Cape Town – Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha says a new requirement for judges to declare their financial interests will help the judiciary to be impartial and independent.
The Minister said this when he briefed journalists at the Imbizo Centre in Cape Town on Wednesday on the Budget Vote of the Office of the Chief Justice.
The Minister also said the transformation of the judicial sphere of the state is central to the Office of the Chief Justice’s targets to also ensure the representation of women on the bench.
He said making judges to be accountable and declare their financial interest was in the best interest of their work and that of the general members of the public.
“Judicial independence and judicial accountability are not mutually exclusive.
“Judicial accountability is essential in ensuring that our courts perform optimally without fear, favour or prejudice.
“One of the mechanisms that we have put in place to ensure judicial accountability is the disclosure of the judges’ financial interests,” he said.
The Minister said he was pleased that there has been an overwhelming compliance by judges, adding that the same dispensation would soon be extended to magistrates in pursuit of a single judiciary.
Progress made to transform the judiciary
Meanwhile, the Minister said that transformation of the judiciary lies in the heart of the Constitutional discourse.
He said that this was a Constitutional imperative which the judiciary and the executive continue to grapple with.
“Indeed great strides have already been made in transforming our judiciary to reflect the racial and gender composition of the South African society as espoused in the Constitution. We are indeed making progress, especially in the appointment of women judges.
“Of the 242 judges in active service, some 86 are women and some of these lady justices are in leadership positions. It is also important to note that the number of female judges in the Constitutional Court has also been increasing steadily…” – SAnews.gov.za
