By KOPANO MONAHENG
“We need more lawyers. We need more judges.”
This was the message from Judge Sandiswa Mfenyana as she spoke to Ezimtoti News during the Faculty of Law Research Symposium held at the Rosebank International campus on Tuesday, 8 September.
The symposium was attended by academics, judges, lawyers, and law students to examine the ethical challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the legal profession.
Held under the theme “Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility in a Changing Legal Landscape,” the symposium also focused on the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) by legal practitioners.
Mfenyana said judges must remain guided by the Constitution and cannot comment on political or hypothetical matters that could potentially come before them.
“As a judge, I deal with matters that come before me. I am bound by the Constitution and have to uphold the values contained in it,” she said.
She said the legal profession was changing rapidly, particularly with the introduction of AI, but practitioners must understand how and when to use the technology without allowing it to replace their responsibilities to clients or the courts.
Mfenyana encouraged young people to consider a career in law, describing it as a rewarding profession that gives people an opportunity to make a difference.
“The world is evolving. So is South Africa, so is the legal profession. It’s us today, it’s them tomorrow. If they do not come in, who are we going to hand the ropes over to?” she said.
Dr Rufaro Mavunga, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Rosebank International, said the symposium was an important milestone for the institution.
“This has been extremely important to us as this is our very first symposium and the first of many more to come. We are striving to become a research-intensive faculty,” said Mavunga.
She said the faculty wanted to make an impact not only on students but also in communities, with plans to turn presentations from the symposium into publications and strengthen community engagement.
