“Chapter XII, Paragraph 140 of the Constitution stipulates that the CoJ is appointed for a term of seven years. The Constitution and the Act are silent on the number of times the Chancellor of Justice can be re-appointed, which leaves open the possibility of unlimited tenure. The SCA notes that the current Chancellor has been reappointed.

The SCA notes that a reappointment for a new term requires the Chancellor of Justice to undergo the same selection process as any other candidate. Further, the NHRI reported that in practice, reappointment of the Chancellor of Justice has only happened once.

In order to promote institutional independence, the SCA recommends a term of office to be limited to one (1) re-appointment.

The SCA encourages the Chancellor of Justice to advocate for the relevant amendments to provide for such limits on the term of office.

The SCA refers to Paris Principle B.3 and to its General Observation 2.2 on ‘Full-time members of an NHRI’.”