The JSC was established in terms of Section 178 of the Constitution, and its function is to select fit and proper persons for appointment as judges and to investigate complaints about judicial officers. It also advises government on any matters relating to the judiciary or to the administration of justice.

Gerhard Erasmus holds degrees from the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein (B.Iuris, LL.B), Leiden in the Netherlands (LLD) and a Master’s from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He has consulted for governments, the private sector and regional organisations in southern Africa. He has also been involved in the drafting of the South African and Namibian constitutions. He grew up in Namibia. He is a founder of tralac and Professor Emeritus (Law Faculty), University of Stellenbosch.

Albert Louis Sachs was born in Johannesburg in 1935 and became a leading anti-apartheid lawyer and human rights activist, he further helped draft South Africa’s democratic constitution, and as a Constitutional Court judge shaped landmark rulings advancing equality, justice, and human rights while also contributing to art, literature, and architecture.