Frans Lourens Herman Rumpff

Frans Lourens Herman Rumpff, DMS (5 June 1912 – 4 April 1992) was the Chief Justice of South Africa from 1974 to 1982.^[1]

The Honourable Frans Lourens Herman Rumpff DMS
14th Chief Justice of South Africa
In office 1974–1982
Preceded by	Newton Ogilvie Thompson
Succeeded by	Pierre Rabie
Judge of the Appellate Division
In office 1961–1974
Judge President of the Transvaal Provincial Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa
In office 1959–1961
Preceded by	G. J. Maritz
Succeeded by	Quartus de Wet
Judge of the Transvaal Provincial Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa
In office 1951–1959
Personal details
Born	(1912-06-05)5 June 1912 Standerton, Transvaal, Union of South Africa (now Mpumalanga)
Died	4 April 1992(1992-04-04) (aged 79) South Africa
Alma mater	University of Pretoria

Early life and education

Born in Standerton, Transvaal, Rumpff was educated at the University of Pretoria, where he obtained a BA (1933) and LLB (1935). From 1936 to 1938, he was employed by the Department of Justice and then he became clerk of Judge Maritz of the Transvaal Provincial Division.^[2]

Career

In 1938, Rumpff decided to practice as an advocate and joined the Pretoria Bar and also taught part-time in private law at the University of Pretoria. He was appointed King's Counsel in 1951. He was appointed to the Transvaal Provincial Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa in 1951, and served on the court until 1961.^[3] He was the Judge President of the court from 1959 to 1961. In 1961, he was one of the judges who acquitted all the defendants in the Treason Trial.

In 1961, he was appointed to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa. He became Chief Justice of South Africa in 1974 in succession to Newton Ogilvie Thompson, and served in that position until his retirement in 1982.^[3]

See also

• List of Judges President of the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa