Western Cape High Court judge Owen Rogers has been appointed as the new Constitutional Court judge. The presidency describes Rogers as a highly experienced judge who has served at the Western Cape division of the High Court.
“Judge Rogers is a highly experienced judge who has been serving as a judge of the Western Cape Division of the High Court. He has been on the bench for the past nine years following many years in legal private practice,” said Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Mangwenya on Wednesday.
Mangwenya said Ramaphosa consulted Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and leaders of political parties represented in in the National Assembly.
Rogers was selected from a shortlist of four candidate names which were sent to Ramaphosa in April. The other three candidates who were shortlisted were Supreme Court of Appeal justice Mahube Molemela, Gauteng High Court judge Fayeeza Kathree-Setiloane and senior counsel Alan Dodson.
After a number of stints at the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) from 2017 to 2021, Rogers acted at the Constitutional Court in 2021 and was part of the bench that steered the country through the litigation-fraught 2021 local government elections, penning the major decision which prevented the IEC to postpone the elections.
With Rogers appointed as the new Constitutional Court judge, this is another step forward in reaching its full compliment of 11 justices after the prolonged period of vaccines. The appointments of justices Jody Kollapen and Rammaka were announced in December after the October JSC interviews and SCA president Mandisa Maya is expected to take up her role at the apex court as the deputy chief justice.
Source: Eyewitness News, Times Live, Sowetan Live, Jacaranda FM, Image from Twitter