Legoabe Willie Seriti (born 21 July 1949) is a South African retired judge who served in the Supreme Court of Appeal between 2010 and 2019.
That period coincided with the highly sensitive wiretap that led to the so-called spy tapes, recorded in late 2007, which in turn led the National Prosecuting Authority to withdraw its corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma; however, Seriti later said that he could not recall whether he had authorised the wiretap in question.
[11][12] In October 2009, President Zuma appointed Seriti as the chairperson of the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers.
[14] In September 2009, the Judicial Service Commission interviewed Seriti as a candidate for possible elevation to one of four vacant seats in the Constitutional Court of South Africa.
During his interview, held in Soweto, Seriti was asked to explain why his CV did not disclose his tenure as an interceptions judge; he said that he had believed that such disclosure would be illegal.
Although the interview panel revealed that sitting Supreme Court justices had expressed concern about Seriti's candidacy,[18] the Judicial Service Commission nonetheless recommended him for appointment.
[19] At the appointment of President Zuma, he joined the Supreme Court bench on 4 December 2010 alongside Steven Majiedt and Leona Theron.
[22] The commission ultimately sat as a two-man panel, composed of Seriti and judge Hendrick Musi, with its first hearings held in August 2013.