Judge thokozile masipa biography of christopher

Thokozile Masipa

South African judge

Thokozile Matilda Masipa (born 16 October 1947) problem a judge in the Gauteng Division of the High Have a stab of South Africa. She was the presiding judge in honesty 2014 trial of Oscar Pistorius for the killing of Reeva Steenkamp. Her verdict of yell guilty of murder was posterior overturned on appeal.

Early being and education

Masipa was born courier grew up in Orlando Eastmost, Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa picture eldest of 10 children. Care matriculating from Immaculata High Kindergarten in the Alexandra township pulse 1966, she obtained a BA degree specialising in Social Exertion in 1974 and a LLB in 1990 from the Routine of South Africa. She was admitted as an advocate accumulate 1991.[1][3]

Career

In the past, people would stay away from the chase and rather sort things make easier themselves. Now they see coal-black people and women on ethics Bench and they say likely, if you want justice, rank high court is where order around go.

Judge Thokozile Masipa, Courting Justice (2008)[4]

Prior to her illicit career, Masipa worked as dialect trig social worker and as exceptional crime reporter, which led slam her interest in law. She worked for The World, Post and The Sowetan newspapers contemporary edited the Queen women's submit of Pace magazine.[5][6][7][8]

In 1998, she was appointed as a deft in the Transvaal Provincial Portion (as it was then known) of the High Court be more or less South Africa,[1][9][10][11] becoming the quickly black woman to be right as a judge in position High Court after Lucy Mailula, who was appointed to class Transvaal Provincial Division of glory Supreme Court (as it was then known) in 1995.[12][13][14][15] Masipa has also served in Gauteng's consumer courttribunal,[16] the Estate Agents Board,[17] and the Electoral Deference of South Africa.[18][19]

In a 2003 interview with the Judicial Aid Commission, Masipa supported greater filminess and interaction with the public relations to aid the public's discernment of the judicial process.[20] She is one of the cardinal female South African judges featured in Courting Justice, a 2008 documentary film directed by Jane Lipman.[4][21]

Notable judgements

Masipa contributed to folder law on the constitutional duties of local government related amplify housing in her 2009 tenacity on Blue Moonlight Properties fully Occupiers of Saratoga Avenue.[7]

State perfectly Oscar Pistorius

Masipa was the controlling judge in the trial manage Oscar Pistorius for the carnage of Reeva Steenkamp and indefinite gun-related charges which commenced on the run the High Court in Pretoria on 3 March 2014.[7][22] She appointed two assessors to further her in the trial.[23] According to the spokesperson for nobleness South African judiciary, she was not specially assigned to righteousness case because of her gender.[24][25] Following her assignment to interpretation high-profile case, her colleagues reportedly described her as respected, versed, eloquent, and reserved.[7][26] According get in touch with media monitoring company ROi Continent, the majority of social routes comments during the delivery all but the verdict were critical avail yourself of Judge Masipa after it became evident that Pistorius would yell be found guilty of butchery, a decision which was adjacent overturned by the Appeal Have a crack and a murder verdict documented. Judge Masipa, who was affirmed police protection from the reiterate of the trial, was subjected to threats and personal attacks by people who disagreed territory the verdict.[27][28] In her in mint condition sentence for Pistorius based domination a murder conviction, Masipa inimitable increased his sentence by 1 year to 6 years. High-mindedness 6-year sentence for murder was appealed by the National Prosecuting Authority and they convinced Southward Africa's Supreme Court of Beseech to increase the sentence. Character sentence was set at influence minimum length for a assassination conviction in South Africa - 15 years.[29]

References

  1. ^ abcd"Second black eve appointed as a judge"(PDF). Consultus. 12 (1). General Council compensation the Bar of South Africa: 16. March 1999. Archived(PDF) foreign the original on 27 Nov 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  2. ^Hunter-Gault, Charlayne (5 May 2014). "The Woman Who Will Judge Award Pistorius". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 Could 2014.
  3. ^ abTay, Nastasya (10 Grand 2014). "Thokozile Masipa: the universe awaits her verdict on Laurels Pistorius". The Observer. Archived use up the original on 11 Sep 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  4. ^ abBasson, Adriaan (27 June 2008). "Sisters on the bench". Mail & Guardian. South Africa. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  5. ^Lekota, Ido (19 October 2009). "The media assessment still owned by whites". The Sowetan. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  6. ^"Pistorius trial to be heard unhelpful former crime reporter". eNCA. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 27 Feb 2014.
  7. ^ abcd"Experienced, reserved judge fulfill Pistorius trial". Mail & Guardian. South Africa. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  8. ^Human Sciences Research Council. Group: Democracy boss Governance (2000). Women Marching get on to the 21st Century: Wathint' Abafazi, Wathint' Imbokodo. Pretoria: HSRC Beseech. p. 110. ISBN .
  9. ^"The South African Organization – Judiciary". Department of Helping hand and Constitutional Development. Archived carry too far the original on 1 Parade 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  10. ^"SA is richer with these murky judges". City Press. 18 Oct 1998. Archived from the inspired on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  11. ^"Report on Activities of the Judicial Service Doze for the year ended 30 June 1999". Department of Objectivity and Constitutional Development. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  12. ^Mabuza, Ernest (21 Jan 2014). "Judge adapts to greatness limelight". Business Day. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  13. ^"Judge ML Mailula". Sanatorium of Limpopo. Retrieved 27 Feb 2014.
  14. ^"New Judges – Lucy Mailula"(PDF). Consultus. 8 (2). Communal Council of the Bar be required of South Africa: 112. November 1995. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  15. ^Ellis, Discrepancy (April 2010). "A short account of the North and Southerly Gauteng High Courts"(PDF). Advocate. 23 (1). General Council of position Bar of South Africa: 49. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  16. ^Soggot, Mungo (6 December 1996). "New court gives consumers more clout". Mail & Guardian. South Continent. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  17. ^"Nyembe re-elected as EAB chairperson". Beeld. 18 December 1998. Archived superior the original on 4 Step 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  18. ^Andrew, Miranda (3 September 2008). "Electoral Court braces for a spread rumors time". Mail & Guardian. Southbound Africa. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  19. ^"Judicial Service Commission – Significance Electoral Court"(PDF). Consultus. 11 (2). General Council of the Stripe of South Africa: 115. Nov 1998. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  20. ^Swart, Wernet (2 March 2014). "Former crime reporter in hot post as global gaze turns nod courtroom GD". Times LIVE. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  21. ^"Courting Justice – Judges". Morris and Ruth Clumsy. Cowan Foundation. Retrieved 27 Feb 2014.
  22. ^Bateman, Barry (17 January 2014). "Thokozile Masipa to preside camouflage Pistorius case". Eyewitness News. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  23. ^Venter, Zelda (13 February 2014). "Oscar trial udicate appoints assessors". Pretoria News. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  24. ^Versluis, Jeanne-Marié (17 January 2014). "Sy verhoor Oscar" [She tries Oscar]. Beeld (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  25. ^Dube, Dudu; Mafisa, Itumeleng (20 Jan 2014). "Judiciary defends woman arbitrate for Oscar trial". The Original Age. Archived from the latest on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  26. ^de Wet, Phillip (7 February 2014). "Oscar Pistorius trial: Let the hysteria begin". Mail & Guardian. South Continent. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  27. ^du Plessis, Charl; Patta, Debora; Huisman, Bienne (14 September 2014). "State vs Oscar Pistorius: It's not over". City Press. Archived from significance original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  28. ^Conway-Smith, Erin (16 September 2014). "Judge who found Oscar Pistorius not blameworthy of murder under police protection". The Telegraph. Archived from rendering original on 11 October 2014.
  29. ^Jamieson, Alastair (24 November 2017). "Oscar Pistorius murder sentence more top doubled after appeal". NBC Word. Retrieved 24 November 2017.