Chief Justice, South African Constitutional Court 

Biography:

Member of the court since 2009

Mogoeng started his professional career as a Supreme Court (now High Court) prosecutor in Mafikeng, holding this position between March 1986 to February 1990, when he resigned to do pupillage at the Johannesburg Bar. After completing pupillage, he practised as an advocate in Johannesburg until the end of 1991. He then terminated his membership of the Johannesburg Bar and immediately became a member of the Mafikeng Bar Association (now known as North West Bar Association) until May 1997.

Whilst at the Mafikeng Bar, Mogoeng served as the Deputy Chairperson of the Bar Council and as the Chairperson of the Bophuthatswana chapter of Lawyers for Human Rights. He was also a part-time senior lecturer in criminal law and criminal procedure at the University of the North West, Mafikeng Campus, from 1992 to 1993.

Mogoeng was a member of the Industrial Court from 1989 until it ceased to exist.

In 1994 he served in the legal section of the Independent Electoral Commission in the North West province.

In June 1997 he was appointed a judge of the North West High Court, Mafikeng. He was also appointed a judge of the Labour Appeal Court in April 2000. In October 2002 he was appointed Judge President of the North West High Court. Mogoeng was a member of the five-member committee, led by Chief Justice Pius Langa, which investigated racism and gender discrimination within the Judiciary.

He was nominated by the Judges President to represent them in the Council of the South African Judicial Education Institute in 2009.

In his capacity as the Chairperson of the North West Provincial Caseflow Management Forum, Mogoeng hosted annual conferences attended by key role players in the justice system. These conferences addressed issues like the efficiency and effectiveness of the justice system, restorative justice and non-custodial sentences, access to quality justice and building the capacity of intermediaries and probation officers.

He also organised joint workshops for judges and magistrates on leadership and sensitivity training as well as workshops for magistrates on judgment writing and trial administration. In January 2009, Mogoeng and Judge Andre Davis, Judge of the Federal District Court for the District of Maryland, USA, co-hosted s series of workshops on judicial case management throughout South Africa. He now chairs the Caseflow Management Committee, which reports to the Chief Justice and the Heads of Courts. In this capacity, he led the team that organised the historic Access to Justice Conference, which was held from 8 to 10 July 2011.