South African Judge Edwin Cameron is not doubt on the edge of his seat!
The openly gay law-lover stands alongside four finalists for a seat on the nation's Constitutional Court. His HIV-positive status, however, may complicate matters:
[Cameron] was grilled on Monday by the Judicial Services Commission with a series of tough questions.When asked if he had been out of line as a judge for being so public with his criticism of former president Mbeki's stance on HIV and Aids, Cameron said that he could not keep silent on the "morally imperative" issue.
"I thought I was going to die at the end of 1997. I was desperately sick, but my life was given back to me [thanks to anti-retroviral treatment] and I felt that I had to speak up."
He told the Commission however, that should he be appointed to the Constitutional Court, he would recuse himself from hearing cases that related to HIV and Aids.
President Kgalema Motlanthe will make the final decision on whether Cameron gets the slot.
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Cameron is already on the South African High Court–this is about being re-appointed.
The Constitutional Court is not the same as the High Court. Cameron is in line for a spot on the former.
In South Africa, the High Court is similar to the Federal Appeals Court in the United States. He's actually being considered for a seat on the "Constitutional Court," which is the equilvalent of becoming an Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court.
If Judge Cameron gets confirmed, it would be a huge achievement. It would make him the highest ranking "openly gay" judicial official in the world.