Law society condemns personal attacks on Judge Thokozile Masipa

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

The Law Society of South Africa has expressed concern at the threats and personal attacks made against Judge Thokozile Masipa following her judgment in the trial of Paralympian Oscar Pistorius.

The Society says in a statement that court judgments are not above scrutiny, but the judgments need to be respected and scrutiny has to be informed, constructive, and based on sound legal principles.

It says personal attacks on the judicial officer and the legal practitioners are not acceptable or appropriate in a country where the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary and of the legal profession are paramount.

The Society says its for this very reason that an appeal procedure exists which allows parties, who are of the view that a different judge or court may come to a different conclusion, to apply for leave to appeal.

Social media has been awash with criticism of Masipa after she convicted Pisorius of culpable homicide but acquitted him of pre-meditated murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Sentencing proceedings have been set down for the 13th of October.