Zondo appoints judge to conduct inquiry into Judges' Goliath, Hlophe complaints

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Cape Town - Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has appointed Justice Nambitha Dambuza to conduct an inquiry after the complaint by Deputy Judge President Patricia Goliath against Western Cape High Court Judge Gayaat Salie-Hlophe. Justice Goliath accused Justice Salie-Hlophe of having an undue amount of influence because of her marriage to the judge president. At the same time Judge Zondo said that Justice Salie-Hlophe would not be impeached if the complaint lodged against her by Justice Goliath was upheld. Judge Zondo said: “In the event of a valid complaint being established the appropriate remedial action will be a lesser sanction than impeachment. Such remedial action includes an apology to the complainant, a reprimand, a written warning, or appropriate counselling.

"In terms of Section 17 such an inquiry need not necessarily be a formal inquiry but may be a formal inquiry if the member of the committee designated to conduct it decides that it should be a formal inquiry.”

In her complaint in January, Justice Goliath accused Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe and Justice Salie-Hlophe of gross misconduct.

Last month, the secretariat of the Judicial Conduct Committee said after considering Justice Goliath’s complaint against Justice Hlophe and his counter-complaint, Justice Zondo was satisfied that each complaint, if established, would proba bly lead to a finding that the respondent judge in each case was guilty of gross misconduct.

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Cape Argus

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