PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has officially given Judge John Hlophe the boot.
The presidency said this was done following the Constitution after a resolution by the National Assembly.
President spokesman Vincent Magwenya said: “The president accordingly removed Judge President Mandlakayise Hlophe of the Western Cape Division of the High Court from judicial office following the National Assembly resolution to remove Judge Hlophe, as stipulated in section 177 (1) (b) of the Constitution.“
Last month, a total of 305 Members of Parliament voted for the removal of Judge Hlope from judicial office, with 27 members voting against his removal.
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) referred the matter to parliament after the Judicial Conduct Tribunal (JCT) concluded that Judge Hlophe’s conduct breached the provisions of section 165 of the Constitution by improperly attempting to influence the two Justices of the Constitutional Court to violate their oaths of office.
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He wanted to influence the judges to rule in favour of former ANC president Jacob Zuma in a 2008 case involving the admissibility of 93 000 pages of evidence destined for use in his corruption trial.
The JCT established that Judge Hlophe’s behaviour seriously threatened and interfered with the independence, impartiality, dignity and effectiveness of the Constitutional Court and further undermined public confidence in the judicial system.
Hlophe becomes the first judge since the dawn of democracy to be impeached.
He has forfeited all his benefits, including his pension fund.
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