Personal details
7 November 1966, Durban
Husband: Charles Sarjoo
Four children
Education
Matric: Sparks Estate Senior Secondary School, Sydenham
BA (1987) University of Natal
LLB (1989) University of Natal
LLM (1990) Washington DC, USA
Professional history
Dawson & Partners; Durban (Candidate Attorney): February 1983 to June 1989
University of Natal; Durban (Acting Street Law Co-ordinator): November 1988 to January 1989
Adjunct Lecturer Mangosuthu Technikon, Umlazi: February to June 1989
International Labour Organisation (ILO); Washington D.C (Special Assistant to the Director): December 1989 to May 1990
Occupational Safety and Health Law Centre; Washington D.C (Summer Associate): June 1990 to July 1990
Advocate of the High Court, Kwa-Zulu Natal: December 1990
Reich, Adell & Crost Law Offices; Washington D.C (Summer Associate): August 1990 to September 1990
Community Law Centre (Trainer): November 1990 to June 1991
Part time Lecturer, University of Natal: July 1994 to November 1994
Independent Electoral Commission (Provincial Adjudication Secretary): July 1994 to November 1994
Judge White Commission (Formerly Browde Commission): January 1995 to May 1997
Judicial positions
OK Bazaars; Umhlanga Rocks (Part-time Cashier): December 1983 to January 1989
Legal Aid Clinic, University of Natal; Durban (Part-time Legal Advisor/Secretary): May 1986 to November 1988
Acting Judge, Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal, 1998 – 1999
Judge of the High Court of South Africa (Natal Provincial Division): 15 October 1999 to 2010
Acting Judge, Supreme Court of Appeal (Bloemfontein): May 2006 to June 2007 and December 2009 to March 2010
Judge of Appeal, Supreme Court of Appeal (Bloemfontein): 1 December 2010
Acting Judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa: February 2015 to May 2015
Publications, Awards, Honours and Other Activities:
KZN Legal Forum Award for Contribution to the Development of Justice in South Africa: 2011
University of Durban Westville, Mababongwe Award: 2003
Department of Justice Woman Achiever of the Year: 2000
Commonwealth Foundation Fellow: 1995 – Visited London, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Post/Natal Young Achiever of the Year Finalist: 1994
Fullbright Scholarship: 1990
Black South African Lawyers Program, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA: 1990
Board Member: Rules Board for Courts of Law
Trustee: African Monitor
Council Member: Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association
Council Member: Ombudsman for Long Term Insurance
Council Member: South African Judicial Education Institute
Founding Member of the South African Chapter of the International Association of Woman Judges (IAWJ)
Vice President of Programs: 2003 – 2007
Personal details
Johan Froneman was born in 1953 and grew up on a farm in the Eastern Cape Province. He started his schooling there in Cathcart and matriculated from Grey College, Bloemfontein in 1970. He is married to Sonette, an attorney, and they have two daughters, Karen and Ingrid. Their family home is in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape.
Education
Justice Froneman obtained a B.A. degree from the University of Stellenbosch in 1974 and a LL.B degree from the University of South Africa in 1977.
Professional history
After completing his pupillage at the Pretoria Bar he commenced practice as an advocate at the Eastern Cape Bar in Grahamstown in 1980. He obtained Senior Counsel status in 1990 and was appointed as a judge to the Eastern Cape High Court in 1994. In 1996 he was appointed as Deputy Judge President of the newly established Labour and Labour Appeal Courts, a post he held until 1999. In 2002 he acted for two terms in the Supreme Court of Appeal. In October 2009 Justice Froneman was appointed to the Constitutional Court.
Other activities
Froneman was an extraordinary professor in public law at the University of Stellenbosch from 2003 to 2008 during which he participated in the specialised LL.M course in Human Rights by way of annual seminars. During periods of judicial leave he attended Harvard University (1999) and the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, Oxford University (2008) in a visiting capacity. He has been involved in judicial training for new judges over a number of years and has also participated in practical training courses for magistrates, attorneys and advocates.
Publications and talks
Justice Froneman has given a number of public lectures and talks at academic and professional conferences. Articles of his have appeared in academic and professional publications.