SA National Government Directory Independent, not a government site

Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ)

National Department · Justice and Protection Services

The Office of the Chief Justice provides administrative and technical support to the Chief Justice as head of the judiciary and as head of the Constitutional Court. It was established as a national department by presidential proclamation in 2010 and became fully operational in 2015.

Its creation gave effect to the principle of institutional independence of the judiciary by moving court administration for the superior courts out of the executive department responsible for justice. It supports the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court of Appeal, the High Court divisions and the specialised superior courts.

It also provides the secretariat for the Judicial Service Commission and the Judicial Conduct Committee, runs the South African Judicial Education Institute, and manages judicial performance information and court statistics for the superior courts.

Audit record, 5 years

2020/21
2021/22
2022/23
2023/24
2024/25
Clean Audit stable 4 of 5 audited years clean

Leadership, 22 listed

Chief Justice
Justice MML Maya
Deputy Chief Justice
Justice D Mlambo
Secretary General
Adv M Potgieter
Chief Executive Officer
Ms S Shamase
Chief of Staff
Mr J Jacobs
Chief Financial Officer
Ms P Morapedi
Deputy Directors General
Adv W Lambley Mr N Mogale Adv M Potgieter
Chief Directors
Adv L Coleridge-Zils Ms P Mkhize Ms P Mpe Ms N Nengovhela Ms K Sebati Adv T Thipanaye
Senior Management
Ms P Mahlangu Ms S Mpheshwa Dr L Nkomonde Ms M Songca
Communications Officers
Ms L Ntuli Adv N Phakola Adv M Potgieter

Entities reporting to this one, 3

Description written for this directory from the entity’s own published sources: www.judiciary.org.za, www.gov.za