Welkom
Ek het meer as 25 jaar ervaring as Advokaat in Suid Afrika en sedert 2016 ook in Lesotho. Ek het my LLB graad aan Unisa behaal en ‘n meestersgraad in Filosofie aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat. My praktyk was aanvanklik op strafreg gebaseer, maar het later na siviele reg oorgeskakel. Ek het ervaring in die CCMA, Kinderhof, Gesinsgeweldshof, Landdroshof, Hooggeregshof, Arbeidshof, Hoogste Hof van Appèl en die Konstitusionele Hof.
Ek was tussen 2002-2003 ‘n deeltydse kommissaris van die CCMA en het in verskeie dissiplinêre verhore en appèltribunale voorgesit. Ek het ook ondersoeke na seksuele teistering gedoen. Ek het op die paneel van Voorsitters vir die Belasting Raad (Tax Board) in die Vrystaat gedien. Ek het vanaf April 2023 tot September 2023 as Regter in die Hooggeregshof van die Vrystaat waargeneem.
My betrokkenheid by Alternatiewe Dispuut Resolusie (ADR) het reeds in 1996 begin toe ek as gemeenskapsmediator deur IMSSA opgelei is. Gedurende daardie periode was ek ook betrokke by die fasilitering van dialoog in konfliksituasies tussen etniese groepe, asook ‘n vrywilliger van die Vredeskomitee in die Vrystaat Provinsie. Ek is 'n Nafam geakkrediteerde Mediator en lid van Social Justice Family Mediators (SJFM), Mediation in Motion Mediators (MiMM), Family Mediators' Association of the Cape (FAMAC) asook van die Arbitration Foundation of South Africa (AFSA). Ek dien op die Mediasie Komitee van die Legal Practice Council van die Vrystaat.
Ek het ‘n hernude belangstelling in alternatiewe dispuut resolusie ontwikkel nadat dit vir my al meer duidelik geword het dat konflik spoedig aangespreek behoort te word en dat die koste van hofprosesse en die vertragings daarin uitdagings vir partye bied wat graag in beheer van die oplossing van hul dispute en konflik wil wees deur hul behoeftes vinniger en goedkoper aan te spreek.
Welcome
I have more than two decades' experience as an Advocate in South Africa and since 2016 also in Lesotho. I obtained my LLB at Unisa and a Masters in Philosophy at the University of the Free State (UFS). My practice commenced with criminal law and over time shifted to civil law. I have experience in the CCMA, Children's Court, Domestic Violence Court, Magistrate's Courts, High Courts, Labour Courts, Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court.
Between 2002-2003, I was a part-time Commissioner of the CCMA and have over time presided over many disciplinary hearings, appeal hearings and done investigations into allegations of sexual harassment. I served on the panel of chairpersons of the Tax Board for the Free State. I acted as a Judge in the Free State High Court from April 2023 until September 2023.
My involvement in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) started in 1996 when I trained as a Community Mediator with the Independent Mediation Service of South Africa (IMSSA). In that time I was actively involved in facilitating dialogue in situations of conflict between the different ethnic groups and was also a volunteer of the Peace Committee in the Free State Province. I am a Nafam accredited Mediator and member of Social Justice Family Mediators (SJFM), Mediation in Motion Mediators (MiMM), Family Mediators' Association of the Cape (FAMAC) as well as the Arbitration Foundation of South Africa (AFSA). I serve on the Mediation Committee of the Legal Practice Council of the Free State.
My renewed focus on ADR came about as it became more apparent that conflict should be addressed as soon as possible and that the expenses of litigation and delays in the Courts may pose a significant challenge to parties' desire to be in control of the process themselves and a conviction that communication should solve differences and may provide a faster, less expensive and better outcome than litigation.