Newly appointed senior counsel to assist the Competition Tribunal in part-time capacity
Cape Town - Three new senior counsel (SC) have been appointed as part of the independent judicial body – the Competition Tribunal – for a six month period.
The newly appointed silks include Geoff Budlender, Jerome Wilson and Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, who are joining the tribunal from January – April 2023.
The tribunal said on Monday: “Tribunal members adjudicate matters before the Tribunal and write judgments, akin to a judge in a high court.
“Each tribunal panel comprises three members who are either economists or lawyers with varied industry, academic and professional experience.”
Tribunal chairperson Mondo Mazwai said, “We are delighted to welcome three highly accomplished, respected and eminent lawyers in South Africa.
“They bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will enhance our capacity as demand for our services continues to grow, and as the tribunal develops new jurisprudence under the Competition Amendment Act (CAA) which came into effect in 2019.
“The newly appointed members will serve in a part-time capacity which will enable them to bring their external and ongoing experience as the tribunal endeavours to adjudicate for competitive and inclusive markets in South Africa,” Mazwai said.
Ngcukaitobi was appointed by the president himself, in October 2022 to serve on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Before his role at the competition tribunal he had a stint with Thabo Mbeki in the role of commissioner at the South African Law Reform Commission (SALRC) from 2007-2011.
Budlender is well known as the co-founder of the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) in 1979. He has worked on landmark cases including the abolishment of the death penalty in South Africa and the nationwide roll-out of antiretroviral medication.
Wilson has extensive litigation experience in the Competition Tribunal, Competition Appeal Court, High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal, Constitutional Court and courts across the Southern African region, including countries – Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
rafieka.williams@inl.co.za