It is with great sadness that the Faculty received the news this morning of the passing of Professor Raymond Koen.
Raymond Anthony Koen joined UWC in 1996, as lecturer in the then Department of Public and Adjective law. He completed his PhD at UCT in 2005 with the title ‘Restorative Justice – A Marxist Analysis’. He was appointed as Senior Lecturer in the Faculty with effect from 1 January 2010 and as Associate Professor from 1 August 2012. Raymond served the Law Faculty in many capacities, including as Deputy Dean: Teaching & Learning, as Chairperson of the Department of Criminal Justice & Procedure, and as Head of the former Department of Student Affairs. He retired in July 2020 at the age of 65.
His colleagues in the Department of Criminal Justice & Procedure note that “during his time at UWC he became known and admired by many colleagues and students. In his role as chairperson of the Department he inadvertently became an excellent mentor to colleagues and students. Prof Koen was a fearless advocate for gender equality and became a great protector of women’s rights in his academic home. His brilliance as an academic, underscored by his excellent command of the English language and mathematical skills, served his Department and the Faculty well. He was a true believer and promoter of Africanisation and decolonisation.”
“His commitment to the Africanisation and decolonisation of the curriculum manifested in his teachings and in later years it was evidenced by his pivotal role in the study of the law of economic crime and the launching of the Journal of Anti-Corruption Law. He often stated that corruption and other economic crimes are vices which threaten true democracy and equality. In his own research, Raymond was interrogating the ways in which the philosopher Pashukanis dealt with the interpretation of law. His wisdom and passion for academia will be missed, but his contribution to the lives of his colleagues and former students lives on.”
The Faculty extends its condolences to his wife Zenette and daughter Nastassja.
Raymond Anthony Koen joined UWC in 1996, as lecturer in the then Department of Public and Adjective law. He completed his PhD at UCT in 2005 with the title ‘Restorative Justice – A Marxist Analysis’. He was appointed as Senior Lecturer in the Faculty with effect from 1 January 2010 and as Associate Professor from 1 August 2012. Raymond served the Law Faculty in many capacities, including as Deputy Dean: Teaching & Learning, as Chairperson of the Department of Criminal Justice & Procedure, and as Head of the former Department of Student Affairs. He retired in July 2020 at the age of 65.
His colleagues in the Department of Criminal Justice & Procedure note that “during his time at UWC he became known and admired by many colleagues and students. In his role as chairperson of the Department he inadvertently became an excellent mentor to colleagues and students. Prof Koen was a fearless advocate for gender equality and became a great protector of women’s rights in his academic home. His brilliance as an academic, underscored by his excellent command of the English language and mathematical skills, served his Department and the Faculty well. He was a true believer and promoter of Africanisation and decolonisation.”
“His commitment to the Africanisation and decolonisation of the curriculum manifested in his teachings and in later years it was evidenced by his pivotal role in the study of the law of economic crime and the launching of the Journal of Anti-Corruption Law. He often stated that corruption and other economic crimes are vices which threaten true democracy and equality. In his own research, Raymond was interrogating the ways in which the philosopher Pashukanis dealt with the interpretation of law. His wisdom and passion for academia will be missed, but his contribution to the lives of his colleagues and former students lives on.”
The Faculty extends its condolences to his wife Zenette and daughter Nastassja.
