Western Cape magistrates marched to Parliament in Cape Town, to demand judicial reforms, improved salaries, and recognition as 'judges of the lower court'. Magistrates’ courts are the closest to the people. While bringing different levels of the judiciary together is a progressive move, that alone will not address any incompetencies and other challenges that the judiciary is wrestling with, says the writer.
Prof. Bheki Mngomezulu
The Judiciary Conference was held in Umhlanga in KwaZulu-Natal from July 13 to 16, 2026. The main objective of this conference was encapsulated in its theme: “Towards a single, institutionally independent, and accountable judiciary.”
The six main resolutions adopted on the last day built on those adopted at the Judges Conference held from December 4 to 7, 2023, in Sun City in the North-West province. Twenty years had passed since South Africa’s legal minds gathered in this manner to deliberate on various issues that concern their profession.
Unlike the 2023 conference, which primarily focused on the judges, the one for 2026 was broader in its focus – including the judiciary in its broader context. As indicated in both the theme outlined above and the resolutions discussed below, the 2026 conference took a deliberate decision to correct some of the wrongs of the past by calling for unity.
