Anybody with proof of wrongdoing by judges should report back to authorities – The Citizen

President Cyril Ramaphosa has slammed latest assaults on the judiciary, wherein some judges are accused of advancing political agendas and accepting bribes.

Ramaphosa says whereas the Structure ensures freedom of speech, individuals, particularly these in positions of energy should not make such claims with out presenting proof.

“There are clear processes established in regulation to cope with allegations of misconduct in opposition to members of the judiciary.

“Anybody who has proof of any wrongdoing by any choose ought to make use of the avenues supplied in our Structure and in our regulation to make sure that applicable motion is taken,” he stated.

With out presenting proof to help the claims, such allegations undermine the judiciary and the perform that it performs in our democracy, stated Ramaphosa.

“In fact, South Africa is a free nation, with a Structure that ensures freedom of expression and opinion. Nonetheless, when some in positions of accountability select to make use of these freedoms to undermine our Constitutional order, they need to be reminded of the doable penalties of their utterances.”

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Full letter

Pricey Fellow South African,

Yesterday, as Commander-In-Chief of our nation’s armed forces, I officiated on the annual celebration of Armed Forces Day within the Citadel in Cape City. This necessary occasion is held annually on the anniversary of the sinking of the SS Mendi in 1917, wherein greater than 600 black South African troopers and 30 crew misplaced their lives.

On Armed Forces Day, we keep in mind the women and men who’ve misplaced their lives within the service of our nation. We’re additionally reminded on at the present time of the accountability that the defence pressure has to guard our democracy.

The Structure asserts that the first object of the defence pressure is to defend the Republic, its territorial integrity and its individuals in accordance with the Structure.

Whereas the defence pressure is the one lawful navy pressure within the nation, the accountability to defend our democracy and uphold our Structure rests with every one in all us.

Our democratic Structure is the product of years of sacrifice and wrestle. Many South Africans endured nice ache and hardship, and lots of misplaced their lives, in order that we might dwell in a democracy the place all could take pleasure in equal rights.

The values, rules and rights contained within the Structure are neither trivial, nor summary. They immediately have an effect on the every day lives of tens of millions of individuals, stopping the arbitrary use of energy, offering safety to the weak, and advancing the entry of all individuals to shelter, water, well being care, schooling and social help.

The Structure can also be very important to sustaining a system of checks and balances to stop the abuse and focus of energy to the detriment of the individuals. The three arms of the state – the legislature, the chief and the judiciary – every have a job to play in making certain accountability and adherence to the rule of regulation.

With out these checks and balances, with out every arm of the state fulfilling its accountability, with out adherence to the Structure, our democracy is weak and nugatory.

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We should always subsequently be involved when those that occupy distinguished positions in society make statements that show a disdain for the fundamental rules of our Structure and the establishments established to defend our democracy.

Of explicit concern are latest utterances directed on the judiciary, wherein some judges are accused, with none proof, of pursuing pursuits aside from the reason for justice. Judges have been accused of political agendas and a few have even been accused of accepting bribes.

Such claims are deeply disturbing, for a minimum of two causes.

Firstly, if such claims had been true, it will imply that there are some throughout the judiciary who’re failing to uphold the values and rules with which they’ve been entrusted.

Fortuitously, our Structure makes provision for such a risk. The Nationwide Meeting is empowered to take away judges who’re discovered by the Judicial Service Fee to be responsible of gross misconduct.

The Judicial Service Fee is a fastidiously constituted physique, which incorporates representatives from the judiciary but additionally the authorized career, academia and Parliament. There are clear processes established in regulation to cope with allegations of misconduct in opposition to members of the judiciary.

Anybody who has proof of any wrongdoing by any choose ought to make use of the avenues supplied in our Structure and in our regulation to make sure that applicable motion is taken.

The claims which have been made in opposition to the judiciary are disturbing for an additional cause.

With out the presentation of proof to help these claims, and until referred to the related authorities, all that such allegations do is to undermine the judiciary and the necessary perform that it performs in our democracy.

In fact, South Africa is a free nation, with a Structure that ensures freedom of expression and opinion. Nonetheless, when some in positions of accountability select to make use of these freedoms to undermine our Constitutional order, they need to be reminded of the doable penalties of their utterances.

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One in all these doable penalties is the erosion of belief within the judiciary and our constitutional order.

As former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo stated in an tackle in 2010:

“[W]ithout public confidence within the skill of the courts to dispense justice, there could be no religion within the rule of regulation. With out religion within the rule of regulation, useful relationships of belief inside society start to interrupt down.

“Residents can not be assured that their rights might be revered. Companies can not be assured that their contracts might be honored. Victims of crime can not be assured that justice might be served in court docket. Public confidence is subsequently very important.

“That’s the reason courts should not solely be unbiased and efficient; they have to be seen to be unbiased and efficient.”

We should always subsequently not take assaults on the judiciary frivolously. Such assaults shake the very foundations of our constitutional democracy. Until supported by proof, such claims undermine confidence in our courts, and weaken our Constitutional order.

In all our actions, we have to take heed of Part 165(3) of the Structure, which says: “No particular person or organ of state could intervene with the functioning of the courts.”

We intervene with the functioning of our courts and weaken the rule of regulation after we assault the judiciary. Our failure to implement our courts’ injunctions weakens our constitutional democracy.

The troopers who we honoured yesterday throughout Armed Forces Day have taken an oath to dedicate their lives to guard our democracy. Like them, all of us have a accountability to defend the Structure upon which our democracy is based.

We now have a accountability to the generations of our forebears, a lot of whom gave their lives in order that we could have a democratic Structure.

We now have a accountability to the tens of millions of South Africans who look to the Structure for defense and aid.

And we’ve got a accountability to future generations who will look to this Structure as the muse of a steady, peaceable and simply nation.

With finest regards,