Chief Justice Raymond Zondo says as long as his hands are clean, no one can stop the judiciary from doing its job - not even insults.
"I have finished 27 years on the bench, and not once have I ever had any minister, president, or official phone me or ask me for a meeting to discuss how a particular case should be decided," he said.
Speaking at the National Conference on the State of Human Rights - marking the 30th anniversary of constitutional democracy and human rights in South Africa - in Boksburg on Monday, Zondo added it was important for the country to reflect on the gains made in the last three decades and chart a way forward.