The Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) has refuted the authenticity of a directive purportedly from Western Cape Division of the High Court Judge President, John Hlophe circulating on social media.

“The spurious directive states that it is being issued as an addendum to the official directives issued by the Judge President on 6 September 2021, and appears to introduce measures to improve the legibility of handwritten court notes. The directive was not issued by Judge President Hlophe.

“The intention of the authors of this fraudulent directive remains unclear, but the public is once again reminded that the use of another’s signature is a serious offence,” the OCJ said in a statement on Wednesday.

The OCJ urged the public to verify any information before attributing it to a member of the judiciary.

“Members of the public and media are requested to contact the OCJ to verify the authenticity of any directive, article, communication, or social media post that purports to be that of a Judge before attributing statements made on any platform to a Judge. Official communication, including Directives issued by the Judiciary, can be found on the Judiciary website,” the statement concluded.

Source: South African Government News Agency