As of 1st May, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has taken his long leave.
Speculation that he’d had to resign, following the controversy surrounding the demand by Africa 4 Palestine and their supporters that he be removed from his position given his statements on Israel, is false.
The Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC) ruled in March 2021, that the Chief Justice must apologise for pro-Israel comments he made in a webinar in June last year, hosted by the Jerusalem Post. The Chief Justice chose to appeal the ruling and declined Africa 4 Palestine’s request to meet on the matter.
The Office of the Chief Justice issued the following statement
CHIEF JUSTICE MOGOENG’S LONG LEAVE
“The statement seeks to inform members of the public that Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has taken his long leave with effect from 01 May 2021.
Regulation 3 of the Judges’ Remuneration and Conditions of Employment Act, 2001 provides for Judges to take leave of three and half months for every period of four years’ actual service. This leave is referred to as long leave within the Judiciary. The Chief Justice’s four-year cycle to take his long leave commenced on 01 July 2018 but he was unable to take it due to his judicial and extra judicial commitments.
In terms of Regulation 8 of the Judges Remuneration and Conditions of Employment Act, Judges leave is not cumulative and therefore had the Chief Justice not taken his leave it would have been forfeited as it has happened on previous occasions. He accordingly informed the Minister and the President about his intention to take his long leave and requested that Justice Khampepe be appointed as Acting Deputy Chief Justice which the President has duly done.
It is a normal practice in the Judiciary for Judges to take their leave whenever it is due. The Chief Justice’s long leave was due and he has duly taken it.”
