Image: Unsplash Born on the Cape Flats, with its complex history and enduring challenges, Judge Papier gained an intimate understanding of injustice and an unwavering determination to combat it. He graduated from the University of the Western Cape in 1985 with a Diploma Iuris and BProc Law, thereafter completing his articles of clerkship in Atlantis and Mitchells Plain. These formative years, spent amongst the communities he would later serve, planted the seeds of a legal philosophy rooted in accessibility and compassion, one that would define his entire career.
In the dark days of apartheid, he represented anti-apartheid activists and their families, often putting his own life in danger for the pursuit of justice. Where others might have chosen safer paths, Taswell stood resolute, understanding that the law could be wielded as a sword against oppression just as readily as it had been used as a shield for the powerful. At the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, he represented the families of slain activists, ensuring their voices were heard. Since the 1980s, he worked alongside community advice offices to provide legal assistance to residents of the Cape Flats, communities often overlooked by the formal legal system. His dedication did not go unnoticed beyond South African shores: in 1993, he attended a human rights programme at Harvard University, where his exceptional abilities earned him a scholarship to complete a master's degree in 1995.
Upon returning to South Africa, Taswell redoubled his efforts to ensure that justice was not a privilege reserved for the wealthy, serving as Chairperson of the National Sheriff's Board and twice as President of the Cape Law Society. Most significantly, he served as Chairperson of the Cape Law Society's Pro Bono Committee, where his stewardship led to a resolution making pro bono work obligatory for legal practitioners. This was not merely administrative reform; it was the institutionalisation of a moral imperative Taswell had lived by his entire career.
When he joined ENS in 2004 as a commercial attorney, Taswell brought with him the same unwavering commitment to access to justice. He was instrumental in establishing the firm's Pro Bono Programme, which commenced in 2005 and has since become a model for corporate pro bono work in South Africa. His former law office in Mitchell's Plain continues to serve as the firm's Pro Bono Office in the Western Cape, providing legal services to the disadvantaged communities of Mitchell's Plain and Khayelitsha, a physical embodiment of his belief that justice must be brought to where it is needed. His ascension to the bench as a Judge of the Western Cape High Court brought his profound understanding of community needs to the very heart of the judicial system.
These contributions earned international recognition, including Taswell's induction as a fellow of the College of Law Practice Management in Boston. He also served as Chairperson of the Law Society of South Africa's Pro Bono Committee and on the Council of the United Nations for the International Council of Human Rights Policy. At home, the Western Cape bestowed upon him one of its highest honours, the Order of the Disa, placing him in the company of luminaries such as Nelson Mandela, FW de Klerk and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Yet beyond these honours, those who knew Taswell speak of a man who was kind, generous and eager to mentor the next generation. His patience in explaining complex matters and his genuine interest in the wellbeing of those around him marked him as a man of rare character. He was, in the truest sense, a son of Africa who devoted his life to ensuring that justice extended to all her children.
Hamba kahle, Judge Papier. Hamba kahle, Tas. Go well, knowing that your path has made the journey easier for countless others who will follow.
Author: Natasha Wagiet, Pro bono manager