2. The Committee is particularly concerned that the Commission postpones its disciplinary inquiries until after the conclusion of a related criminal case, yet these criminal matters have been characterised by extensive and unnecessary delays. Some Committee members have remarked on the likelihood that the magistrates concerned may be employing their judicial experience of the delaying tactics of accused persons to draw out the criminal process to their advantage. The Committee was told, however, that the Commission had taken a policy decision in March of this year to proceed with a disciplinary inquiry without waiting for the criminal matter to be finalised. The Committee welcomes this, as it should speed up matters, but fails to understand why the Commission ever coupled the resolution of a disciplinary matter to the conclusion of a related criminal case. This approach is not supported by any principle of administrative justice, nor was the Committee referred to any supporting case law. Nor is it the practice in the private sector, as disciplinary matters are routinely completed by the time that a related criminal matter has been decided. 3. The Committee believes that the Commission should also ensure that criminal cases involving magistrates are expedited. The Committee has been told that the Commission had intended to approach the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) to ask that criminal cases involving magistrates be proceeded with urgently. The Committee requests that the Commission inform it of the outcome of its request to the NDPP.