Judge Katharine Savage – Western Cape Division of the High Court & Labour Appeal Court – Human Values

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, for our series on women in the judiciary, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Judge Katharine Savage of the Western Cape High Court, Judge of the Labour Appeal Court and Acting Deputy Judge President of the Labour Courts and the Labour Appeal Court. Judge Savage’s family motivated her to pursue a career in law, in part, to be able to change society. For example, she went ton to participate in the negotiations and writing of the final draft of the South African Constitution. Legislation has a powerful impact on driving reform and changing national ecosystems, whether it be social, economic or political constructs. Judge Savage participates in several societies organisations in the legal field, such as the Southern African Legal Information Institute (SAFLII) 2004 and South African Society for Labour Law. She has also been elected by the United Nations General Assembly to serve as a Judge of the United Nations Appeal Tribunal. Judge Savage shares some of the responsibilities of being a judge, emphasising the importance of being independently minded, being brave in your judgements, standing by your views and at times shifting your perspectives. One of the secrets to Judge Savage’s ability to manage multiple roles is structuring her life to enable her to participate in different forums. Furthermore, she approaches her work with an efficiency mindset and has learnt not be a perfectionist. Judge Savage emphasises the importance of human values, knowing who we are as individuals, appreciating people from different backgrounds and encouraging people to get to their best selves. We all have our own journey and challenges, which we should consider as opportunities for growth. Tune in for more…