https://juta.co.za/ Step into the fascinating world of Legal Luminaries; a captivating podcast series brought to you by Juta and Jacaranda FM. Hosted by television personality and author, Iman Rappetti, this JacPod Original takes you on a journey through the lives and experiences of renowned legal giants who have played a pivotal role in shaping South African law. Social Sciences en Fri, 02 Feb 2024 15:08:14 +0200 Tue, 05 Aug 2025 10:17:49 +0200 30 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss iono.fm 2.5.2.0 Juta & Company (Pty) Ltd no Yearly feeds@iono.fm (Feed Manager) https://cdn.iono.fm/files/p3633/logo_8566_20250908_204701_1400.jpeg https://juta.co.za/ Step into the fascinating world of Legal Luminaries; a captivating podcast series brought to you by Juta and Jacaranda FM. Juta & Company (Pty) Ltd episodic Juta & Company (Pty) Ltd pwhitaker@juta.co.za false ZA https://iono.fm/e/1583281 https://iono.fm/e/1583281
He highlights the Constitutional Court's ruling in the contempt case involving former President Jacob Zuma as the defining legal moment of his tenure.

"It affirmed something very important for our constitutional democracy – namely, that we are all equal before the law," he explains, emphasising how this decision reinforced the principle that no one stands above legal accountability.

As the leader of the State Capture Commission, Zondo discusses the ongoing challenge of protecting judicial independence from political influence.
He believes that "the greatest safeguard for judicial independence is ensuring that those appointed as judges and magistrates are people of integrity", stressing the importance of selecting principled individuals for the bench.

The conversation also explores how AI might transform courtroom procedures and Zondo's vision for justice in South Africa.

"I hope our judiciary continues to fulfil its role in our constitutional democracy. I also hope it is given the resources needed to carry out its work effectively and ensure access to justice for all," he concludes.

This episode offers listeners a valuable opportunity to hear directly from one of South Africa's most respected legal minds about upholding the rule of law in a modern democracy. ]]> Social Sciences Tue, 08 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0200 0 0 Justice Raymond Zondo: Safeguarding SA's judiciary 0 0 Juta & Company (Pty) Ltd full 29:17 Legal Luminaries with Iman Rappetti https://iono.fm/e/1583291 https://iono.fm/e/1583291
In the latest episode of 'Legal Luminaries', the JacPod Original podcast brought to you by Juta and Jacaranda FM, Pillay shares a candid and deeply personal account of her journey – from a politically engaged childhood in apartheid-era Durban to becoming one of the first Black women appointed to the bench.

Raised in a family where apartheid’s injustices were impossible to ignore, Pillay was drawn into student activism early on.

“Apartheid was clear-cut,” she says. “It had to be challenged – there was no way to overcome it otherwise.”

Her legal career was not only shaped by the courtroom, but also by the streets, trade unions, and academic journals that laid the intellectual groundwork for a more just society.

This episode explores:
- Her work in labour law and with the Centre for Applied Legal Studies
- The Van der Vyver Commission report and launch of the Industrial Law Journal
- Landmark rulings on whistleblower protection and disability rights
- Her role on bodies like the Essential Services Committee and the Independent Mediation Services of SA

Insights into the Judicial Service Commission and the urgent need for reform
Pillay speaks frankly about the pressures of being a judicial pioneer, and the weight of dissenting judgements that, while unpopular, were guided by principle.

“It’s a question of what is the best outcome for a particular case. You feel it in your bones,” she says.

For Pillay, law is not just about rules – it’s about intuition, innovation, and justice in action.

“You've got to learn to innovate, have the courage to innovate, make mistakes, and learn from them,” she says.

It’s a philosophy that has shaped her life and inspired generations of young legal minds.

Whether you're passionate about the Constitution or simply curious about the people shaping South Africa’s legal future, this is an episode not to miss. ]]> Social Sciences Thu, 27 Mar 2025 10:15:00 +0200 0 0 Justice Dhaya Pillay: Pushing boundaries in law 0 0 Juta & Company (Pty) Ltd full 43:33 Legal Luminaries with Iman Rappetti https://iono.fm/e/1583276 https://iono.fm/e/1583276
Growing up under apartheid's shadow, Kate O'Regan witnessed firsthand the social injustices that defined South African society. What began as a career in journalism evolved into a passionate pursuit of law when she discovered its potential to create meaningful change.

"The law should live in people's lives, it should have expression in their every day," O'Regan emphasises in her conversation with host Iman Rappetti on the Legal Luminaries podcast.

Before her appointment to the bench, O'Regan worked with trade unions and communities facing eviction – experiences that would inform her approach to justice. These formative years gave her insights into how legal principles affect ordinary citizens.

She reflects on the paradoxical nature of the system she worked within: "One of the unusual things about apartheid was that there were spaces in the law where you could assert rights, even at the worst times."

It was in these narrow spaces that legal work could make a difference.

The responsibility that came with her judicial role wasn't lost on O'Regan.

"So, it is a burden, but it's also a huge privilege, and it's one of the reasons why I'm absolutely convinced that having a diverse bench is really important," she explains.

Her time on the Constitutional Court saw her participate in landmark decisions, including the certification of the 1996 Constitution and the New National Party case.

On the importance of bringing different perspectives to the judiciary, she notes, "The best thinking happens when you disagree and when people bring a perspective you hadn't considered – one that makes you really think."

Throughout her career, O'Regan's commitment to justice has been anchored in a fundamental belief: "We all are protected by the idea The Rule of Law is accessible to everybody, and the courts will ensure before someone is convicted fairly that the evidence is beyond a reasonable doubt that they committed this crime."

This 'Legal Luminaries' episode offers a glimpse into the mind of a woman whose work embodies the difficult but essential process of translating constitutional ideals into lived reality for all South Africans.

More about Kate O'Regan:
Professor Kate O’Regan served as one of the first judges of the Constitutional Court of South Africa (from 1994 – 2009) and as an ad hoc judge of the Supreme Court of Namibia (from 2010 – 2016). Since 2016, she has served as the inaugural Director of the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights in the Faculty of Law at the University of Oxford. She has also served (and continues to serve) as a judge on several international tribunals and on the boards of NGOs working in the fields of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and equality. Her research is in the fields of comparative constitutional law and human rights. She is the chairperson of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, a director of SAFLII npc and a member of the Oversight Board Trust. ]]> Social Sciences Thu, 20 Mar 2025 09:55:00 +0200 0 0 Justice Kate O'Regan: Law as a force for change 0 0 Juta & Company (Pty) Ltd full 41:03 Legal Luminaries with Iman Rappetti https://iono.fm/e/1583269 https://iono.fm/e/1583269
With his natural warmth and wisdom, Justice Sachs talks about how the Constitutional Court has worked to protect human dignity, including its groundbreaking decision on same-sex marriage.

He tells well-known South African journalist Iman Rappetti about The Albie Collection – an important archive that preserves South Africa's constitutional history, made possible through the support of Amal and George Clooney.

Through his idea of "soft vengeance", Sachs explains why justice matters more than getting even.

He also honours his colleague Justice Yvonne Mokgoro, celebrating how she brought heart, wisdom, and real-life understanding to the court.

From his poetic legal writing to how South Africa's legal system has influenced the world, this episode of 'Legal Luminaries' (a collaboration between Juta and Jacaranda FM) offers a special look into the mind of a man who turned personal suffering into a lifelong mission for healing, justice, and hope.

ABOUT JUSTICE ALBIE SACHS:
Albie Sachs is a renowned activist and writer and served as a Constitutional Court judge of South Africa from 1994 to 2009. As a young advocate, he defended anti-apartheid activists, enduring detention and exile before surviving a 1988 car bombing by South African security agents. Undeterred, he played a key role in shaping South Africa’s democratic Constitution and was later appointed to the country’s first Constitutional Court by Nelson Mandela.

Beyond the bench, Sachs has dedicated his life to promoting constitutionalism and the rule of law, founding the Albie Sachs Trust and serving on the Board of the Constitution Hill Trust. He has shared South Africa’s lessons on justice and reconciliation with the world.

An acclaimed author, his works include The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs, Soft Vengeance of a Freedom Fighter, and The Strange Alchemy of Life and Law. In 2025, to mark his 90th birthday, he launched The Albie Collection, a digital archive capturing his extraordinary journey of resistance, resilience, and hope. ]]> Social Sciences Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:40:00 +0200 0 0 Justice Albie Sachs: A life devoted to justice 0 0 Juta & Company (Pty) Ltd full 36:02 Legal Luminaries with Iman Rappetti https://iono.fm/e/1402073 https://iono.fm/e/1402073
He tells renowned journalist and author Iman Rappetti that one of his biggest life lessons has been finding compassion for his oppressors and using the lessons learned from the past to prevent making the same mistakes in the future.

Judge Ngoepe, author of Rich Pickings out of the Past, also shares his insights on the need for a predictable judiciary and the need for law reform in certain areas. He aptly notes that for any justice system to work, the laws must serve its people. ]]> Social Sciences Mon, 04 Sep 2023 15:33:00 +0200 0 0 Judge Bernard Ngoepe: A Journey of Humble Beginnings that led to the bench 0 0 Juta & Company (Pty) Ltd full 39:49 Legal Luminaries with Iman Rappetti https://iono.fm/e/1402399 https://iono.fm/e/1402399
He tells respected South African journalist and author Iman Rappetti that after completing his LLB degree at the University of Durban-Westville in 1972, he tried in vain to get articles at over 30 law firms. When he realised he wasn't getting a foot in the door, he changed his plan – and that has made all the difference in his life.

Judge Jacoob also gives his opinion on some of the challenges and pitfalls in South African society today, including corruption, and shares his dreams of a social revolution for South Africans.

More about Judge Yacoob:
Retired Justice Zak Yacoob has been blind from infancy and studied at the Arthur Blaxall School for the Blind in Durban. In service as judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa from 1998 to 2013, he became known nationally and internationally for his contribution to the socio-economic rights jurisprudence of South Africa.

After his retirement, he received the 2013 Felicia and Sydney Kentridge Award for Service to the Law in Southern Africa and was awarded five honorary doctorates from the Universities of Fort Hare, KwaZulu-Natal, Witwatersrand, Pretoria, and the Free State. ]]> Social Sciences Mon, 28 Aug 2023 09:02:00 +0200 0 0 Judge Zak Jacoob: A Journey of Transformation and Justice 0 0 Juta & Company (Pty) Ltd full 57:11 Legal Luminaries with Iman Rappetti https://iono.fm/e/1402403 https://iono.fm/e/1402403
In 1967, Judge Pillay became the first non-white woman to open her own law practice in Natal Province; while years later she was the first non-white woman judge of the High Court of South Africa. Judge Pillay also served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.

Speaking to Iman Rappetti in this JacPod Original podcast, in collaboration with Juta, Judge Pillay also shares her perspectives on the imperative surrounding the protection of our Constitution and democracy.

More about Judge Navi Pillay:
Judge Pillay currently holds positions as Judge Ad Hoc of the International Court of Justice in the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v Myanmar), President, International Commission Against the Death Penalty, Madrid, President Advisory Council of the International Nuremberg Principles Academy, Chair of UN/HRC Independent Commission of Inquiry into Israel and Palestine, Member, Africa Group for Justice and Accountability and Co-Convenor, Donor Direct Action, New York. ]]> Social Sciences Mon, 21 Aug 2023 09:08:00 +0200 0 0 Empowering Change: The Life and Legacy of Judge Navi Pillay 0 0 Juta & Company (Pty) Ltd full 48:20 Legal Luminaries with Iman Rappetti https://iono.fm/e/1402502 https://iono.fm/e/1402502
Judge Khampepe also shares some wisdom for young aspiring judges and legal minds.

It takes blood, sweat, and tears - and many sleepless nights - to do what needs to be done to protect the integrity of the courts and the Rule of Law. - Judge Sisi Khampepe

Judge Khampepe has had a rich legal career and is especially renowned for defending the rights of workers against unfair employment practices. ]]> Social Sciences Mon, 14 Aug 2023 12:06:00 +0200 0 0 A Lifetime of Resilience and Fortitude - Inside Judge Sisi Khampepe's Journey as a Judge 0 0 Juta & Company (Pty) Ltd full 33:40 Legal Luminaries with Iman Rappetti