Ackermann, Laurie

Lourens Wepener Hugo "Laurie" Ackermann (14 January 1934 – 25 May 2024) was a South African judge who served on the Constitutional Court of South Africa from 1994 to 2004. Appointed to the inaugural court by Nelson Mandela, he is best known for his jurisprudence on dignity. He was formerly an academic, a practising advocate, and a judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa. Born in Pretoria, Ackermann practised at the Pretoria Bar between 1958 and 1980, gaining silk status in 1975. He served as a judge in the Transvaal Provincial Division of the Supreme Court between 1980 and 1987, when he resigned due to his opposition to apartheid legislation. After five years as a professor in human rights law at Stellenbosch University, he returned to the Supreme Court in 1993, sitting in the Cape Provincial Division until he was elevated to the Constitutional Court in August 1994. He retired from the judiciary in January 2004.