To say that Judge Thokozile Masipa's controversial verdict in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial was unpopular is an understatement. Apparently, it's also career-threatening.
Masipa, a member of the North Gauteng High Court, has applied for the position of judge president of the soon-to-be launched Limpopo Division of the High Court, South Africa's News24.com reported.
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"The high court, which is yet to be operational, seeks to bring services to Limpopo while easing the case load for the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria," News24.com added.
The major question Masipa faced during her interview had nothing to do with her qualifications or experience as a judge, but rather of her ruling that Pistorius was innocent of murder in the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his Pretoria, South Africa home on Valentine's Day morning in 2013.
Masipa ruled instead that the double-amputee Olympic sprinter was guilty of culpable homicide - the equivalent of manslaughter - and sentenced him to five years in prison, in which he is eligible for house arrest after just 10 months.
"On Monday, the 68-year-old judge explained that people interested in the case had their own predetermined judgments," according to news24.com. "She blamed the public criticism of her on ignorance and a lack of understanding of court processes."
Mathole Motshekga, chairperson of Parliament's portfolio committee on justice, asked whether Masipa thought her verdict, and subsequent criticism against her, would compromise her position to preside over the Limpopo Division of the High Court.
"Given the unfair criticism against you, due to the ignorance of the law and legal processes, and the stigma from following such an ignorance, don't you think that will also unfairly tarnish the image of the new court?" Motshekga asked, according to news24.com.
"It was because people had expected a certain outcome and that did not happen. I don't think I am stigmatized," she responded.
It is interesting to note that Motshekga did say that the criticism was unfair, so it appears that the people determining who will fill the position are concerned about the backlash more than the actual verdict.
Masipa, apparently, also was not given credit for allowing the prosecution to appeal the verdict to the South Africa Court of Appeals, where Pistorius still could be given a murder verdict and have time added to his sentence.
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