The late Judge Taswell Papier was a proud UWC alumnus. Picture: SuppliedThe Law Faculty at the University of the Western Cape mourns the passing of Judge Taswell Papier with deep sadness.
Born in 1961, Judge Papier completed his schooling at St?Columbus High School in Athlone in 1979. He went on to study at UWC, where he obtained a Diploma Iuris in 1983 and a BProc degree in 1987. Even as a student, he was deeply committed to service and leadership, serving as Convenor of the UWC Legal Aid Clinic in 1982 and later as Chairperson of the UWC Law Students Council from 1984 to 1985.
After graduating, he briefly worked as a prosecutor before completing his articles and establishing his own legal practice in Mitchells Plain. Over the next 17 years, he built a practice centred on human rights, representing community activists and anti-apartheid organisations across the Western Cape — often without charge.
His commitment to justice extended internationally. In 1994, he was a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Law School Human Rights Program, and in 1995 he completed an LLM in Human Rights there.
In 2004, he joined ENSafrica as a senior partner/director specialising in corporate and commercial law, a role he held until 2017. Alongside his practice, he served the judiciary in an acting capacity in the Western Cape High Court between 2000 and 2002, and again in 2017. He was appointed as a permanent Judge of the Western Cape High Court in November 2017, serving with distinction until his untimely passing.
Judge Papier contributed his expertise to numerous associations, committees, boards, tribunals, and foundations. His work was widely recognised, including receiving the UK Global Lawyer of the Year Award in 2006. He continued to pursue academic excellence, obtaining an LLM in Commercial Law from UCT in 2014 and a Certificate in Mediation from the London School of Mediation in 2015.
He remained closely connected to UWC, regularly visiting the Law Faculty and participating in its events. Reflecting on his journey, he once said: “Be constructive, inclusive and unifying in your approach. Always strive to make a positive and constructive contribution, as opposed to being divisive and destructive.”
“There is no substitute for hard work. Use disadvantage to your advantage, and always contribute in any way you can to addressing the plight of others.”
“If it was not for UWC, I would probably not have been a lawyer and consequently a Judge.”
His friend Vivienne Lawack described him as a mensch—someone who set aside time for people, whether established lawyers, scholars, or students. He mentored many, including Accelerated Excellence Programme student Sazi Tshangana, whom he invited to sit in on court proceedings.
Judge Taswell Papier will be remembered not only for his professional achievements but also for his dedication to justice, his service to others, and his enduring connection to the University of the Western Cape.
