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Boycott goes ahead as lawyers wait for King

10/11/2011 00:00:00 MBONGENI NDLELA AND LINDA JEL

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MBABANE – It would seem the judicial crisis is far from over as lawyers yesterday vowed to wait for His Majesty King Mswati III to bring a resolution to the crisis.

The King is currently in seclusion which practically means he does not attend to national duties until the period is over around February next year.

The ‘learned friends’ have resolved to continue with their boycott and they also agreed that if the Judicial Service Commission fails to fully and properly address their grievances, among which is the removal of the Chief Justice Michael Ramodibedi from office, they will remain on boycott until the King comes out of seclusion.

The lawyers crammed court C at the High Court where they voted for the continuation of the boycott.

The meeting began at 2pm, hardly two hours after the JSC had called off a press conference and later issued a press release where the JSC called for the ‘learned friends’ to go back to work and call off the boycott.

The JSC had stated that this should happen in respect of two comprehensive agreements entered into by the law society and the commission.

In a press briefing immediately after the meeting, Zweli Jele, the Chairman of the Subcommittee working on the judicial crisis, along with the president of the Law Society, Titus Mlangeni, said lawyers have resolved to continue with the boycott until Ramodibedi is removed from office.

Jele said, "Lawyers have agreed they will wait for the King to come out of seclusion if their grievances are not properly addressed."

He said the lawyers voted for the boycott after their executive committee, which met with the JSC last Friday night, presented the comprehensive agreements to the lawyers.

"It appears that the JSC thought the agreements are binding us to go back to court. It is shocking when the commission is calling us to go back to court," Jele said.

Adding, Mlangeni said: "clearly we have not yet found any ratification and the JSC cannot force us back to work because there is no time frame. It is shocking and unfair that the JSC is now calling us to go back to work based on the agreement yet they have not addressed the complaint about the removal of the Chief Justice from office,"

CJ willing to cooperate, urges lawyers to end boycott — JSC

MBABANE – The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has said the Chief Justice Michael Ramodibedi is willing to cooperate with lawyers and calls for them to end their boycott with immediate effect.

The JSC, in a statement, said it yesterday met and discussed the lawyers’ demand for a time frame on when their complaints against Chief Justice Michael Ramodibedi have been addressed, before they return to court.

The JSC secretary Lorraine Hlophe stated that, in the JSC’s view, there are two comprehensive agreements that were negotiated and entered into between it and the lawyers. She said the JSC considers the two agreements to be in full force and effect.

"The JSC, therefore, calls upon the Law Society to call of its boycott and for lawyers to return to work in the spirit of the reconciliatory meeting that was convened and the subsequent agreements that were entered into on Friday, November 4, 2011," she stated.

She also proposed that other issues, which the lawyers may wish to raise with the JSC, they may do so, while work is in progress.

"Furthermore, as the honourable Chief Justice and the JSC have demonstrated a willingness to cooperate with the law society going forward, any further matters that the law Society wishes to raise with the JSC may be raised while work is in progress.

Comments

This is another one of the Sibusiso's inventions..this is what happens to people that the prime minister is proud of, like the best cabinet and a CJ turned MAKHULU BAAS. It can only happen in Swaziland. When Mgwagwa started singing praises that he has cracked it in the first week of his appointment, I knew that he was was saying that out of ignorance. Being a novice himself in these matters he can be forgiven for the overzealoussness in resolving what they refuse to call a Judicial Crisis when there is evidence that it is. Ntimandze, this will prove harder than firing a judge! 4 months of courts paralysis in the country is a shame! When is this 11 November thing that the MP from Shiselweni was talking about that police are now making frantic efforts to investigate? Or is going to be called a coup attempt again? Guys lets not be sidetracked, lets face the issues and remove the impediments to restore order in our courts, period. My advice is leave the KING out of this and let him live in peace in seclusion. We have the 3 arms of government being paid, "lets have the baby Honourable ones and you keep the pain"! BURNS UYASHISA
Nov 10, 2011, 1:19 PM, Burns Dlamini (Burnspolitics@gmail.com)

The Judicial crisis, The Supreme Court is presiding over cases where clearly the constitutional rights of the litigants (of representation by a Lawyer of their choice ) is not upheld. Will that not lead to a string of cases, or one class act type case were the aggrieved parties will seek to have all the Judgements of this Supreme Court session declared null and void? Or will it set a precedent whereby the constitution is overruled once a Chief judge finds it necessary to do so? What a circus this is turning out to be.. it is not making me gain any confidence in the Swazi Judiciary.. I fear the crisis has just reached new depth.
Nov 10, 2011, 2:49 PM, james (jamesadlamin@gmail.com)