DEPUTY Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has reprimanded advocate Dali Mpofu for telling Public Minister Pravin Gordhan’s lawyer, advocate Michelle Le Roux, to ‘shut up’ during cross-examination this week.
Zondo said Mpofu’s comments were unacceptable and disrespectful to the commission.
“I have never heard any lawyer in any proceedings or any commission or forum tell another lawyer or witness to shut up,” said Zondo.
“I record my extreme concern that disrespect was shown to some of the people in the hearing and to the commission and to me as the chairperson. Such conduct by Mr Mpofu is unacceptable. It impacts on the dignity of the commission and it is taken in a serious light.”
Le Roux was re-examining Gordhan when Mpofu raised an objection to one of her questions.
Before Mpofu could actually raise his objection, Le Roux interrupted him and tried to explain her question which led to Mpofu telling the chairperson that Le Roux needed to shut up when he is standing and objecting.
Zondo said cross-examination is granted to implicated persons on the basis that they will abide by his direction.
Zondo said that he, as the chairperson, had the right to decide who speaks and when.
“Mr Mpofu was told by me at end of the proceedings on Tuesday evening to sit down. He was not the first legal practitioner that I have told to sit down.
“It is my duty to make sure that these proceedings continue in a smooth manner and where I need to ensure that somebody speaks I will decide that the person will speak and I will allow him/her.
“No legal practitioner including Mr Mpofu has the right to begin to tell any other person in this commission to shut up. That power belongs to the chairperson of the commission and even I wouldn’t use the words ‘shut up’,” he said.
“I thought it important I address this issue clearly so that anybody who contemplates doing so in the future knows what is acceptable and what not,” he concluded.
- Inside Politics
