South Africa

President of RSA v Public Protector et al 2018 (2) SA 100 (GP) – Public Protector Heads of Argument

This is the case by which the State Capture Commission of Inquiry was established. The President sought to review the Public Protector’s remedial action by which she recommended that the Chief Justice appoint a Judge to act as Chairperson of the Commission on State Capture as the President was, according to her, conflicted. she said her office lacked sufficient resources to embark upon an investigation on State Capture.

Heads of Argument here

Absa Bank Limited and Others v Public Protector and Others (48123/2017; 52883/2017; 46255/2017) [2018] ZAGPPHC 2; [2018] 2 All SA 1 (GP) (16 February 2018)

For the first time in the history of that Office since 1994, costs were sought by a party against the Public Protector personally. The basis advanced for this approach was, among other things, that the Public Protector had persisted in opposing all three applications launched by three applicants for the review of her remedial action by which she had directed, inter alia, that monies be recovered from Absa Bank which had been unlawfully paid by the South African central bank. The Full Bench also criticised what it termed “the unacceptable way in which she conducted her investigation” into what is colloquially known as the central bank’s “life boat” to a bank that has subsequently been acquired by Absa Bank.

The Full Bench made an order that the Public Protector personally (from her own pocket) pay 15% of the costs of the SA central bank on a punitive scale.

Read Full Judgement here