The JSC needs to apply itself carefully in selecting a leader of the Competition Appeal Court and the next crop of competition judges.
If appointed, judge Norman Manoim will have to act fast to recruit new judges with the skills to deal with cases quicklyThe Judicial Service Commission will interview Johannesburg judge Norman Manoim on Tuesday as the sole candidate for judge president of the Competition Appeal Court .
As the sole candidate, Manoim is likely to be appointed to lead the court. However, it’s still worth asking: what challenges will Manoim face? What qualities does he bring to the role? Importantly, what interventions can he make in the short term? As a court of the law, the Competition Appeal Court gives important guidance on the regulatory framework of competition law. Through careful interpretation of the Competition Act and regulations, and the procedures and conduct of both the commission and the tribunal, this court gives certainty in the law, which is vital for business confidence.
The CAC’s duty is to develop coherent, credible competition law jurisprudence that is rooted in the SA constitution’s values and is also reputable internationally. The judge president as leader of the court has a crucial role to play here.
Manoim himself is well-known in competition law circles. As an attorney, he contributed to the drafting of the Competition Act. He later spent 20 years at the Competition Tribunal before his appointment as a judge in June 2021.