Personal                                 

03 December 1960

Education

Matric: Grassy Park High School, 1979

B Iuris: University of Western Cape, 1986

LLB: University of Western Cape, 1992

Kairos Projects: Women’s Management Programme, 1999 to 2000

Canada South African Justice Linkage Project: Judicial Skills Training Course, 2000

Justice College: Social Context in Judicial Decision Making Course for Magistrates,2000

Deutsche Schule Kaapstadt: German Language, 2001

Woolworths: Personal Leadership Programme, 2002

Woolworths: Leadership Development Programme, 2002

National Prosecuting Authority: Middle Management I, 2004

Office of Chief Justice/Department of Justice: Judicial Training for Aspirant Women Judges, June 2007

Office of Chief Justice/Department of Justice: Judicial Training for Aspirant Women Judges, April 2008

Professional History

Admitted as an advocate of the High Court of South Africa: 3 September 1993

The National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa: Prosecutor, 11 February 1986 to 28 February 1991

Department of Justice: Magistrate, 1 March 1991 to 31 July 2001

Peoples Family Law Centre: Director, 1 December 2001 to 30 June 2003

National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa: Senior State Advocate (within the Asset Forfeiture Unit), 1 July 2003 to 30 September 2008

Acting Judge: Western Cape High Court, October 2008 to 25 August 2009

Judge: Western Cape High Court, 26 August 2009 to present

Acting Judge Supreme Court of Appeal, June 2015 to 31 May 2016

Acting Judge, Supreme Court of Appeal, 1 December 2023 to 31 March 2024, 01 April -31 May 2024

Acting Judge, Supreme Court of Appeal, 01 June - 30 September 2024

Judge, Supreme Court of Appeal, 01 December 2024

Personal

Born 27 May 1962 in Schweizer-Reneke

Education
Matric (1980) – Hoërskool Schweizer-Reneke

B.Iuris (1983) University of the North West

LLB (1985) – University of Pretoria

Professional History

Admitted as an advocate (1986)
Practice as an advocate at the Pretoria Bar (1987 - 2010)
Senior Counsel status conferred during 2004.
Acting appointments during 2005,2006,2007 and 2009
Judge of the High Court, Gauteng Division Pretoria (2010)

Acting Judge, Supreme Court of Appeal, 1 December 2023 to 31 March 2024

Acting Judge, Supreme Court of Appeal: 01 April -31 May 2024

Acting Judge, Supreme Court of Appeal, 01 April - 31 May 2025

Other Activities

Member of the Pretoria Bar Council (2005)
Served on several Sub-committees at the Pretoria Bar inter alia the ethics committee, transformation committee, disciplinary committee.
Assisted with training and mentoring of advocates and pupils during my tenure at the bar.
Assisted with workshops and training of advocates since elevation to the Bench.
Served and are still serving on various committees at the Gauteng High Court Division, Pretoria.

Personal

Ronèl Gertruida Tolmay

Born 27 May 1962 in Schweizer-Reneke

Education

Matric (1980) – Hoërskool Schweizer-Reneke B.Iuris (1983) – University of the North West LLB (1985) – University of Pretoria

Professional History

Admitted as an advocate (1986) 

Practice as an advocate at the Pretoria Bar (1987 - 2010)

Senior Counsel status conferred during 2004.

Acting appointments during 2005,2006,2007 and 2009

Judge of the High Court, Gauteng Division Pretoria (2010)

Acting Judge, Supreme Court of Appeal 1 December 2023- 31 March 2024

Other Activities

Member of the Pretoria Bar Council (2005)

Served on several Sub-committees at the Pretoria Bar inter alia the ethics committee, transformation committee, disciplinary committee.

Assisted with training and mentoring of advocates and pupils during my tenure at the bar.

Assisted with workshops and training of advocates since elevation to the Bench.

Served and are still serving on various committees at the Gauteng High Court Division, Pretoria.

Personal

10 January 1960, Kroonstad, Free State.

Married to Sharon Bloem.

Three children.

Education

Matriculated at Uitenhage High School

BA (1980) University of the Western Cape

STD (1981) University of the Western Cape

LLB (1986) Rhodes University

Professional History

Educator, Kroonstad 1982.

Candidate attorney: B Sandi & Co, Makhanda: 1987 – 1988.

Clerk: Legal Resources Centre, Makhanda: 1989.

Attorney: Legal Resources Centre, Makhanda: 1990 – 1996.

Pupillage at Eastern Cape Society of the Bar, Makhanda: March – June 1996.

Practising advocate at Legal Resources Centre: July 1996 -February 1998.

Practising advocate at Bhisho Bar: March 1998 – December 2004.

Practising advocate at Makhanda: January 2004 – May 2015.

Awarded status of the senior counsel in August 2010.

Member of the Council of the Eastern Cape Society of Advocates: 2011 – 2014.

Chairperson of the Eastern Cape Society of Advocates: 2014 – 2015.

Acting Judge of the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court: various periods between 2000 and 2015.

Acting Judge of the Free State Division of the High Court: 2005 and 2007.

Judge of the Eastern Cape Division: 1 June 2015 to date.

Acting Judge, Supreme Court of Appeal: 1 December 2023 – 31 March 2024; 25 October 2024 - 30 November 2024; 01 December 2024 - 31 March 2025

Other Activities

Member of the Connexional Arbitration Panel of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa between 2010 and 2015, becoming the chairperson of that panel during 2012.

Member of the Council of Rhodes University since June 2016, becoming the chairperson of the Rhodes University Council on 1 July 2020.

Member of the National Bar Examination Board of the General Council of the Bar of South Africa since 2023.