New reports are claiming that Judge Thokozile Masipa has found herself on the defensive after going up for a job interview for judge president of Limpopo province in South Africa.

It appears that her recent ruling in the Oscar Pistorius trial left her unpopular with critics. She accepted his explanation for murdering his girlfriend as believing her to be an intruder. Instead of charging him with murder, she deemed it culpable homicide.

During her interview, Masipa was asked on how she would handle the backlash against the new court. She answers:

"I do not think the criticism was about me at all. It was about the outcome. Because people were expecting a different outcome, they were just expressing frustration. I don't think I'm stigmatised ... perhaps I am too naive about that.

"Since Pistorius I have been given other cases. The counsel that have appeared before me still give me the same respect before and after."

"The commission sat until midnight on Monday. Of 23 candidates shortlisted for the various judge and judge president positions, only four are women. The prosecution in the Pistorius trial is appealing against Masipa's ruling. It is expected to be reviewed by the supreme court of appeal later this year," writes The Guardian.