Mogoeng Thomas Mogoeng

Justice Mogoeng Thomas Reetsang. Mogoeng was born on 14 January 1961 in Goo-Mokgatha (Koffiekraal) village, north east of Zeerust, North West Province. He was raised and spent most of his early life there. Justice Mogoeng is the eldest son of three sons of Gaboipone Mogoeng, his mother, and his late father, Setshwaelo Herbert Mogoeng. Justice Mogoeng married Mmaphefo and they have three children together, two daughters, Johanna and Oteng, and a son, Mogaetsha. Justice Mogoeng attended Mokgatlha Primary School. He was appointed the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa in September 2011, a position he currently holds.

He obtained a B Juris (Bachelor of Law) degree from the University of Zululand in 1983, a LLB (Bachelor of Laws) from the University of Natal (now University of KwaZulu-Natal) in 1985, and a LLM (Master of Laws) from the University of South Africa (UNISA). He specialised in Labour Law, Law of Property, Insurance Law, Law of Evidence, and Law of Criminal Procedure.

Justice Mogoeng started his professional career as a Supreme Court (now High Court) prosecutor in Mafikeng, North West Province. He worked as a prosecutor from March 1986 to February 1990. He then resigned and went to do a pupilage at the Johannesburg Bar.

After he completed his pupilage, he practiced as an advocate in Johannesburg until the end of 1991. Subsequently, he terminated his membership of the Johannesburg Bar and immediately became a member of the Mafikeng Bar Association (now known as the North West Bar Association) until May 1997. He was also a member of the Industrial Court until it ceased to exist.

During his time at the Mafikeng Bar, Justice Mogoeng served as the Deputy Chairperson of the Bar Council and as the Chairperson of the Bophuthatswana Chapter of Lawyers for Human Rights. He also worked at the University of the North West’s Mafikeng campus as a part-time senior lecturer in criminal law and criminal procedure, from 1992 to 1993. In 1994, Justice Mogoeng worked in the legal section of the Independant Electoral Commission (IEC). Before joining the judiciary in 1997, Mogoeng served as Chairperson of the North West Parks Board, Agricultural Services Cooperation in the North West Province, Agricultural College and the Agricultural School of the North West Province, Agricultural Marketing Board of the North West Province, Dirapeng (Pty) Ltd, Golden Leopards Resorts (Pty) Ltd, and was a member of the Black Lawyers Association (BLA).

In 1997, Justice Mogoeng was appointed a Judge of the North West High Court. In April 2000, he was appointed a Judge of the Labour Appeal Court, followed by his appointment as the Judge President of the North West High Court in 2002.

He was also a member of a committee, led by the former Chief Justice Pius Langa . This five member Committee was mandated to investigate racism and gender discrimination within the judiciary. In 2009, Justice Mogoeng was chosen by the Judges President to represent them in the Council of the South African Judicial Education Institute.

In 2009, Justice Mogoeng and Judge Andre Davis, Judge of the Federal District Court for the District of Maryland, United States of America (USA), co-hosted a series of workshops on judicial case management throughout South Africa. Justice Mogoeng chaired the Caseflow Management Committee, which reported to the various heads of courts. He was the leader of the team that organised the Access to Justice Conference, which was held on 8 to 10 July 2011.

In 2013, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng delivered the 2013 Annual Human Rights Lecture at the University of Stellenbosch’s law faculty where he spoke on ‘The implications of the Office of the Chief Justice for constitutional democracy in South Africa.’

In 2013, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng received an honorary doctorate from the North West University’s Mafikeng Campus in recognition of his vision of an independent, empowered, adequately resourced and transformed judiciary in South Africa. The North West University recognised his excellent efforts to improve and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the judicial system.

In 2013, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng delivered the second Memorial lecture in honour of Onkgopotse Tiro , the 1972 SRC President of the then University of the North (now University of Limpopo).

Justice Mogoeng is also a Pastor at the Winners Chapel International Church in Highlands North, Johannesburg.