Office of the Chief Justice: Judge’s Secretaries (Law / Legal Graduates)

Gauteng Division of the High Court invites applications from suitable candidates seeking appointment as Judge’s Secretaries for 2025. Each Judge of the Gauteng Division of the High Court is assisted by a Judge’s secretary whose primary function is to carry out secretarial support and professional legal support including legal research for their respective Judges. Appointments will be are made for the periods January 2025 to December 2028 dependent on each Judge’s requirements.

Position Title / Name: Judge’s Secretaries

Salary: R308 154 – R362 413 per annum (Level 07), plus 37% in lieu of benefits

Reference Numbers:

• Gauteng Division of the High Court: Pretoria - Ref No: 2024/165/OCJ
• Gauteng Division of the High Court: Johannesburg - Ref No: 2024/166/OCJ

Responsibilities:

• To ensure attendance and screening of all incoming and outgoing telephone calls.
• To ensure that appointments and meetings of the Judge are diarized.
• To ensure that judgments are typed and correspondences is appropriately captured and saved in the correct locations and safeguarded.
• To ensure that signed Judgments and orders are properly handed down in person in court and/or virtually.
• To ensure that draft judgements are expeditiously handled and typed.
• To ensure that all visitors in the Judge’s Chambers, are received, screened and their queries are attended to.
• To ensure that all incoming and outgoing documents are recorded and filed.
• To ensure that stationery for the Judge is ordered and collected.
• To ensure that the court files are ready, and the Judge has access to all his allocated files and documents in the file on time as per duty roster.
• To ensure that all files received from various section(s) are verified by the Registrar of that section.
• To ensure that the Judges Chamber register of reviews is up to date and signed on receipt and return of review files to the review Clerk.
• To ensure that the register/template for the reserved judgments is updated timeously and that the Statistics officer as well as the office of the Judge President is notified when judgment remains outstanding and/or has been handed down.
• To ensure that transcribed judgments from transcribers reach the Judges for approval and signature.
• To prepare court rolls for Opposed Motion and Urgent Court and distribute to stakeholders.
• To ensure that the Heads of Arguments from various stakeholders are received filed and verified. Informing parties involved via e-mail and or the time telephonically of time and date when reserved judgments will be handed down, further notifying them on how the judgement will be handed down.
• To ensure that the bench book of the Judge is prepared, and files are in court before the court starts or before the Judge enters the court.
• To ensure that all stakeholders involved are present in court before commencement of proceedings.
• To ensure that all cases are called and recorded as per court roll.
• Calling the case number and the parties’ names on record before Judge can allow parties to start with their matters.
• To ensure that the correct Oath ID or declaration is administered in court, when required.
• To ensure that the exhibits are handled, controlled and noted professionally and captured accordingly.
• To ensure that the correct order is endorsed on the file and or on Case lines after it was granted by Judge in court.
• To ensure that all the travel, accommodation arrangements are in order on time, attend to sign the documents being signed prior approval.
• To ensure that the Judge’s logbook is submitted on or before 5th of every month to the Transport Officer

Requirements:

• Must have an LLB degree or a four (4) year legal qualification (or equivalent).
• A valid driver’s license.

NB. Shortlisted candidates will be required to pass a typing proficiency test. All shortlisted candidates shall undertake a pre-entry practical exercise as part of the assessment method to determine the candidate's suitability based on the post's technical and generic requirements.