Michael Ramodibedi
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The Honourable Michael Ramodibedi |
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| Chief Justice of the High Court of Swaziland | |
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In office 2010 – 17 June 2015 |
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| Appointed by | King Mswati III |
| Preceded by | Richard Banda |
| Succeeded by | Bheki Maphalala |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 May 1945 |
| Nationality | Lesotho |
Michael Mathealira Ramodibedi (born 24 April 1945) is a jurist from Lesotho who has served on the courts of several Commonwealth countries in Africa. A graduate of the University of Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland, he began his law career in Lesotho, and would later go on to hold positions on the bench there as well as in Seychelles and Botswana. He was the Chief Justice of Swaziland until 17 June 2015, when he was fired by King Mswati III for misconduct.
Ramodibedi began practising as a lawyer in 1974. In 1986 he was named a judge of the High Court of Lesotho. He served on Lesotho's Land Policy Review Commission in 1999 and 2000. He joined the Court of Appeal of Lesotho as an acting judge in 2000 and a permanent judge in 2002. He became the President of the Court of Appeal of Seychelles in September 2004, while still sitting on the Court of Appeal of Lesotho. In that capacity, he advocated for procedural improvements in record-keeping as well as the appointment of more judges who were ordinarily resident in Seychelles.
In January 2006 Ramodibedi was also named to the bench of the Court of Appeal of Botswana. However, the government of Seychelles expressed its concern at Ramodibedi's various positions, stating that "the Seychelles Court of Appeal required the full attention of its President", and so Ramodibedi chose to submit his resignation as President of the Court of Appeal of Seychelles in March 2006. Later that year he was named an acting judge of the Court of Appeal of Swaziland.
Ramodibedi was named acting Chief Justice of Swaziland in 2010. In 2011, he suspended Justice Thomas Masuku of the High Court of Swaziland, stating that Masuku had insulted him and King Mswati III. The Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organisations condemned Ramodibedi's decision. The action also resulted in controversy for Ramodibedi in Botswana, where he still sat on the Court of Appeal: the Law Society of Botswana called for his removal. A statement from Law Society executive secretary expressed concern "about his warped sense of justice and democracy whose influence may find their way into our jurisprudence".
Nevertheless, Ramodibedi was re-appointed as acting Chief Justice in 2012. The 2005 Constitution of Swaziland states that "a person who is not a citizen of Swaziland shall not be appointed as chief justice of a superior court after seven years from the commencement of this constitution", which date would be 26 July 2012. Ramodibedi's contract as acting Chief Justice was renewed one month before that deadline, for an indefinite period. Lorraine Hlophe of the Judicial Service Commission was quoted as stating, "Swazis were considered for the position of Chief Justice, but none of them merited appointment to the post.".
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