Judge Carol Sibiya – KwaZulu Natal Division of the High Court

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, for our series on women in the judiciary, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to High Court Judge Carol Sibiya from the KwaZulu Natal division of the High Court. Judge Sibiya shares her journey to the judiciary and rising through the ranks to the bench, which was motivated, in part, by her father who was a lawyer, the desire to ensure people have access to justice and growing up in apartheid South Africa. We discuss some of her memorable cases, highlighting the duty of the court to exercise judgements in the best interest of children, and the power the court has to make meaningful changes, for example Judge Sibiya’s ruling ensured LLB graduates from private institutions are allowed to enter the legal profession, previously only graduates from public universities were permitted to do so. We remark on the progress of women’s rights in South Africa and the positive effects that representation of women in different spaces has on people’s psyche, to understand the breadth of possibilities available to them. We highlight mentorship as a tool to help new recruits navigate their careers with the aid of a solid sounding board to keep them accountable and remain true to their dreams. Tune in for more…