Few women judges worry JSC

The Judicial Services Commission remains concerned over the low number of women being nominated as judges, JSC spokesman CP Fourie said on Tuesday.

"This concern is illustrated by the fact that of the 43 candidates that were shortlisted for the vacant positions, only 14 were women.

Of the 15 recommended candidates, five were women.

Fourie was speaking at a news briefing to release the names of candidates recommended for judicial vacancies and submitted to President Jacob Zuma for final approval.

They are:

-- Judge Khayelihle Kenneth Mthiyane as deputy president of the Supreme Court of Appeal;

-- Glenn Goosen SC, as Eastern Cape High Court judge;

-- Buyiswa Majiki as Electoral Court judge;

-- Johannes Daffue and Lepono Lekale as Free State High Court judges;

-- Judge President Chimanlal Patel as judge president of the KwaZulu-Natal High Court;

-- Jacqueline Henriques, Zaba Nkosi, and Rashid Abdul Kader Vahed SC as judges in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court;

-- Zolashe Lallie and advocate Hilary Rabkin-Naicker as Labour Court judges;

-- Judge Ellem Jacob Francis, Tshifhiwa Maumele, Roland Sutherland SC, Mmonoa Teffo as judges in the High Courts in Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Francis had been a judge in the Labour Court, but his term came to an end.

He applied for a position in either the Labour Court or the High Courts in either Johannesburg or Pretoria and withdrew his candidacy for the Labour Court.

The JSC decided not to recommend anyone for the remaining vacancy.

Three positions in the Western Cape High Court were not filled as interviews were postponed.