Pius Nkonzo Langa (25 March 1939 to 24 July 2013) was a South African jurist who became the country first Black African Chief Justice, serving from June 2005 to October 2009. A human rights lawyer who defended anti-apartheid activists under the apartheid government, he was appointed to the Constitutional Court of South Africa upon its establishment in 1995, later serving as Deputy President of the Court from 1997 to 2001 and Deputy Chief Justice from 2001 to 2005 before President Thabo Mbeki elevated him to Chief Justice. He led the Court through a politically turbulent period and is remembered for his measured judicial temperament, including his handling of a misconduct complaint against fellow judge John Hlophe over alleged interference in litigation involving Jacob Zuma.
Facts
RoleChief Justice of South Africa 1 Nationality / Jurisdiction BirthplaceBushbuckridge, Transvaal, Union of South Africa 1 Place of Death Classification
Field of Law Role
Role (category) FAQs
Why is Pius Langa remembered for a complaint against Judge John Hlophe?
He led the court in lodging a misconduct complaint over alleged interference in a case.
Langa was Chief Justice of South Africa when he laid a complaint against Judge John Hlophe with the Judicial Service Commission on behalf of the full Constitutional Court bench. The complaint alleged that Hlophe had attempted improperly to influence the justices' opinion in the Constitutional Court matter of Thint v National Director of Public Prosecutions, a politically sensitive case. It came during a period of political turmoil for the court, which Langa led.
Connections
In Legal System
Source Wikidata: Pius Langa
Additional Source Wikipedia: Pius LangaWikipedia category: 21st-century South African judges
Member Of
Source Wikipedia: Pius Langa
In the Other Atlases
Nationality
Also in Geography Atlas: the nationality of this subject.
Source Wikidata: Pius Langa
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Pius Langa
Infobox, birth_name
Pius Nkonzo Langa
Infobox, birth_date
1939-03-25
Early life and education
born on 25 March 1939
Infobox, birth_place
Bushbuckridge, Transvaal, Union of South Africa
Infobox, death_date
2013-07-24
Lead, sentence 1 parenthetical
24 July 2013
Infobox, death_place
Johannesburg, Gauteng, Republic of South Africa
Infobox, office
Chief Justice of South Africa
Member Of: Constitutional Court of South Africa, Lead section
Formerly a human rights lawyer, he was appointed as a puisne judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa upon its inception in 1995.
In Legal System: South African Law, Wikipedia category: 21st-century South African judges
Category:21st-century South African judges
View the Source2. Wikidata: Pius Langa
Wikidata Q7199595, P27 country of citizenship claimQuote, Wikidata Q7199595, P27 country of citizenship claim
P27 (country of citizenship): South Africa
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.