The handling of the Oscar Pistorius trial took centre stage during the Judicial Service Commission interviews on Monday night.
In the spotlight was North Gauteng High Court Judge Thokozile Masipa, who was being interviewed for the position of Judge President of the soon-to-be launched Limpopo Division of the High Court.
The high court, which is yet to be operational, seeks to bring services to Limpopo, while easing the case load for the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
Masipa is among seven senior judges being interviewed for the job of establishing and leading the court.
The hearing, which only ended after midnight, got off to a bad start for Masipa, a former journalist, who faced more questions about the Pistorius case than about her ability to hold the position.
Her ruling, which is now being appealed by the prosecution, was widely criticised for being too lenient in a country where violence against women and children is rife.
The 68-year-old judge explained that people interested in the case had their own predetermined judgments.
She blamed the public criticism of her on ignorance and a lack of understanding of court processes.
