KZN judges told to keep working over Christmas

18 December 2012 - 10:39 By Sapa
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Judges in Kwazulu-Natal have been told by their judge president to use their holidays to complete outstanding judgements.

"I am writing to the judges today to remind them that they must fulfil this constitutional imperative," KZN Judge President Chiman Patel said, according to the Star.

His instructions come after it came to light that one judge had taken three years to hand down a judgement.

"Anything more than two recesses - which is about seven months - is unacceptable. I urge them to use their holiday time to catch up."

Last month, Judge Anton van Zyl rescinded the default judgement in a matter that he had heard in September 2009.

The case involved a Mariannhill couple who fell into arrears with bond payments and who -- despite paying an amount back to the bank -- lost their house when the bank auctioned it off.

Van Zyl has now ordered that the issue of the auctioning off of the house be taken to trial -- a legal move which could see the case carry on even further into the future.

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