Pretoria: Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Andries Nel, has urged law students at the University of Stellenbosch to look to prominent legal minds of the past to guide their careers. Nel, himself a law graduate, delivered the keynote address at Career Day for Law Students held at the university, under the theme: "The Constitution at 30: Preserving Nelson Mandela's Legacy of Equality and Justice."
According to South African Government News Agency, South Africa's most prominent legal trailblazers who fought for constitutional and human rights for all South Africans include former President Nelson Mandela, human rights lawyer Advocate Duma Nokwe, anti-apartheid hero Oliver Tambo, Priscilla Jana, former Justice of the Constitutional Court Albie Sachs, and human rights lawyers Griffiths and Victoria Mxenge. Nel highlighted the importance of these figures, stating, 'South Africa has a very proud history of lawyers who had devoted themselves to justice. They came from many different backgrounds. In many cases, they came from different paths. But they shared a conviction that the law must serve justice. When the law was used as an instrument of oppression, they reclaimed its moral purpose. When the courts enforced injustice, they used the courtroom as a site of struggle and resistance.'
Nel acknowledged that today's law practitioners face different challenges from those who practiced during apartheid. He emphasized that the courtroom remains a site of struggle, with a new generation of public interest lawyers continuing that fight. Nel urged students to reflect on their role in upholding the constitution, stating, 'You will answer that question not only through what you believe but what you choose to do with your legal education because the law is not merely a profession, it is a public trust. That public trust is now passing to you.'
This year marks the 30th anniversary of South Africa's adoption of the Constitution, a process Nel was involved in as a member of the constitutional parliament at the time. He reminded students of the nation's choice for constitutional supremacy over arbitrary power and reinforced the duty of legal professionals to uphold the rule of law, rights, and integrity.