Was admitted as an advocate on 31 January 1985 and completed my pupillage with Adv.
Willie Duminy, at the Cape Bar, during the period January - July 1985.I practised as an
advocate at the Cape Bar, mainly in the arena of "political" criminal trials and
litigation around civil liberties and human rights. Terminated membership of Cape Bar, of
my own accord, as of 31 March 1993.Acted as counsel, inter alia:
- in numerous "political" criminal trials, including the trials of State v
Ashley Forbes and 14 others, with Adv. Mike Donen; and State v Tony Yengeni and 14 others,
with Adv. David de Villiers, Q.C. and Adv. Mike Donen;
- in numerous administrative law matters, including A. Dempsey v Minister of Law and Order
(the so-called "nun" case), with Adv. John Foxcroft S.C.: and
- in the Goldstone Commission of Enquiry into Violence in Crossroads, Cape Town.
The main areas of expertise that I acquired during my more than ten (10) years in
practice, are:
- most aspects of litigation, including trial work in criminal and civil matters, drafting
of pleadings, drafting opinions, and so on;
- most aspects of the law of evidence, as applied in practice;
- most aspects of criminal and civil procedure; most aspects of criminal law; many aspects
of administrative law;
- many aspects of civil law, in particular most aspects of delictual law and some aspects
of contractual law: and
- most aspects of the work of the Master's Office.
I have a particular and preferred interest to work in the public law field, in
particular in the area of human rights and civil liberties, as well as the constitutional
and administrative law arena.
