Port Elizabeth judge Dayalin Chetty is forthright on his views on what justice means for women and children who suffer abuse after his keynote speech at the Reeva Rebecca Foundation’s annual fundraiser “elegant English Breakfast” on Saturday.
The event was held at the Boardwalk International Convention Centre (ICC) in aid of raising funds for the “Reeva bursary”.
“My whole judicial career has focused on providing a safe environment and this fundraising effort to contribute towards the foundation’s bursary commitment is thus important in two respects, firstly to honour the recipient and secondly to affirm our support,” Chetty said.
One of the requirements for the bursary is that the candidate shows an interest in Family Law, which Chetty said was commendable, as the subject dealt with an array of issues that ultimately changed people’s lives.
“The phrase in the foundation’s preamble says, ‘[educating and empower]’ women and it asked the question, ‘what does the victim want, is it revenge?’ Many people say, ‘if something happens to me, what would I do?’
“But it can’t be revenge, because revenge is an emotional response akin to the principle of an eye for an-eye.“I have been studying law for 46 years, 23 of them as a judge and the precise definition of justice still eludes me.
“What does this word really mean”. Greek philosopher Aristotle ventured the answer – he said ‘to go to the judge is to go for justice’.
“I took on the [Christopher] Panayiotou case, which I initially did not want to do, to see how it would pan out.
“But it sapped my energy for over a year and when I passed sentence, I heard thunderous applause at the back of the court room.
“I wondered was this an expression of joy, a public acknowledgement that justice had been done.
“Each of us perceives justice in our own way – and so, did Reeva and Jayde get their justice?” Chetty asked.
On what would have been Steenkamp’s 35th birthday on Sunday, her mother, June said the family would be visiting the beach where the slain model’s ashes were scattered.