Judges at war: in what could be a defining moment in South Africa's nascent constitutional democracy, judges of the highest court of the land, the Constitutional Court, have publicly accused another judge of improperly trying to influence a decision. And it is no ordinary judicial decision as it relates to the political future of the country-the trial of Jacob Zuma, the president of the ruling ANC Pusch Commey reports from Johannesburg.

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South Africa

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Judges at war: in what could be a defining moment in South Africa's nascent constitutional democracy, judges of the highest court of the land, the Constitutional Court, have publicly accused another judge of improperly trying to influence a decision. And it is no ordinary judicial decision as it relates to the political future of the country-the trial of Jacob Zuma, the president of the ruling ANC Pusch Commey reports from Johannesburg.

In a landmark issue, the judge president of the Cape Provincial Division of the judiciary, Justice John Hlophe, has been accused of having paid an "unholy" visit to two judges of the 11-member Constitutional Court-Justice Bess Nkabinde and Justice Chris Jafta-allegedly to influence them to be kind to the ANC president, Jacob Zuma, whose trial on corruption and tax evasion charges begins in Durban on 14 August.

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Hlophe allegedly claimed he had political and intelligence connections and was acting on a mandate. He...

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