Whatever the contents of the letter, this clearly provided enough incentive and motivation for Hlophe to step out of the fray at a critical moment in his controversial professional life.
Judge President John Hlophe has disregarded various opinions of his conduct, the most searing handed down by Supreme Court of Appeal Judge Visvanathan Ponnan in 2017.
It will come as no surprise then that Hlophe remains optimistic while the JSC considers damning findings of gross misconduct that could see the Judge President impeached.
It was Hlophe’s conflict of interest in a matter involving his own lawyer, Barnabas Xulu, and Xulu’s client, businessman Matthews Mulaudzi, that Ponnan said had led to the Judge President’s inability to be open-minded, impartial or fair on hearing the matter.
Hlophe has, over the years, publicly insulted Chief Justices, fellow judges and strewn counter-complaints in retaliation for those lodged by fellow judges against him.
Cape Bench served with two judges iol.co.za - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from iol.co.za Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has let it be known that Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe will be present at the interviews on Friday, 23 April of candidates for two vacant positions in his own fraught division.
Hlophe’s intention to appear at the interviews and the JSC’s communication on 19 April that the Judge President will be doing so, occur in a sort of legal vacuum, a place in which Hlophe thrives.
It took more than 13 years for a complaint about Hlophe’s inappropriate approach to two Constitutional Court judges in 2008 to be heard by a Judicial Conduct Tribunal, chaired by retired Judge Joop Labuschagne, which unanimously found Hlophe guilty of gross misconduct.
Judge Hlophe s future uncertain after Tribunal s guilty verdict iol.co.za - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from iol.co.za Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.