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Judges must be protected

In administering justice, judges perform a sensitive task that could raise security considerations in the event of highly contentious judgments.

So the protection of the judiciary must be prioritised to ensure that one of the cornerstones of our democracy remains uncompromised.

It is shocking therefore that two Pretoria high court judges - Aubrey Ledwaba and Ronnie Boshielo - were attacked at their homes on separate days last month as we reported yesterday.

Both were not home but their families were traumatised after being held up at gunpoint. The gunmen even demanded to know Ledwaba's whereabouts, raising the possibility that the incident could be linked to a case handled by the judge.

In both incidents the thugs fled empty-handed when police arrived.

While judges might not be immune to the serious wave of violent crimes in the country, we believe a case exists for them to be treated as a special priority.

Prioritising security for judges will serve to protect the integrity of the country's criminal justice system.

The ministry of justice must therefore act quickly to investigate this matter with a view to providing tight security at work and at home for all judges.

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