Education:
Matric (1982) East Rand High School
Dipl Iuris (1985) University of Western Cape
BA (Law) (1988) University of Western Cape
LLB (1991) University of Western Cape
BA (Hon) Public Administration (1993) University Western Cape
LLM (1995) University of Cape Town
Admitted as an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa 2001
Professional History:
Public Prosecutor: 1986 - Feb 1992
Regional Court Control Prosecutor: Jan 1991 - Jan 1992
District Magistrate: Criminal, Family and Civil Courts: Feb 1992 - Mar 1997
Regional Magistrate: Mar 1997 - Apr 2004
Acting Judge; Northern Cape High Court, Kimberly: Apr 2004 - Jun 2005
Judge; Free State High Court, Bloemfontein: June 2005
Acting Judge; Labour Court: Apr - Jun 2008; Sep - Dec 2009
Acting Judge; Labour Appeal Court: Feb - June 2010; Jul - Dec 2012; Aug - Dec 2013
Acting Judge; Lesotho High Court & Lesotho Labour Appeal Court: 2010 - Mar 2012
Designated Acting Judge; Lesotho Commercial Court: 11 Jul 2012
Judge; Labour Appeal Court: Jul 2014 – Jul 2024
Acting Judge President; Free State High Court: Feb-Apr 2015; Dec 2016; Jan-Sep 2017; Jun-Nov 2018
Acting Judge; Constitutional Court of South Africa: Aug - Dec 2016
Deputy Judge President; Free State High Court: Jan 2017 - Nov 2018
Acting Judge; Supreme Court of Appeal: Jan-Sep 2022; Oct-Nov 2023
Judge President; Free State High Court: 1 Dec 2018 - to date
Acting Judge; Supreme Court of Appeal:1 Dec 2024 -
Other Activities:
Peer facilitator, training magistrates and Judges, nationally and internationally, on topics including:
Maintenance; Inter-sectionality between HIV/Aids and domestic violence; Domestic violence Act;
Social context in judicial decision making; Equality court matters; Human rights in context of criminal matters; Judgement Writing; Sentencing; Social Context in Judicial Decision Making; Adjudication on matters involving the right to equality; Admissibility of electronic evidence; Judicial Accountability and Ethics; Ethics; Social Media and the Judiciary; Judicial Independence.
Deputy Chairperson, Magistrates’ Association of South Africa – (Western Cape): 1993 - 1994
Member of executive committee, Magistrates’ Association of South Africa: 1994 - 1995
Chairperson (Western Cape), Judicial Officers’ Association of South Africa (JOASA): 2000 - 2001.
National President, Judicial Officers’ Association of South Africa (JOASA): 2002 - 2004
President, African Regional Group of the International Association of Judges: 2010 - 2018
Currently Hon President, African Regional Group
One of the Vice Presidents, International Association of Judges: 2010 - 2018.
Board Member: Law, Race and Gender Research Unit (University of Cape Town): 2005
Advisory Board Member: Canada – SA – Justice Linkage Project: 2002
Member, Free State Centre for Human Rights Advisory Board: 8 Oct 2018 - to date.
Chairperson, Malibu Village Residents and Ratepayers’ Association
Member, Western Cape Appointments Committee for Magistrates: 2001 - 2004
Previously Chairperson, Commission for The Remuneration of Public Office Bearers: 2014 - 2019
Member, Judicial Accountability Committee (High Courts)
Chairperson, Judicial Accountability Committee for The Lower Courts Member of the Judicial Case Flow Management Committee
Board Member, South African Judicial Education Institute
Managing Editor, South African Judicial Education Journal
Member, The Hague Conference Judges Network since 2019.
Subcategories
KOEN, PETRUS ARNOLUS
Personal:
Matric: Gert Maritz, PMB.
B Com: University of Natal, 1980
LLB: University of Natal, 1982
Professional History:
Candidate Attorney 1985 to 1986
Attorney, Notary Public and Conveyancer: 1987 – 1988
Advocate: 1988 – 2006
Senior Counsel: 1998
Acting judge of the High Court, KZN periodically - 2004 to 2005.
Judge of High Court, KZN: 1 November 2006 to date.
Acting Judge of Appeal, Supreme Court of Appeal: 1 December 2014 – 31 March 2015
Acting Judge of Appeal, Supreme Court of Appeal: 1 December 2019 – 31 May 2020
Acting Judge of Appeal, Supreme Court of Appeal: 1 October 2023 – 30 November 2023
Acting Judge of Appeal Supreme Court of Appeal: 01 April - 31 May 2024, 01 June - 30 September 2024, 01 October - 30 November 2024
Appointed Judge of Supreme Court of Appeal: 01 December 2024 to date
Other Professional Activities:
Part-time lecturer: Contract and Civil Procedure, University of Natal 1990 – 1995
Member of the Law School Board, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg: 1996
Member of Society of Advocates: 1988 – 2006
Vice Chair of Pietermaritzburg Society of Advocates: 2003 -2004
Chair of Pietermaritzburg Society of Advocates: 2005
Past member of council of Pietermaritzburg Community Chest