Judges make decisions that affect almost every part of our lives, yet the processes used to appoint them, hold them accountable and govern our courts can feel far removed from the public.

Judges Matter, a project of the Democratic Governance and Rights Unit (DGRU) at UCT’s Faculty of Law, works to change that by bringing greater transparency and public understanding to South Africa’s judiciary.

Edge has worked alongside Judges Matter for many years, helping take complex legal research and judicial processes and turn them into content that people can find, understand and engage with.

A major part of our work centres on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) interviews. Twice a year, we help tell the story of who is being considered for South Africa’s courts, producing candidate profiles, interview coverage and digital content. After each sitting, we edit every interview into an individual candidate video, building an accessible public archive on the Judges Matter YouTube channel that receives millions of views each year.

But the work goes far beyond the JSC. Throughout the year, Edge supports Judges Matter with its website, research and editorial content, social media, newsletters, campaigns, media engagement and paid amplification, helping bring important conversations about judicial appointments, conduct and governance into the public space.

It is a partnership we are incredibly proud of, and one that has evolved over many years. Our work together has also received industry recognition, including a Silver New Generation Award for Most Innovative Digital Campaign by a Small Agency and recognition as a finalist at the IAB Bookmark Awards.

At the heart of the work is something we strongly believe in: the judiciary matters to everyone, so information about how it works should be accessible to everyone.