Personal

Born: 10 November 1961, Kliptown, Johannesburg Wife: Rochelle Francis

Three children

Education

Matric: Noordgesig Senior Secondary School, Johannesburg BA (1982): University of the Witwatersrand

LLB (1984): University of the Witwatersrand

Professional History

Advocate Johannesburg Bar: July 1985 — January 2010 Senior Counsel: November 2005 —

➢ Acting Judge High Court (WLD, now GLD) Johannesburg: 1999, 26 July — 24 September 2000, 4 September — 3 October 2001, September 2004, 4 October — 15 October 2005, 15 August — 2 September 2006, 21 August -- 1 September 2008, 19 May - 20 June 2009, 18 May —19 June

➢ Acting Judge Labour Court: 2001, 30 July — 31 August 2003, 14 April —16 May

➢ High Court Judge (Gauteng Local Division)1 February 2010 — present

➢ Acting Judge Labour Appeal Court: 2012 — Two terms, 2013 — Two terms, 2014 — Two terms

➢ Judge of the Labour Appeal Court 2014 —

➢ Acting Judge Supreme Court of Appeal 1 December 2016 — 31 May 2017, 1 December 2023 – 31 March 2024

Publication Awards, Honours and Other Activities

Accounting teacher (standards 6 and 7): Noordgesig SSS: 1979

Pupil: Johannesburg Society of Advocates: January — to June 1985

Lecturer (Faculty of Law) University of Witwatersrand: January 1994 — June 1994 Small Claims Court Commissioner —

Member of the executive committee of the Medical and Dental Professional Board: 1 April 2000 —2004

Member of the Medical and Dental Professional Board: 2004 - 2007 Member of the Black Advocates Forum (Johannesburg Bar) Member of Advocates for Transformation (AFT) (Johannesburg Bar) Member of the Motion Court Committee (GLD) +- 2011 -

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 Decemeber 2023 – 31 March 2024

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.

• Finalist, South Africa’s Most Influential Women Award in the Legal Category, CEO Magazine, 2012
• Member of the Library Advisory Committee of the Judiciary: 2017 - date
• Presenter of Trial Advocacy of the Black Lawyers Association (BLA) Legal Education Centre.
• Provincial Coordinator IAWJ: 2021 - 2023
• Member, Peer Review Committee: South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges Journal: 2020 to date.
• Member of the Governance Committee of the National Forum on the Legal Profession 2015.
• Trustee for the Legal Provident Fund: March 2013 to December 2015.
• Chairperson of the Human Resources and Administration Committee of the National Forum on the Legal Profession: March 2015 to 31 December 2015
• Member of the National Forum on the Legal Profession (Legal Practice Act): March 2015 - December 2015
• Deputy Chairperson of Matjhabeng Municipal Planning Tribunal July 2015 - 31 December 2015
• Member of the Free State Operating Licensing Board: February 2013 - December 2015
• Handling disciplinary hearings: South African Football Association Castle and Vodacom Leagues: 2001- 2009
• Committee member, Free State Gender Forum Pioneered by the Office on Status of Women 2000-2003.
• Municipal Conflict Manager, FS 194 IEC for 2000 Municipal Elections
• Executive Committee Member Free State Network on Violence Against Women 2000-2001.
• Member of the Family Law and Gender Committee of the Law Society of the Free State: 2006 - December 2015
• Member of the Family Law and Gender Committees of the Law Society of South Africa: March 2006 - December 2015
• Chairperson of the Gender Committee of the Law Society of South Africa: March 2009 to December 2015
• Chairperson of the Criminal Law and Procedure Committee of the Law Society of South Africa: March 2007 - April 2009
• Member of the Rules Board for the Courts of Law: 2011
• Councilor of the Law Society of the Free State: October 2005 to 31 May 2009, re- elected in October 2013 - 31 December 2015
• Member of the Board of Trustees of the BLA – Legal Education Centre: September 2007 - July 2022
• Member of the South African Women Lawyers Association: 2006 - December 2015
• Deputy President: South African Women Lawyers Association (SAWLA) Free State Branch: 2007 - April 2009.
• Chairperson, of the Black Lawyers Association (BLA) Free State Branch: 2006-2010.
• Deputy Chairperson, The Black Lawyers Association (BLA) Free State Branch: 2004-2006.
• Secretary, Black Lawyers Association (BLA) Free State Branch: 2002-2004.
• National Treasurer, Black Lawyers Association: October 2011 - October 2013
• Member of the Executive Committee of the Black Lawyers Association (BLA) Free State Branch: 2001 - October 2015
• Member of the National Working Committee of the Black Lawyers Association: 2006 - December 2015
• Member of the Black Lawyers Association: 1996 to 2016
• Member of the Bursary Committee of the Attorneys’ Fidelity Fund: 2005- 2009
• Member of the Board of Control of the Attorneys’ Fidelity Fund: 01 March 2006 - 03 April 2009
• Board member, Centre for Citizenship Education and Conflict Resolution Pioneered by the Free State Legislature November 2001- March 2004.
• Board Member: Thusanang Advice Centre 2001-2007.
• Councilor of the Law Society of the Free State: October 2005 - 31 May 2009, re- elected in October 2013 - 31 December 2015
• Member of the Advisory Council of CAOSA (Community Advice Offices of South Africa): September 2021 - date
• Patron: Basadi ba Molao (An Organization dealing with Legal Education and Mediation): January 2022 - date
• Chairperson of the Library Committee, Free State High Court: March 2016 to date
• Member of the Board of Trustees of the BLA – Legal Education Centre: September 2007 - July 2022
• Member of the Network of Judges, The Hague Conference in Private International Law on The Hague Convention on child abduction (1980): 2018 

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.