Board Member Profiles

Advocate John Myburgh SC

John Myburgh has been in the legal fraternity for the past forty years. He took silk (became a senior counsel) in 1986. He is a former judge of the High Court and former Judge President of the Labour Appeal Court.

John specialises in dispute resolution and is a member of Group One.

He attended the University of the Witwatersrand from 1965 to 1969. He was Chairman of the House Committee of the Men's Residence in 1968; Deputy Vice - President of the Student Representative Council in 1968 - 1969.

He graduated with the BA LL.B degrees.

He was admitted to practise as an advocate in 1970, and prosecuted in the Department of Justice, initially in the Magistrate's Courts and later in the Supreme Court in KwaZulu-Natal in 1970 to 1971.

John commenced practice at the Johannesburg Bar as an advocate in January 1972. He became a Senior Counsel in November 1986, and was a member of the Johannesburg Bar Council for a number of years both as junior and senior counsel. He was Chairman of the Bar Council 1990 to 1991, and acted as a judge of the High Court in Johannesburg in August and September 1988.

John received a permanent appointment as a High Court judge in December 1991. Included in his duties as judge were:

  • Member of the Commercial Court
  • Ad hoc chairman of Labour Appeal Court
  • Chairman of Electoral Appeal Tribunal for the Transvaal during the first democratic elections in April 1994.

John has held numerous positions both in law and business. These include:

  • Judge President of the Labour Appeal Court and Judge President of the Labour Court from 16 April 1996 to 14 January 1999.
  • In 1996 was the sole member of Judicial Commission of Enquiry into 'The Recent Violence and Occurrence at the East Driefontein, Leeudoorn and the Northam Mines'.
  • Visiting professor of Law, University of the Witwatersrand in 2002 to 2003.
  • Past Trustee of the Wits Law School Endowment Appeal.
  • President, South African Law Society for Labour Law, 1998 to 200, 2002 - 2003.
  • Member of Management Committee of Anglogold Ltd from 15 January 1999 to 28 February 2001.
  • Member of the Johannesburg Bar since 1 March 2001, specialising in commercial arbitrations and mediations, conducting confidential enquiries, and dispute resolution.
  • A CEDR accredited mediator.
  • Chairman of the board of directors of the Ombudsman for Banking Services (2002 - to date).
  • Chairman of Tokiso Dispute Settlement (Pty) Ltd, a company specialising in labour dispute resolution 2001 to 2008.
  • Chairman of Tokiso Commercial (Pty) Ltd, a company specialising in commercial mediation 2008.
  • July to November 2001: commissioner appointed in terms of section 69A of the Banks Act into the collapse of Regal Treasury Private Bank Ltd. The report is available on request at the following email address: jenni@counsel.co.za
  • January to June 2002: chairman of the Commission of Inquiry into the rapid depreciation of the Rand. The report is available at the following web address: www.doj.gov.za/cissionsrandfinal.tm
  • August 2002 - March 2003: conducted a review of the corporate governance of the five biggest South African banks in terms of s7 of the Banks Act, 1990. The report is available at the following web address www.resbank.co.za
  • August 2003 to May 2004: engaged as inspector in the investigation into the Corpcapital Group of Companies in terms of 258(2) of the Companies Act.
  • Chairman of ad hoc tribunals appointed in terms of s15K of the Pension Funds Act.
  • Chairman of the (Sasol) September 2004 Accident Trust 2006 - 2009
  • Involved in the review of Sasol's competition law compliance (2009)
  • Chairman of the Dispute Resolution Board (DRB) for the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link (March 2007 to date)

John enjoys cycling, and has competed in the Argus Cycle Tour, completing an impressive 108km! He also enjoys walking, and played tennis and squash for many years.

His main reading interests are in non-fiction, about the American Civil War and American Presidents especially Lincoln, Roosevelt and Truman.

He has a collection of over 130 crime novels which he enjoys reading in his spare time. Travel is one of John's hobbies, and he enjoys watching BBC TV series.

John has three children, Sarah, James, and Andy, and has two granddaughters, Caitlyn and Meghan.