Personal 

 Born: 23 May 1959, Johannesburg

Wife: Christine Bonner

Education

Matric: Nirvana High School, Lenasia (1976)

B.Com: University of Witwatersrand (1981)

BA (Hons) Industrial Sociology: University of Witwatersrand (1982)

MA Sociology of Labour Studies: University of Warwich, UK (1984)

LLM Labour Law: University of Witwatersrand (1993)

LLB: University of Witwatersrand (1995)

Professional History

Tutor in Medical Sociology: University of Witwatersrand (1982-83)

Junior Lecture: Sociology Department: University of Witwatersrand (1989-90)

Organiser/Educator: Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union SA (1985-86)

Mediator: Independent Mediation Services of SA (IMSSA) (1991-96)

Arbitrator: IMSSA (1993-96)

Senior Commisioner: CCMA (1996-2002)

Practicing Advocate, Johannesburg Bar (1996-2012): Senior Counsel (2010)

Acting Judge: South Gauteng High Court: (Oct-Dec 2010)

Judge of the High Court of South Africa (May 2012 - present)

Acting Judge: Competition Court Appeal (April 2016 - May 2018)

Judge: Competition Court Appeal (May 2018 - April 2023)

Acting Judge President: Competition Court Appeal (June 2022 - 30 November 2022)

Acting Judge: Competition Court Appeal (April 2023 - present)

Acting Judge: Supreme Court of Appeal: 1 December 2024 - 31 March 2025, 01 April - 31 May 2025

Publications, Awards, Honours and other activities

British Council Scholarship (1986)

Academic Staff Association: WITS University- Executive member and Chairman of the Affirmitive Action sub-committee (1990)

IMSSA Balloting Panel member (1991-95)

IMSSA Member of Board of Trustees (1993-94)

Chairperson of Commision of Enquiry into certain allegations regarding management practices in the Soweto  districy of Eskom (1996)

Metal and Engineering Imdustries Bargaining Council: Exemption Committee ( 1996-2003)

Essential Services Committee (1999-2206), Chairperson (2000-06)

Education Labour Relarions Council, Arbitration Panel member (2000-09)

Member of Black Advocates Forum (BAFO) (1996-2003)

Member of Advocates for Transformation: Executive Committee Member (2003-12), Treasurer (2010-12)

Member: Johannesburg Society of Advocates  (1996-2012), Professional committee member (1996-2012)

Financial Manager, Group 16 (1999-2002), Duma Nokwe (2005-07)

Management and and Finance Committee Member: Maisels Chambers (2007-12)

A Social Contract - the way forward a critical evaluation (1992)

"Strikes, Dismisals and Collective Bargaining: A case for a more rational and constructive approach" in South Africa Journal of Labour Relations Vol 16, No 1, March 1992 

" Denying the strike: Seifsa v Numsa" in Employment Law Vol 9, No 3, January 1993

" Paradigms Lost - A search for the Socialogical Perspective", (co-authored with M Saransky) in Saransky M (ed) Social Theory , Lexicon Publishers, 1994

Personal

Born                    :               28 August 1962

Husband             :               Josef Benjamin Steyn

Son & wife          :               Ruan and Michelle Steyn

Grandson            :              Jack Benjamin Steyn

Education

Matric                  :               J J Du Preez High School (1980)

BIuris                   :               University of South Africa (1983)

LLB                      :               University of Western Cape (1994)

LLM                     :               University of Cape Town (1999)

Professional History

• District Court Magistrate and Senior Prosecutor, Department of Justice: (1987-1995)
• Chair of Rape Forum and Juvenile Justice Forum: (1992-1995)
• Convenor of the Criminal Offences Task Team, responsible for drafting the Criminal offences of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998
• Senior Lecturer at University of Cape Town and University of Western Cape: (1996-2007)
• Acting Judge, Northern Cape: (October-December 2008)
• Judge KwaZulu-Natal Division: (January 2009 to date)
• Acting Judge of the Electoral Court: (May 2024 - 31 May 2025)
• Acting Judge of Appeal: Supreme Court of Appeal (April 2025 – 31 May 2025)

Honours and other activities

• Vice-Chair of the National Council of Correctional Services (2015 – 2019)
• Member of SAJEI Council (2023 till present)
• Commissioner of Jali Commission (2002 – 2005)
• Convenor of the Criminal Offences Task Team responsible for drafting the criminal offences contained in the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, 121 of 1998
• Distinguished Teachers’ Award UCT (2001)
• Recipient research grant from Aberdeen University Scotland for project ‘Constitutional Criminal Justice: A comparative study’.
• Represented NCCS at APAI Conference March 2019, Baltimore USA.

Publications

• D van Zyl Smit and E Steyn, chapter titled ‘The South African Prison System’, published by J P Cére et C Eduardo (eds) Le systéme pénitentiaire dans le Monde 2 ed (2011) (Dalloz publishers)
• ‘Plea Bargaining in SA: current concerns and future prospects’ (2007) 20 SACJ 206-219
• ‘Do victims of crime play any role at sentencing and do their rights impact on the prison population?’ Paper presented in Teheran, published by the Iran Prison Organisation.
• Jali Commission Report Volumes 1-5, published November 2006, Co-author of the reports.
• D van Zyl Smit and E Steyn ‘Prisons systems of the world’ in J P Cere and C E Japiassu (eds) Le systéme pénitentiaire en Afrique du Sud (Dalloz publishers).
• ‘Undue delay in criminal cases: The Scottish and South African courts response’ (2003) Acta Juridica, 139-159. Also published as a chapter in J Sarkin et al, The Administration of Justice: Current Themes in Comparative Perspective, 153-172 (Four Court Press: Dublin).
• ‘The Draft Anti-terrorism Bill of 2000: The Lobster Pot of the South African Criminal Justice System’ (2001) 14 SACJ 179-194.
• ‘An Evaluation of the SA Constitutional Court’s decision on bail’ – Sarkin, Steyn, Van Zyl Smit and Paschke in ‘Resolving the tension between Crime and Human Rights: An Evaluation of European and South African issues’ edited Sarkin et al, at 217 to 241.
• D van Zyl Smit, E Steyn, J Sarkin and R Paschke ‘Individual liberty in crisis?’ Reflections on the decision of the Consitutional Court in S v Dlamini; S v Dladla and Others; S v Joubert; S v Schietekat (2000) 16 SAJHR 292-312.
• CIJL Prosecuting authority in the new South Africa – D van Zyl Smit and E Steyn.
• ‘A call for the abolition of the ‘hue and cry’ rule’. Published in News and Reviews December edition
• LLM Thesis – ‘Witnesses in South Africa, The Stepchildren of the Criminal Justice System’ (limited publication, libraries UCT only).

Personal

13 January 1964

Male

Education

Matric: (insert date) Spes Bona High School, Cape Town  - 1982

Diploma Juris 1986 University of the Western Cape -1986

B.Proc: University of the Western Cape-1994  

LLB: University of the Western Cape -1995

Professional

District and Regional Court Prosecutor 1990 – 1996

District Court Magistrate 1990 -1997

Regional Magistrate (Wynberg) – 1997 - 2007

Regional Court President for the Western Cape Division of the Regional Court- September 2007 - 2011

Acting Judge, Western Cape High Court: 10 October 2010 – 11 May 2011

Appointed Judge of the Western Cape High Court: 11 May 2011 – date

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

Memberships and other Official Appointments

Member of JOASA and Provincial Executive Committee of JOASA: 1996- 2000

Member of ARSMA and Member of ARMSA National Executive Committee: 2000-2011

Member of Magistrates' Commission: 2007- 2011

Member of the Local Organising Committee for the CMJA Conference (held in Cape Town): 2008

Chairperson for the Appointment Committee of District Court Magistrates- Cape Town: 2009

Chairperson for the Western Cape Advisory Committee for the Appointment of Sheriffs: 2009

Chairperson for the Lower Courts Case Flow Management Committee: 2007 -2011

Attended the CMJA Conference in the Turks and Caicos Islands as part of the South African Delegation and chaired a session on 'The Judiciary, Parliament And The Press': 2010

Other activities

Peer Facilitator for SAJEI: Training of District, Regional Magistrates and Judges:- Management of Criminal Trials; Hearsay Evidence; Electronic and Documentary Evidence; Judgment Writing incorporating aspects of Social Context; The South African Trafficking in Persons Act with particular reference to the Procedural and Sentencing aspects thereof: The challenges facing judicial officers in South Africa

Member of Western Province Rugby Football Union Disciplinary Committee: 1983 – 1985

Chairperson Western Province Rugby Football Union Disciplinary Committee: 2010

Dated : 22 May 2025