Life at the Bar by Germa Wright, Free State Bar - General Council of ...

her time was very short. She learnt only
too soon that women had little hope of
being briefed. It is different today.
Practically isolated, because of the
nature of my practice, from contact with
my colleagues, I am never certain nowadays,
when in a lift, whether the women
there are secretaries or colleagues.
In 1958/9 the Bar's accommodation was
changed from Temple Chambers to
Utilitas in Dorp Street. Our numbers
had grown sufficiently to occupy five
floors. Facilities for getting a cup of tea
or coffee were available on each floor.
On my floor, and I think also on other
floors, our receptionist kept a record of
the cups of refreshment we ordered for
ourselves and our clients. We were
charged per cup and if there was a balance
after the costs, it went towards
buying textbooks for the floor. The
Cape Law Society had an extensive law
library which it agreed to house in
Utilitas and to allow the Bar use of its
facilities. The library occupied the
whole of the sixth floor, but just after we
moved in, the hairline cracks that were
discovered (on inspection) in the floor
(of the sixth floor) were diagnosed by
the engineers to be the result of faulty
calculations in determining the strength
of the floor required to carry the weight
of the concentration of books on the
shelves. The fault was rectified. I understood
that, had the fault not been
timeously detected, the lives of us
inhabitants of the fifth floor would have
been endangered.
The move from Utilitas to Huguenot
Chambers in 1974 began with dissention
among the members. A referen-
Life at the Bar
Germa Wright,
Bloemfontein Bar
Times may change and people
come and go, but the unique
character of the Free State Bar
seems to remain constant - we are a
family. For a young advocate it often
feels as if the Free State Bar has existed
forever. As the founding members and
their successors are no longer with us, it
is not clear when, where and how it all
April 2004 ADVOCATE
dum revealed that many of the senior
members were content to remain where
we were despite the lack of parking
(a major problem, partly overcome
by feeding the meters in the nearby
streets every two hours). The younger
members wanted to move and said that
they would do so whatever the outcome
of the referendum. Youth had its way
and we all moved (79 in all - Gerald
Gordon would have been the 80th had
he not decided to retire from practice).
Negotiation of the master lease with
the landlord was a marathon affair ­
imagine a draft lease being presented
to a meeting of 79 advocates for acceptance!
Ultimately it was decided that
fmalisation of the lease would be left to
a small committee. I still regret a clause
in the lease that gives the landlord a
considerable period without penalty to
repair the air-conditioning whenever not
in working order. Over the years we
have suffered long periods during the
summer months without the benefit of
working air conditioners in our rooms.
Apart from this, the lease was
favourable. The landlord was over a barrel
with no tenant in sight other than the
Bar. We secured a lease at R2,50 per
square metre, with no escalation for five
years and an escalation of three-and-athird
per cent for the next five years. In
addition, reception areas and kitchens
were rent-free and there was no charge
for electricity or water. The rent for the
parking bays was R18,00 per month for
the first three years, increasing to R20
for the fourth and fifth years and thereafter
escalating at a rate of three-and-athird
per cent per annum. (An interesting
observation was supplied by Derek
started. Information for this article was
obtained from contributions kindly
made by senior colleagues, judges and
retired judges.
Through the years the Bar has occupied
several different buildings in Bloemfontein.
Stories abound about the
Southern Life Building, the SA Perm
Building, the Sanlam Building (all in
Maitland Street), Goodrick's Chambers,
the Forum Building and the Grotius
Building (now the Hill, McHardy &
Herbst Building). There were even times
when the members of the Bar could not
THE BAR IN SA
Mitchell, chairman of our House
Committee: our current rental plus
rates, water and electricity is R59,52
per square metre. If, however, the
Consumer Price Index is used, our
rental amounts to R61 ,30. Therefore, in
terms of the purchasing power of the
rand, we are paying less in real terms
than we were in 1974!)
When I joined the Bar, the Cape Bench
consisted of six judges. In my innocence
I held them in awe as legal giants.
I learnt that this was not so. Some were
sound lawyers; others relied on counsel
to point the way to a sound (or otherwise)
judgment. There was, however, a
common circumstance relating to their
appointments. They grew in legal
stature and experience through their
years of practice in chambers and in the
courts before being appointed to the
Bench. This was not always the case
after 1948. There were a number of
.appointments not based on the criteria
just mentioned, but, by and large, the
appointees displayed in their judgments
an allegiance to the laws (common law
and enacted), and not to those who
appointed them. I leave out of account
the rights or wrongs of the controversy
as to whether judges should have gone
beyond the letter of the law in order to
uphold the liberty and rights of the subject
- something which our Constitution
now thrusts upon all the courts. Indeed
the Bar today operates in a significantly
different climate from that which prevailed
when I became a member.
Looking back, even with some nostalgia,
I believe that it is for the better - in
the long run. (lJ
all be accommodated in the same building
at the same time.
The move from the Grotius Building to
the Bloemfontein Club was preceded by
a situation close to mutiny - a majority
of one put paid to the move. After a
special meeting called to determine this
issue, some members decided to move in
any event. The rest of the Bar members
had no real choice but to follow.
The Bar is·currently housed in the Iustitia
Building in Aliwal Street - conveniently
situated opposite the High Court. We
moved here from the Bloemfontein Club
9

THE BAR IN SA
during the early 1990s (again after some
contentious voting).
The Bar currently consists of 45 members
- 38 juniors and seven silks. Our
first black member, Ayanda Tlelai, started
her practice on 22 July 1996. She terminated
her membership, however, after
only a few months. At the time of writing
this article (November 2003), the Bar has
three black members: Sehapi Motlaung
started practising during 2000, and
Xolani Mabusela and Makhosi Madlala
during 2002. Jerry Merabe and Bejile
Mene passed their Bar examinations
during December 2003.
Judge Leo van den Heever was the fIrst
female member. According to reliable
sources she was a formidable opponent
who smoked Lucky Strike Plain and
drank her tea bitter ('like my soul').
Other female advocates soon followed
her on the path to the Bar. We currently
have five female members.
Gedurende 2000 is Irma Schoeman
aangestel as regter in die Transkeise
Afdeling. Regter Schoeman is die eerste
vrou sedert regter Leo van den Heever
om uit ons Balie aangestel te word. Sy is
dan ook die eerste junior uit ons
geledere wat permanent aangestel is.
Sedertdien het nog 'n dameskollega,
Come van Zyl, ook reeds tydperke as
regter waargeneem.
In 1956 het daar in die Vrystaat 'n sogenaamde
'Rebellie BaIie' tot stand
gekom. JJF Hefer, WA Joubert, HJO
van Heerden en SA Strauss het almal
voltyds klas gegee aan die universiteit,
maar wou ook graag as advokate praktiseer.
Die Vrystaatse Vereniging van
Advokate het geweier om hulle as lede
te aanvaar en het gedreig dat die naam
van enige prokureur wat aan hulle
opdrag sou gee, op die swartlys geplaas
sou word.
Oudappelregter Hennie van Heerden het
horn in 1959 wel by die Balie aangesluit.
Hy het senior status verwerf
gedurende 1972. Hy is later as regter
aangestel op die V rystaatse regbank
en het vanaf Junie 1980 tot Desember
1982 waarnemende aanstellings in die
Appelhof beklee, waarna hy permanent
aangestel is. Op 17 Junie 2000 is hy
aangestel as waarnemende hoofregter
welke pos hy beklee het tot en met sy
aftrede aan die einde van dieselfde jaar.
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Regter Van Heerden is opgevolg deur
regter Joos Hefer wat in 1957 by die
Bloemfonteinse Balie aangesluit het. Hy
het senior status verwerf in 1972 en is op
1 Februarie 1976 aangestel op die
Natalse regbank waarna hy hoofregter
van Transkei word in 1981. Regter Hefer
het sedert 1 Augustus 1984 'n permanente
aanstelling op die Appelhofbank
beklee tot en met sy aftrede op 31
Desember 2002. Vir die laaste twaalf
maande van hierdie tydperk het regter
Hefer die pos van President van die
Hoogste Hof van Appel beklee.
(Witwatersrand). Die huidige Vrystaatse
regter-president, regter Koos Malherbe,
is nog 'n gewaardeerde oudlid.
Oudregter Ted Beck was gedurende
1987 tot 1997 hoofregter van die
Transkei. Regter Gerhard van Rhyn was
hoofregter van Venda vanaf 1969 tot en
met 1986 waarna hy aangestel is as
regter-president van die Noord-Kaap.
Die Vrystaatse Balie het ook sy kwota
Ministers van Justisie opgelewer soos
CJ (Blackie) Swart en Kobie Coetzee.
Hierdie prestasies is merkwaardig veral
Vrystaatse Balie en die Appelhof
Gedurende 1993 was nie minder nie as vyf oudlede van die Vrystaatse Balie op die bank
van die AppelhoJ Hulle is van links na regs: appelregters JPG Eksteen (1947-65),
L van den Heever (1952-69), M Kumleben (1952-74), JJF Hefer (1958-75) en HJO van Heerden
(1959-78). Die datums dui op die tydperke wat hulle lid was van die Vrystaatse Balie.
Deur die jare is verskeie lede van die
Vrystaatse Balie op die Appelhof aangestel
- te veel om op te noem. Die mees
onlangse aanstelling was wyle regter
Pierre Olivier wat ten tyde van sy dood
op 16 Desember 2003 'n permanente
aanstelling in die Hoogste Hof van Appel
beklee het. Oudregter Dries van Coller
het ook verskeie termyne daar waargeneem
terwyl hy op die Vrystaatse
regbank gedien het.
Die Vrystaatse Balie was bevoorreg om
deur die jare verskeie regters-president
op te lewer. Mens dink hier aan: regters
Frank Smuts, Nic de Villiers, Piet van
Blerk, Eddie de Beer, Lourens Botha,
AAP Smit, HWO Klopper, en Ernst
Lichtenberg (Vrystaat); Jaap Jacobs
(Noord-Kaap), Gerhard van Rhyn
(Griekwaland-Wes), Jan Eksteen
(Oos-Kaap), en Monus Flemming
gesien dat die Vrystaatse Balie nog
nooit meer as 52 lede gehad het nie en
dus eintlik 'n relatief klein Balie is.
The members of the Free State Bar have
always shown particular interest in sport
of all kinds, rugby being a definite
favourite. Archival documents show that
every game is approached with enthusiasm
and in all seriousness. In 1965 the Bar
lost 18-0 to the attorneys. The following
year saw the Bar beating the attorneys 3-0
to secure the GA Fichardt floating trophy,
with the late Dirk Kotze (subsequently a
judge) scoring the winning try.
Daarna is besluit dat die kragmetings
teen die prokureurs omskep word in
vyftien-jaarlikse ontmoetings. In 1981
het die Balie weereens as oorwinnaars
uit die stryd getree (15-6). In 1996 is
daar egter 'n einde gemaak aan die
ADVOCATE April 2004

Balie se goeie vertonings en die
prokureurs het die wedstryd net-net
gewen (31-3).
Die verhouding tussen die Balie en die
regbank in die Vrystaat was nog altyd
besonder goed. Dit kan waarskynlik
toegeskryf word aan die feit dat die
regters van die Vrystaatse regbank
vroeer uit die geledere van die Bloemfontein
Balie aangestel is. Van die 13
huidige regters was nege vroeer lede
van ons Balie. Die jongste aanstelling is
regter Ian van der Merwe wat vir etlike
jare as voorsitter van die Balieraad
opgetree het tot kort voor sy aanstelling
Die Noord-Kaapse Vereniging
van Advokate
Japie Schreuder, Kimberley Balie
Die geskiedenis van die Noord­
Kaapse Vereniging van Advo-kate
- die Kimberley Balie - moet
gesien word teen die agtergrond van die
vroee geskiedenis van die Noord-Kaapse
Afdeling van die Hooggeregshof.
Wet 12 van 1880, soos gewysig deur
Wet 35 van 1896, het die Hoe Hof van
Griekwaland-Wes in die lewe geroep.
Een regter is vir daardie hof benoem en
hy was ook 'n regter van die Kaapse
Hooggeregshof. Daar is aan die Hoe
Hof van Griekwaland-Wes jurisdiksie
gegee ten opsigte van alle gedinge wat
binne 'n omskrewe gebied ontstaan het
en oor almal wat in daardie gebied
woon. Die Kaapse Hooggeregshof het
konkurrente jurisdiksie oor die gebied
behou en appeljurisdiksie oor die Hoe
Hof van Griekwaland-Wes gehad. Met
die totstandkoming van die Unie van
Suid-Afrika het die Hoe Hof van
Griekwaland-Wes, ingevolge artikel 98
van die Zuid-Afrika Wet van 1909, die
Plaaslike Afdeling van Griekwaland­
Wes van die Hooggeregshof van Suid­
Afrika geword.
Wat betref die praktisyns, het artikel
115 van die Zuid-Afrika Wet bepaal dat
alle advokate en prokureurs wat ten tyde
van die totstandkoming van die Unie in
enige Hoerhof van enige van die voormalige
kolonies kon praktiseer, geregtig
sou wees om in 'n ander afdeling van
die Hooggeregshof te praktiseer.
Met hierdie situasie is daar aanduidings
dat advokate wat in daardie vroee jare in
die Noord-Kaap in die Hooggeregshof
opgetree het van buite die gebied gekom
het. Die eerste aanduiding van 'n eie
Balie is te vinde in 'n verslaggewers-
April 2004 ADVOCATE
nota gedateer 2 Maart 1944 in die
hofverslae van die Griekwaland-Wes
Plaaslike Afdeling waar ene D Cohen
skryf: 'The cases in this volume have
been reported by me in the absence
from the Kimberley Bar of Mayor JJ
Friedman on Active Service.'
JJ Friedman appeared in many of the
reported cases in the period before that.
One cannot say with certainty, however,
what the Bar looked like thereafter. The
Advocates' Chambers were not situated
in any specific building. The present
chambers - Chapwood Chambers in
Chapel Street - were only occupied at a
much later stage (1984).
The number of members varied between
five and ten. Six members of the Society
were present at the first sitting of the
Northern Cape Division of the Supreme
THE BAR IN SA
gedurende die tweede helfte van 2003.
Die Vrystaatse Balie het 'n trotse tradisie
van kameraderie, harde werk en gesonde
regspleging. Die nuwe uitdagings en
veranderinge van ons tyd het niks hieraan
afbreuk gedoen nie. Om lid van hierdie
Balie te wees, is 'n voorreg. CO
Court on 1 May 1969; namely, Dr W
Witepski, NW Zietsman, MDJ Steenkamp,
JJ Basson, WA du
P Slabbert and FM Vermeulen.
Through the . years, a considerable number
of members of the Northern Cape
Society of Advocates have acted as
judges or been appointed to the Bench,
including Judges Zietsman (Eastern
Cape), Steenkamp and Basson (Northern
Cape), Majiedt, Lacock and Olivier.
Judge Lacock, who became chainnan of
the Northern Cape Society of Advocates
in 1989, has the distinction that he was a
member of the Bar for 20 years and chairman
for 13 years. His predecessors, JP de
Bruin SC (1980-1989) and MH Wessels
SC (1989), are well-known members of
the Free State Society of Advocates.
The Northern Cape Society of Advocates
is (in spite of the small number of members)
closely involved in the activities of
the General Council of the Bar of South
Africa (GCB). The Society has on two
occasions in the recent past (1994 and
2001) hosted the annual general meeting
of the GCB with great success. CO
Inwyding van die Jan Basson Gedenkbiblioteek
In 1998 het regter fan Basson, wat lank lid van die Kimberley Balie was, sy boekery aan die
Balie geskenk. Hennie Lacock se (tans 'n regter van die Noord-Kaapse AJdeling) het
namens die Balie die boeke ontvang. Dis interessant dat albei oudlede by die geleentheid
betrokke was. Op die Joto verskyn van links na regs: regter Lacock, oudregterBasson (met die
1834-uitgawe van fohannes Voet se Commentarius ad Pandectas op sy skoot) en oudregterpresident
Kriek.
11