JUDICIAL OFFICERS ALLIANCE OF SOUTH AFRICA
FIFTH EDITION · HERITAGE DAY · 24 SEPTEMBER 2026
THE BENCH
A LEGAL NEWSLETTER OF THE JUDICIAL OFFICERS ALLIANCE OF SOUTH AFRICA
One field, one flag — Zulu, Xhosa, Basotho, Ndebele, Tsonga, Indian, Afrikaner, Coloured, Cape Malay. Living heritage walking together.
Theme · Celebrating Our Living Heritage: Strengthening the Ties That Bind Us
Contents
Page 1 Cover · Heritage Day Fifth Edition — heritage and the futures it still funds
Page 2 From the President's desk — a Heritage Day greeting
Page 3 A year of revelations — a country being realigned
Page 4 We mourn them by name — the women of the East Rand
Page 5 A child's week is not a rumour
Page 6 Every language that still walks into court
Page 7 Amakhosi, dikgosi, iinkosi — traditional leadership and the law
Page 8 The machine may help. The judgment still needs a name
Page 9 What the courts did · Heritage Day on the blotter
Page 10 The fun bench — quiz, write-in and a word hunt
Page 11 The first hour still belongs to the person in the dock
Page 12 A child is not a grant number
Page 13 When the lights go, the reasons must still travel
Page 14 A Saturday the Republic still shares
Page 15 Rehabilitation in the correctional centre — Reverend Michael Pillay
Page 16 The judicial officer’s role after sentence
Page 17 Find us · authorities · quiz answers