Times Of Swaziland: Judge Mary Sey leaves SD

Judge Mary Sey leaves SD
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 LUNDA JELE on 06/07/2012 00:00:00


MBABANE – Barely two years in the Swaziland Judiciary, Commonwealth Judge Mary
Sey is leaving.
This publication has exclusively gathered that Judge Mary Sey will be leaving
today to take up the post of a Judge of the Court of Appeal in the Vanuatu
Island in the Pacific.
Sey had been seconded to the country by the Commonwealth Secretariat in November
2010 on a two-year contract.
A source close to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) disclosed that Judge Sey
informed the commission on the re-assignment over a month ago.
The source also disclosed that yesterday was her last day in court when she
delivered a judgment acquitting a man who had been charged with murder for
killing another who was trying to steal dagga from his fields.
Judge Sey joined the Swaziland Judiciary from the High Court of Sierra Leone
where she had worked for three years and eight months. In Sierra Leone, she had
been appointed by the British Council under the Justice Sector Development
Programme (JSDSP). She presided over criminal and civil cases including
corruption matters.
"She will be leaving tomorrow (today) by road to Johannesburg where she is
expected to connect a flight to her new job. It is not a resignation due to some
problems, but I view it as a promotion, since she would be sitting in the Court
of Appeal," the source said.
Judge Sey confirmed her re-assignment by the Commonwealth Secretariat. She
stressed that she was not leaving Swaziland due to any problems.
"I work for the Commonwealth Secretariat as you know. So I have been reassigned
to the Vanuatu Island and was given a fresh two years. I have enjoyed working in
Swaziland; it has been quite an experience," Judge Sey said.
Judge Sey had been allocated cases for the second session of the High Court that
began on June 1, 2012 to end on September 2012. She had already heard and
finalised some cases, but a number of them were still pending.
She follows Judge Mabel Agyemang who had also been seconded by the Commonwealth
Secretariat and Senji Monangeng who now sits in the International Criminal
Court.
Judge Agyemang after leaving had to return to finalise a criminal case that had
been pending before her. She returned in 2010, to sentence lawyer Thembela
Simelane who had been charged with theft of clients’ money from the Motor
Vehicle Accidents Fund’s claims.
Efforts to get comment from the JSC Secretary Lorraine Hlophe hit a snag
yesterday. When called yesterday afternoon, Hlophe said she was in a meeting and
asked that a text message be sent. She had not responded to the message by late
yesterday. She had been called three times between 5pm and 6pm but did not
answer her phone.
The only remaining judge seconded by the Commonwealth Secretariat is Judge
Esther Ota.