Meet 'I believe I can fly' advocate

WANNABE: ALLY NOMINATES HIMSELF AS JUDGE

- Vhahangwele Nemakonde

An advocate nominated himself for a position as a high court judge - and then accepted the nomination himself, a stunned Judicial Services Commission heard yesterday. Advocate Gregory Ally was the first candidate of the day on the fourth day of interviews for judicial positions... and he struggled to fend off the relentless questions from the interviewing panel.

Ally was one of 10 candidates interviewed for a judge position in the Gauteng Division of the High Court, where six vacancies are available.

Since 2020, he has had stints as an acting judge.

The interview did not start well for Ally, who faced scrutiny for nominating himself and consenting to his own nomination. In response to a question, he said he did not want to debate the matter, as the advert did not clarify who should make the nomination. "Just to end this quickly, who nominated you as a candidate?" asked the JSC's Mvuzo Notyesi.

"I nominated myself," responded Ally. "Who accepted the nomination? You nominated yourself and then accepted your own nomination? Adverts require that a person be nominated. Did you read the advert? Does it not require that a person be nominated rather than persons nominating themselves?" continued Notyesi. "I'm not going to debate it because the nomination doesn't say by whom. But it is what it is as it's there and I can't take it any further than that," said Ally.