Personal: Born 21 April 1954Wife: Melanie Jane GorvenTwo children
Education:
Matric (1971) Northlands Boys High School
BA (1976) University of Natal (Durban)
LLB (1978) University of Natal (Pietermaritzburg)
Certificate in Theology, (1985) St John's College, Nottingham, United Kingdom
BTh (1986) University of South Africa
Certificate in Labour Law, University of Natal (Howard College School of Law) (1991)
Certificate in Constitutional Litigation, University of Natal (Howard College School of Law) (1994)
Professional History:
Advocate at KwaZulu-Natal Bar: 1988 - 2008
Senior Counsel: 2006
Acting Judge of the High Court of South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Division: 24 July 2006, September 2007, May to June 2008, 3 July 2008.
Judge of the High Court of South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Division: 17 November 2008 to date
Acting Judge of Appeal, Supreme Court of Appeal: 1 June 2014 to 31 May 2015, 1 July to 30 September 2015 and 1 December 2016 to 30 September 2017, 01 April – 31 May 2019; 01 October – 30 November 2019; 1 December – 31 March 2020; 1 May – 31 May 2020, 1 December 2020 - 31 May 2021; 01 June 2021 - 30 June 2021
Judge of Appeal, Supreme Court of Appeal: July 2021 - 2024
Acting Judge of Appeal, Supreme Court of Appeal: 01 October - 30 November 2024
Publications, Awards, Honours and other activities:
Member of Pietermaritzburg branch Executive of NADEL: 1989 to1990
Member of the Bar Council of the Society of Advocates of KwaZulu-Natal and Pietermaritzburg Bar Committee: August 2002 to August 2004
Pupillage Co-Ordinator, Pietermaritzburg branch of the Society of Advocates of KwaZulu-Natal
Chair, Pietermaritzburg branch of the Society of Advocates of KwaZulu-Natal: August 2006 to August 2008
Member of faculty at the Advanced International Advocacy Course: South Eastern Circuit Bar Mess Foundation at Keble College, Oxford: August 2007
Member of faculty at the Advanced Advocacy Course: General Council of the Bar of South Africa at the Wallenberg Centre, Stellenbosch: January 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016
Chair, KZN Judges’ Information and Communication Technology Sub- Committee: January 2012 to date
Deputy Chair, Judiciary and Administration Information and Communication Technology (JAIT) Strategy Steering Committee: May 2013 to date
Chair of the Transcription and Court Recording sub-committee of the JAIT Strategy Steering Committee: July 2016 to date
Delegate to Judicial Forum on Transformative Adjudication: Remedies and Reach, hosted by the Democratic Governance Rights Unit of the University of Cape Town and member of Faculty of the following year
Judge in Residence at Pietermaritzburg Campus of UKZN: February 2018
Trainer at Advanced Trial Advocacy Training Course run by Black Lawyers' Association Legal Education Centre in Durban: September 2019
Other:
SA National Council of YMCAs delegate to World Council of YMCAs Estes Park, Colorado, United States of America: 1981
Founder member of the Joint Task Group for Action against Apartheid of the World Alliance of YMCAs and South African National Council of YMCAs: 1987 to 1991
Member, Lay Minister and Lay Preacher, St Matthews Church, Anglican Church of South Africa: 1989 to date
Member of the School Council of St Nicholas Diocesan School, Pietermaritzburg: 1999 to 2016
External examiner in Trial Advocacy at University of Natal (Pietermaritzburg) School of Law: 2002
External referee for certain level appointments at University of Natal (Pietermaritzburg) School of Law: 2002
Member of the Board of Governors of Epworth School, Pietermaritzburg: 2005 to 2011
Director of Journal of Theology of South Africa, a Non Profit Company publishing a progressive academic theological journal: 2006 to date
Founding director and treasurer of the Duzi uMngeni Conservation Trust (DUCT), a Non Profit Company promoting river health in the Msunduzi and uMngeni Rivers: 2006 to date