Langa's 'Enormous Contribution' Remembered

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Legalbrief | your legal news hub Friday 01 October 2021 Langa's 'enormous contribution' remembered The death last week of former Chief Justice Pius Langa (74) at the Milpark Hospital, Johannesburg, after being there for about a month due to a long illness, has brought a flood of tributes in recognition of the work of South Africa's first black Chief Justice, notes Legalbrief. Among the first to pay tribute to Langa was Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng who said he served the nation with great distinction, not only as senior counsel, president of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (Nadel) and Justice of the Constitutional Court, but also in his capacity as Deputy Chief Justice and later as Chief Justice. He said: 'Former Chief Justice Langa's enormous contribution to the development of our jurisprudence is known and appreciated worldwide. One of his most valuable contributions was to help develop a Judiciary-led court administration model which would strengthen the institutional independence of the judiciary in this country.' Mogoeng also notes that together with some of the world's leading jurists Langa developed the Bangalore Principles on Judicial ethics which are now embraced by almost all the world's judiciaries. Mogoeng said 'he will be missed for his wisdom, humility and passion for judicial independence and our constitutional democracy'. Full statement Tributes continued to be paid to Langa in the weekend newspapers. Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke, in an article in The Sunday Independent, notes 'his judicial credo taught that every public functionary exercises public power on behalf of the people. They are agents and servants of the broader populace. The government, like each citizen, must obey and rule within the constraints of the law. After all, the government is a potent and visible teacher of its people'. He adds: 'He was true to his oath of office. He acted without fear, favour or prejudice. He kept the highest standards and traditions of judicial excellence. We thank him dearly for this.' And in an article in the Sunday Times, his former colleague Albie Sachs discusses the early years on the Constitutional Court and says Langa was blessed with 'an impeccable sense of fairness'. He was 'justice personified'. Full article in The Sunday Independent (subscription needed) Full Sunday Times article (subscription needed).

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