MASERU — King Letsie III has appointed Justice Noel Victor Hurt to the Lesotho Court of Appeal bench.
Court of Appeal president, Justice Michael Ramodibedi, announced the appointment on Monday during the opening of the second session of the court.
The appointment of Justice Hurt, a South African, brings to nine the number of judges on Lesotho’s highest court.
Before his appointment Justice Hurt was practising as a judge in South Africa.
As a lawyer specialised in patent and other intellectual property law, law of unfair competition, building and engineering contracts as well as maritime law.
“Thus, although a landlocked country, Lesotho is well equipped to deal with issues relating to maritime law,” Justice Ramodibedi said.
He said the other two judges on the bench, Justices Douglas Scott and Ian Farlam were also maritime jurists.
Justice Hurt was born on October 4, 1938.
He matriculated at Parktown Boys’ High School in Johannesburg in 1955 obtaining distinctions in mathematics, Latin, and physical science.
In 1960 he obtained a BSc at Witwatersrand University majoring in mathematics and chemistry.
In 1969 he graduated with an LLB at the University of South Africa (UNISA) and was admitted to the South African bar the same year.
In 1987 Justice Hurt was appointed as senior counsel and practised until 1992 when he was appointed acting judge of the Natal provincial division of the Supreme Court.
He was later appointed chairman of the Election Appeals Court in Natal in 2004.
In 2007 Justice Hurt was appointed acting judge of the Appeal in Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein where he retired from active service as a judge at the age of 70.
From 2009 to 2010 he was requested to continue acting as a judge of appeal in the Supreme Court of Bloemfontein.
