Guidelines Gazetted for Acting Judge Appointments

Posted 18 June 2026 Written by Acts Online
Category Courts

Brought to you by SA Legal Academy: The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has published official guidelines governing the appointment of acting judges in South Africa’s superior courts, the Supreme Court of Appeal, and specialist courts.

In terms of the constitutional and statutory framework governing the judiciary, including the Superior Courts Act, No. 10 of 2013, the newly gazetted guidelines aim to standardise and bring transparency to the process of appointing acting judicial officers. According to the accompanying government notice, these guidelines will be implemented incrementally starting from 1 July 2026, subject to the availability of budgetary and administrative resources.

The guidelines apply to acting appointments across several tiers of the judiciary, specifically:

  • The Supreme Court of Appeal;
  • The various divisions of the High Court of South Africa; and
  • Specialist courts of equivalent status to the High Court.

The phased implementation is designed to allow the Office of the Chief Justice and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to align their administrative structures, selection criteria, and vetting procedures with the new requirements without disrupting court rolls.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: If you are a senior legal practitioner or advocate aspiring to an acting judicial appointment, you must familiarise yourself with the new standardised selection criteria and application procedures ahead of the 1 July 2026 implementation date.
  • For your business: Law firms and legal practices must track these judicial appointment standards to advise senior partners planning to take up acting positions, ensuring compliance with firm-level resource planning and conflict-of-interest policies.
  • For your clients: Litigating clients can expect greater consistency, transparency, and quality control in the appointment of acting judges presiding over their matters in the High Court and specialist courts.

Originally published at https://legalacademy.co.za/news/read/judicial-appointments-guidelines-gazetted-on-acting-judge-appointments

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