JSC interviews: Judge Bloem defends age suitability for SCA bench - EWN

The age of a candidate vying for a seat on the Supreme Court of Appeal bench was raised by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) in Johannesburg on Monday.   

The JSC had a late start to interviews on Monday afternoon to fill vacancies in the superior courts.  

The commission will interview five candidates for three vacancies on the Supreme Court of Appeal bench.   

Eastern Cape High Court Judge Gerald Bloem was the first in the hot seat, with commissioners pointing out that if appointed, he would only be able to serve for three and a half years.   

Bloem said, "What is happening in the SCA is, I don’t have to tell commissioners, that over the last three or four years that court has lost a lot of skills in judges, with SCA judges either retiring or elevating to the Constitutional Court. There is a need for judges with experience and skill to fill the void left by those judges, and if it means three and a half years, I will avail myself for that purpose."  

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