The late judge Wally van Deventer — who said life was too short for ”bad books and bad wine” — was remembered by his colleagues at the Cape High Court on Wednesday.
Van Deventer, a retired judge, died two weeks ago from Alzheimer’s disease, aged 77.
Judges both active and retired crowded the Bench of court one as Judge President John Hlophe invited the Cape Bar, the Cape Bar Council and the Western Cape directorate of public prosecutions to pay their tributes.
Judge Deon van Zyl told the packed courtroom how Van Deventer’s interest had switched from law to business and then back to law, before his appointment to the Bench in April 1991.
He recalled how illness had forced Van Deventer’s early retirement in April 1999.
In his earlier business ventures, Van Deventer had been chairperson of the Johannesburg Afrikaanse Sakekamer, and had even tried his hand at farming flowers and ferns in the Mooinooi area of North West, near Brits.
On retiring as a judge, Van Deventer had moved to George on the Cape southern coast, where he became involved with the arbitration forum.
While still a judge, Van Deventer and late colleague Andre van Niekerk had started the tradition of judges having lunch together on Fridays.
At one of these lunches, Van Deventer had remarked that life was too short for ”bad books and bad wine”, Van Zyl recalled.
He said Van Deventer would especially be remembered for his ”Ten Commandments for a new judge”. They are:
- be kind;
- be patient;
- be dignified;
- don’t take yourself too seriously;
- remember that a lazy judge is a poor one;
- don’t be dismayed when reversed;
- remember there are no unimportant cases;
- don’t impose long sentences;
- don’t forget your common sense; and
- pray for divine guidance.
— Sapa