Professor William Beinart, son of the legendary former Dean and WPSchreiner Professor of Law, Ben Beinart, was this year’s speaker at a series that has been sponsored by Webber Wentzel since 2003.

Working from details of his father’s life, Prof Beinart sketched the legal activism of the ‘50s, with a particular focus on the Liberal party (not to be confused with liberal economics). Thanking him, Sally Hutton remarked on how much she had enjoyed a return to the lecture room, as it were, and the intellectual challenge of academic argument. The outgoing Dean spoke to the events of 2015 and it was to her that most of the questions were directed, and everyone enjoyed the opportunity to catch up on the specifics in the faculty and at UCT.

In paying tribute to his Dean (both as student and staff) and occasional tennis partner, Ryan Kitcat (2009) paid tribute to PJ, a true mentsch, and someone under whose leadership the faculty had achieved a rating within the top 40 law schools worldwide. ‘One of her legacies is the Student Crisis Fund that gives short term financial support to students, but I know from several sources that she herself has given generously to students in need.’