Wendy Hughes

Wendy Hughes (born 28 February 1968), formerly known as Wendy Hughes-Madondo, is a South African judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal. Formerly an attorney in private practice, she was a judge of the Gauteng High Court from July 2013 until July 2021, when she was appointed to the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Early life and education

Hughes was born on 28 February 1968 in present-day KwaZulu-Natal. She matriculated at Wentworth Senior Secondary School in Durban and attended the University of Durban–Westville, where she completed a BProc in 1993 and an LLB in 1996. Later, in 1999, she received an advanced diploma in labour law from the Rand Afrikaans University. President Jacob Zuma confirmed her appointment the following month, and she joined the bench on 1 July 2013. Hughes presided in Centre for Child Law v Media 24 Limited, a 2017 case concerning Zephany Nurse which later went to the Constitutional Court; the Constitutional Court upheld her interpretation of the Criminal Procedure Act's requirements for protecting the anonymity of child victims. Hughes also presided in prominent cases concerning the extension of the Zondo Commission and Nkosana Makate's protracted battle with Vodacom over compensation for the "Please Call Me" concept.

While serving in Gauteng, Hughes was an acting judge in the Constitutional Division of the High Court of Lesotho in April 2015, and she was an acting judge in the Supreme Court of Appeal on two occasions between December 2017 and November 2019.

Supreme Court of Appeal: 2021–present

In February 2021, the Judicial Service Commission shortlisted Hughes for permanent appointment to one of five vacancies on the Supreme Court of Appeal. The General Council of the Bar recommended against her appointment, submitting comments that were highly critical of the quality of her writing. Judge President Mandisa Maya was also complimentary, telling the Commission that Hughes had maintained her work ethic as an acting Supreme Court judge even after both of her parents fell fatally ill.

The Judicial Service Commission recommended Hughes for appointment. She served a final acting stint on the Supreme Court in June 2021 before beginning her permanent tenure on 1 July 2021.