Lawyers in the cross hairs

Condolences are pouring in for the family of 35-year-old labour lawyer Chinette Gallichan, who was gunned down by unknown assailants in Joburg's CBD yesterday.

She is the latest lawyer to be killed in what appears to be an assassination.

CapeTalk's Clarence Ford spoke to attorney Shando Theron who knew her from court and said she was working on some high-profile matters.

As for the motive for the murder, he said while he prefers not to speculate, it does seem that she was a specific target. Why? "Was it to delay a court case? Was she uncovering information that was too sensitive? Or was there a financial profit in it for someone? But it would appear that what they were after was unfortunately her."

Theron said he is angry and sad but not shocked by Gallichan's murder.

"I wrote an opinion piece for a newspaper the other day on the assassination of lawyers. There was a lawyer assassinated the other day, a prominent lawyer in a prominent law firm assassinated in his office, a kilometre away from where I am right now. There was another lawyer assassinated in front of his children, just the other day. There was another lawyer assassinated under similar circumstances at Booysens Magistrate's Court... Wynberg Court in Cape Town is also not immune to what's going on."

He said the reason for this is a worldwide phenomenon that we are seeing now "call it the predatory elite class. Call it the Epstein class if you want - for want of a better word. And it's where politics and business and organised crime intersect. And I'm talking about big, big business... And in our country one of the manifestations of that predatory elite is an attack on the judiciary, attacks on lawyers, attacks on prosecutors, attacks on liquidators doing their jobs."

Why is it not being dealt with in a more serious manner?

"It's the rise of that predatory elite, call it the Epstein class. Someone is hiring these people. And someone is doing this because they don't want what is happening to continue. And who are the people who will most benefit by the next person being more doubtful about doing their job properly?

"But there are many, many, many good lawyers who are going to stand up and do their job even better now because of this.

That I can tell you."

Theron also called for courts to be moved out of dangerous precincts like the Joburg High Court for instance. "You take your life in your hands going there."

To listen to Theron's full discussion with Ford, click the media player below: