Western Cape magistrates marched to Parliament in Cape Town, to demand judicial reforms, improved salaries, and recognition as 'judges of the lower court'. The idea of migrating magistrates to the Office of Chief Justice has been welcomed as a step toward creating an independent judiciary system.
The release of the 2026 Judiciary Conference’s resolutions that magistrates should migrate to the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) has been welcomed, as stakeholders feel that, under the Department of Justice (DoJ), magistrates are not completely independent of the Cabinet.
Currently, magistrates report to the DoJ, which provides them with administrative support, budgets, and staffing. They have been complaining about inferior treatment compared to judges.
During their conference held in Durban between Monday and Thursday, the officers resolved that there should be a speedy creation of a single judiciary system in which magistrates would join judges in reporting directly to the OCJ.
The recommendations were first adopted by the 2023 conference.
