Leona Theron

Leona Valerie Theron (born 7 November 1966) is a judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. Before her elevation in July 2017, she served in the Supreme Court of Appeal between December 2010 and June 2017. She is the first Coloured judge to serve in the Constitutional Court.

Born in Durban, Theron was admitted as an advocate of the High Court of South Africa in December 1990. When she was appointed to the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in October 1999, she was the youngest judge in the country. She was first interviewed for appointment to the Constitutional Court for in December 2008; President Jacob Zuma appointed her in 2017 after the retirement of Justice Johann van der Westhuizen.

Early life and education Theron was born on 7 November 1966 in Durban. She grew up in a low-income family in Wentworth, which was designated as a Coloured area under apartheid. Although she was considered Coloured, one of her grandmothers was Zulu from Umlazi.

She matriculated from Sparks Estate Senior Secondary School in Sydenham and went on to the University of Natal, where she completed a BA in 1987 and an LLB in 1989. For this, the Department of Justice named her Woman Achiever of the Year in 2000.

Higher courts During her 11 years in the High Court, Theron served lengthy stints as an acting judge in the Supreme Court of Appeal, first from May 2006 to June 2007 and then from December 2009 to March 2010.

On several occasions, the Judicial Service Commission shortlisted and interviewed her for possible elevation to higher offices – once for a permanent place on the Supreme Court of Appeal, once for the position of KwaZulu-Natal Deputy Judge President, and twice for seats on the Constitutional Court. The first Constitutional Court interview took place in December 2008 ahead of the retirement of Justice Tholie Madala; the second took place in September 2009, with a longer shortlist and four seats available on the bench. On the second occasion, Theron was viewed as a frontrunner for appointment, the Judicial Service Commission recommended her to President Jacob Zuma as one of seven candidates suitable for appointment to the four vacancies. However, Zuma elected not to appoint her. The Mail & Guardian suggested that Theron had been earmarked to succeed Vuka Tshabalala as KwaZulu-Natal Judge President,

Supreme Court of Appeal: 2010–2017 In October 2010, the Judicial Service Commission interviewed Theron for a new set of vacancies in the Supreme Court of Appeal. The commission recommended her appointment, which was subsequently confirmed by President Zuma, and she joined the bench on 1 December 2010 alongside Steven Majiedt and Willie Seriti. She was the youngest member of the Supreme Court bench at that time. during that time, she wrote two unanimous leading judgments for the court and a further two dissents.

Constitutional Court: 2017–present In March 2017, Theron was shortlisted for a fourth and final time for a vacancy at the Constitutional Court, arising from Justice van der Westhuizen's retirement. She was viewed as a frontrunner because of the need to improve gender representation on the court, because she was the most senior of the five candidates, and because she would be the first Coloured judge on the Constitutional Court. During her interview, she was asked about the Gumede judgement and also reflected on the lack of collegiality at the Supreme Court of Appeal, saying that she felt she had been subject to sexism and racism. She joined the Constitutional Court on 1 July 2017.

Personal life Theron is married to businessman Charles Sarjoo, with whom she has four children. She was a founding member of the South African chapter of the International Association of Women Judges, and she was its vice-president of programs between 2003 and 2007.