Kemp was a man of fairness and justice
THE death of distinguished lawyer Kemp J Kemp, will serve to remind many of a legal colossus, who will leave his imprint on South African society. Kemp was a formidable litigator. He epitomised excellence in all respects. Certainly one of the greatest litigators of our times, and so respected by our judges.
He represented some of the most important qualities of the legal profession. The country has lost a jurist of historic stature. Kemp was a lawyer of extraordinary skill. He was a formidable opponent in argument. The profession of law became to him the means to enthrone justice, not entangle justice in the net of the law.
He was a most distinguished lawyer and his pristine and erudite arguments, especially at historic moments in South Africa are indelible and irrefutable proof of the measure of this learned jurist. He had easily distinguished and proved himself as an oracle. Kemp on many occasions mesmerised opposing counsel and even judges with his brilliant submissions on the issues at hand. His quietly spoken demeanour masked a very intelligent, very determined and skilful advocate. He held the nation spell-bound when defending former President Jacob Zuma and his associates in marathon-absorbing trials.
He always stood on the side of truth and justice. He was fearless and would always speak truth to power. No word is enough to describe him. He was an epitome of justice and efficiency and his brilliance earned him the respect of his peers throughout the length and breadth of the land.
A lawyer’s lawyer with a voracious appetite for meticulous and detailed preparation. It is said that there can be no excellence in law without excellence in lawyers. Kemp believed in that, he was never shy of working hard. He was a man who did not use words carelessly. Someone once said: Of all the weapons of destruction that man could invent the most terrible and the most powerful was the word. His passion for law and for life was ever-present and infectious. He took on fights that others thought were impossible; always in relentless defence of principle. He was an exemplary advocate and a paragon of enduring faithful and distinguished service. Words are not enough to encapsulate completely the life he led as an outstanding jurist.
South Africa has lost one of its greatest men. Filled with courage, integrity, fairness and grace, worth an unfailing instinct to be right about the great issues of our time, Kemp J Kemp towered above the crowd as a gentle giant. May his departed soul rest in peace.
ARAIE | Johannesburg