and subsequently elevated to the position of Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa on 08 September 2011.

In that capacity, he leads both the Constitutional Court and the Judiciary