JSC recommends North West judge for deputy judge president post for third time

Three women and one man have been recommended to President Cyril Ramaphosa for appointment to the Bench.

The male candidate, Judge Ronald Hendricks, was appointed North West Deputy Judge President after he was interviewed for the position for the third time.

The four recommendations were made out of nine candidates – three men and six women – who the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), chaired by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, interviewed this week.

The commission recommended advocates Deidre Susan Kusevitsky and Hayley Maud Slingers for vacancies on the Western Cape Bench after interviewing five candidates for the two vacancies.

During her interview, Slingers told the commission that she acted in the High Court for five terms.

She said she had extensive experience as an attorney and prosecutor, among other things, and that she had been exposed to the High Court.

Slingers added that her passion for law ensured that she performed her duties efficiently.

She told the panel that she took less than two months to deliver her judgments because she worked “hard and smart”.

Kusevitsky told the commission about racism at the Cape Bar and said she also experienced sexism. She said briefs were mainly given to men.

According to the website Judges Matter, Kusevitsky acted at the High Court for three terms in 2017 and three in 2018.

Turning to the Free State, the JSC recommended Nokuthula Sylvia Daniso for the single vacancy in that division.

News24 earlier reported that while the Black Lawyers Association raised concerns that she had acted for less than two terms in the High Court and said it did not support her appointment, Daniso said, while acting for five months, she had managed to write judgments in “all” sections.

Meanwhile, after being interviewed for a third time for the position of North West Deputy Judge President, Hendricks managed to convince the JSC that he was right for the job.

He was the only person who was interviewed for the vacancy.

Hendricks presided over the trial of two men convicted of killing Coligny teen Matlhomola Moshoeu.

He found the two accused – Pieter Doorewaard and Phillip Schutte – guilty of murder, kidnapping, intimidation, theft and the pointing of a firearm in November 2018.

Doorewaard and Schutte were sentenced to 18 and 23 years in prison respectively.

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