Media claim victory for press freedom

Said Nic Dawes, M&G editor, "The judgement is yet another ringing endorsement of constitutional role of the media in securing the democratic process from courts which are increasingly developing our jurisprudence around freedom of speech and openness.”

At 4pm on Wednesday, Judge Frans Malan ruled in the South Gauteng High Court that a "preliminary investigation" by the Judicial Service Commission into a complaint of misconduct against Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe, and his counter complaint against the judges of the constitutional court, must be opened to the public and the media.

The JSC had sought to hold the hearings, which are to be conducted by a three-person subcommittee of the JSC complaints committee, in private - despite the fact that it had already conducted an extensive review of the evidence in public, following an earlier court ruling by Judge Nigel Willis.

Breached fundamental principles

Advocates Kate Hofmeyer, for the M&G, and Steven Budlender, for e.tv, argued that the decision to exclude the public breached fundamental principles of the constitution and of administrative justice.

The JSC, supported by counsel for Hlophe, had sought to keep the hearings closed, with the JSC's advocate Bashir Valley arguing that the media "turn serious debate into pornography" and are "driven by their own agendas".

Added Dawes, “We hope the JSC will now agree that the processes surrounding Judge Hlophe and the Constitutional court must be conducted with absolute rigour and transparency, and we are very pleased to be able to bring our readers the details of those processes without resorting to leaks and inferences.

"I hope the commission will also clarify whether it shares the views of its counsel on the role of the press in a democratic society."