Media Advisory
Ministry welcomes the appointment of Justice Mandisa Maya as Chief Justice
25 July 2024
The
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Ms Thembi Simelane, notes and welcomes the appointment of Justice Mandisa Maya by President Cyril Ramaphosa, in terms of section 174(3) of the Constitution, with effect from 1 September 2024.
South Africa’s first female Chief Justice will take over from Chief Justice Raymond Zondo when his term comes to an end on 31 August 2024.
In her career, Justice Maya has distinguished herself as a brilliant legal mind and a trailblazer. Her judicial record and her leadership qualities make her ideally suited to the position of Chief Justice.
Justice Mandisa Maya practiced as an advocate until her elevation to the bench in 1999. She has sat in various divisions of the High Court and the Labour Court before advancing to the Appellate Court and has acted as a Judge in the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Supreme Court of Namibia and the Appeal Court of Lesotho. Justice Mandisa Maya became the Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Appeal in 2015 and the President of the Supreme Court of Appeal in 2017.
She was the first woman to hold the positions of Deputy President and President of the Supreme Court of Appeal. Amongst her many achievements, she is also the current Vice-President of the International Association of Women Judges.
“We are reminded of the words of DCJ Maya, as she then was to the Judicial Services Commission in 2022, when she said that South Africa has always been ready to have a female Chief Justice, as we have always had strong capable women in the Constitutional Court.
We must also remember that last year we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Women Legal Practitioners Act, Act 7 of 1923, which allowed women to be legal practitioners and which provided that ‘women shall be entitled to be admitted to practice and to be enrolled as advocates, attorneys, notaries or conveyancers subject to the same terms and conditions as apply to men.’
Today we have a female Chief Justice. This appointment signifies the deeper appreciation of how far we have come as a nation and how much our courts have transformed, both in terms of race and gender. It signifies the transformation agenda of what was previously a male dominated judiciary.
Justice Maya brings with her profound experience and legal brilliance spanning many decades in the legal profession,” said Minister Simelane.
Women’s representation in the judiciary is key to ensuring that courts represent the people, address their concerns and are seen as inclusive. By their mere presence, women judges enhance the legitimacy of courts.
Today we can proudly say – Malibongwe! Igama lamakhosikazi!
Enquiries:
Tsekiso Machike
Ministry Spokesperson
078 237 3900
Issued by the Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services
