JP MALHERBE MEMORIAL:
On 01 June 2017, at a special sitting of the motion court, a tribute was held in honour of the late former Judge President of the Free State High Court Division Judge President Jacobus Petrus Malherbe.
Photo: Henry Benade 01 June 2017
In attendance was his widow, their two children and his grandson. JP Malherbe passed away on 01 March 2017 at the age of 79. He was born in 1938 in Malmesbury, Western Cape. He obtained his LLB degree from the University of the Orange Free State and joined the Free State Bar in 1965. JP Malherbe was first permanently appointed as a judge in the Northern Cape in 1984 and in the following year, became a judge in the Free State. He was appointed as Judge President of the Free State Division in 2001 and remained so until he was discharged from service in January of 2008, at the age of 70. In total, JP Malherbe served as a judge for a period of 25 years.
All judges and acting judges of the Free Sate were present, as well as some judges of appeal. Among the speakers, Fischer SC spoke on behalf of the Free State Bar and conveyed his condolences to the family.
The general sentiments shared by all speakers was how eloquent and philosophical the former Judge President was in law. JP Malherbe was described as an avid family man and a man of the utmost integrity who was never seen, even in chambers, without a blazer on. He was described as a man of great wisdom who nurtured and encouraged the careers of many legal practitioners, as well as fellow judges. He was a colleague to whom fellow colleagues could always turn to for guidance.
The Free State Bar wishes to further extend its heartfelt condolences to the Malherbe family, and may they be comforted by the legacy he leaves behind.
Sources: whoswho.co.za / www.judiciary.org.za