I NT E RV IEW
J UST I CE Y VONNE MOKGORO
STANDARD BANK TOP WOMAN LIFETIME ACHIEVER AWARD
JUSTICE YVONNE MOKGORO The Standard Bank Top Woman
Llifetime Achievement Award 2020
went to Justice Yvonne Mokgoro - a
judge of the Constitutional Court from its inception in 1994 until the end of her 15-year term in 2009.
Hon. Mokgoro was born in Galeshewe near Kimberley in the Northern Cape and matriculated at the local St
Boniface High School in 1970. She
studied part-time, obtaining a Bachelor of Jurisprudence (B.Juris) degree at
the then University of Bophuthatswana
(now North-West University) in 1982, a
Bachelor of Laws (LLB) two years later, and a Master of Laws (LLM) degree in
1987. She also studied at the University
‘A SOCIETY MUST SEEK TO ENSURE THAT THE BASIC NECESSITIES OF
of Pennsylvania in the United States of
LIFE ARE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL IF IT IS TO BE A SOCIETY IN WHICH
America (USA), where she obtained a
HUMAN DIGNITY, FREEDOM, AND EQUALITY ARE FOUNDATIONAL.’
second LLM degree in 1990.
Justice Mokgoro started her work
served as a Specialist Researcher
and international conferences, seminars
later as a retail salesperson before
Constitutional Analysis at the Human
were mainly on topics such as sociological
Department of Justice of the erstwhile
lectured part-time at the University of
the LLB degree she was appointed
Constitutional Court in October 1994.
in the then Mmabatho Magistrate’s Court.
Throughout her legal career she has
In December 2015 Justice Mokgoro
Law in the Department of Jurisprudence,
Constitutional Law, Human Rights
Bronze for “her excellent contribution
she rose through the ranks to become
Comparative Law, Criminal Law, Private
position until 1991.
universities in South Africa, the United
experience as a nursing assistant and
(Human Rights) for the Centre for
her appointment as a clerk in the
Sciences Research Council, and also
Bophuthatswana. After completing
Pretoria, until her appointment to the
maintenance officer and public prosecutor In 1984 she was appointed lecturer in
taught a number of courses, including,
University of Bophuthatswana, where
Law Jurisprudence, History of Law,
Associate Professor and served in that
Law and Customary Law at a number of
From 1992 to 1993 she served as
Associate Professor at the University of the Western Cape, and later
Kingdom, the USA and the Netherlands. She has written and presented papers,
and participated in a myriad of national
52 S TANDARD BANK TO P W O M EN LEADERS
in South Africa, and internationally. These jurisprudence, and particularly on human rights and customary law. She zooms in
on impact of law on society, generally, and on women and children, specifically.
received the Order of the Baobab in
in the field of law and administration
of justice in a democratic South Africa” and it is our honour to present her
with the Standard Bank Top Women
Lifetime Achiever Award in recognition of her tireless commitment to justice,
empowerment and upliftment. Honourable Mokgoro you are an inspiration to us all.
