- Courtroom battles are shaped not only by the law but by personalities and presiding officers’ expectations.
- Legal practitioners often suppress emotions to maintain professionalism under intense pressure.
- A difficult eviction application becomes a reflection on resilience, discipline, and courtroom culture.
The picture was taken at the Randburg Magistrates Court, together with colleagues serving on the opposing side.
In the picture, we have Attorney Obinna Uchenne, an old friend we met in court, Attorney Mishka Hansraj, Advocate Vuyokazi Makalima, and Advocate Radebe, who was my co-counsel in the matter.
We were moving an eviction application, and we had a tough start. I had a bad start because the magistrate wanted a lot of things for my recognition.
I felt like he wanted even my Sub A report from a Bophuthatswana government school and my baptism certificate from First Church.
The emotional discipline of legal practice
After all, a court has experience. One of the experiences in court is not only the law, but also the personalities and perspectives. A legal practitioner’s experience is often a mastery of dominant characterisations and individualistic manifestations from presiding officers.
In court, we suppress our anger, hate, dislike, annoyance, arrogance, and even confidence to give way to the presiding officer in charge. The interaction with any presiding officer must have emotional intelligence from a legal practitioner.
In essence, in court, you must not have feelings. You must be in control and remain sound and sane. Each time you hit a block with a presiding officer or have a fallout, you must learn to retrace yourself back into court.
The culture of the courtroom
In court, we are going through a lot of emotions. You are told things that, if they were on the street, one would show that I am from Hammanskraal. But court culture is not built on street culture. Courts operate on standard practice governed by rules and procedures. In that space, you cannot be yourself, but a legal practitioner.
In short, we learn and live and love and do law day in and day out. Win or lose, we show up. Good days or bad days, we do the work.
After we requested to be excused, the magistrate’s parting words were, “Enjoy your festive, keep your smiles and take care.” It was after a heated, small battle with three legal practitioners for four respondents. I was briefed by Muofhe Attorneys, a woman-led law firm in Johannesburg.
A closing reflection
I wish one day, just one day, I could be a judge. I will frustrate you all. I will do all they did to you, before me.
This year I will take leave. I will stop working. I will rest for a few days. If you get arrested, see you after 4 January 2026.
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