Blog Series: Interview with Justice Steven Majiedt
Editor’s note: This video is part of a series of interviews that we conducted with members of the South African Judiciary to commemorate 30 years of democracy in South Africa. The purpose of these interviews was to reflect on and discuss the development of South Africa’s constitutional democracy since its first democratic election in 1994.
Justice Steven Majiedt was appointed as a Justice of the Constitutional Court in 2019, prior to which he was a judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal and the High Court. Before his judicial appointments, he was a prominent member of the Cape Bar and contributed to the liberation struggle as an advocate defending many political activists. Justice Majiedt’s commitment to social justice, human rights, constitutionalism and the rule of law is a prominent feature of his judicial and academic contributions. He is also a vocal defender of judicial independence and the fundamental role that this plays in a constitutional democracy.
In this episode, Justice Majiedt reflects on the evolving role and significance of South Africa’s courts, particularly the Constitutional Court, over the past 30 years of democracy. He discusses how the judiciary has worked to safeguard democratic values and uphold the rule of law in a changing social and political landscape. Drawing on landmark cases such as Grootboom and August v Electoral Commission, Justice Majiedt explores how the Constitutional Court’s jurisprudence has adapted to meet emerging socio-economic and political challenges. The conversation also highlights some of the most influential decisions that have shaped the trajectory of democracy and the protection of human rights in post-apartheid South Africa.
