Judge Yvonne Mokgoro. Photo: Gallo Images
ProBono.Org would like to extend its deepest condolences in honour of Justice Jennifer Yvonne Mokgoro – appointed among the first Constitutional Court judges appointed by President Nelson Mandela in August 1994. She was the first black woman to join the bench and was a beacon of justice, advocate for gender equality and a champion of human rights. Her work is seen in the landmark S v Makwanyane decision, where her advocacy for Ubuntu helped declare the death penalty unconstitutional.
She was described as a ‘titan of justice whose legacy transcends boundaries – a legal luminary throughout her illustrious career and passionately advancing constitutional and human rights jurisprudence’ by the African Initiative of Women Human Rights Defenders.
While we mourn the loss of an eminent jurist, we pay tribute and celebrate a life that was well lived – a life committed to the cause of justice, ubuntu and equality and her contributions to the development of the law, justice and constitutionalism in South Africa.
Rest in peace •
