Kate Savage
South African judge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Katharine Mary Savage (born 10 January 1968[1]) is a South African attorney and judge. On 10 April 2026 she was appointed to the Constitutional Court of South Africa by President Cyril Ramaphosa, with effect from 1 May 2026. Before appointment to the Constitutional Court she served on the Western Cape Division of the High Court and the Labour Appeal Court.[2]
Kate Savage | |
|---|---|
| Justice of the Constitutional Court | |
| Assumed office 1 May 2026 | |
| Appointed by | Cyril Ramaphosa |
| Judge of the High Court | |
| In office 1 January 2015 – 30 April 2026 | |
| Appointed by | Jacob Zuma |
| Division | Western Cape |
| Judge of the Labour Appeal Court | |
| In office 1 January 2024 – 30 April 2026 | |
| Appointed by | Cyril Ramaphosa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Katharine Mary Savage 10 January 1968 |
| Education | Westerford High School |
| Alma mater | University of Cape Town, University of Notre Dame |
Early life and education
Savage was born on 10 January 1968 in Johannesburg. She matriculated from Westerford High School and then attended the University of Cape Town, completing a BA degree in 1988 and an LLB in 1991.[1] She was admitted as an attorney in 1994.[3] In 1997 she completed an LLM at the University of Notre Dame in the USA.[1]
Legal career
During the 1994 general election, Savage worked as deputy director of mediation services at the Western Cape office of the Independent Electoral Commission.[4] In 1995 she was employed as a legal researcher by the Constitutional Commission of the African National Congress during the negotiation of the Constitution of South Africa.[1][4] In 1996 she joined the Legal Resources Centre as an attorney.[4] From 1997 to 2000 she was a full-time commissioner of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration,[4] a tribunal which adjudicates labour disputes.
In 2000 Savage opened her own law firm, Katharine Savage Attorneys,[4] now Haffegee Roskam Savage Attorneys.[1] In 2008 she became a director of Bowman Gilfillan, before returning to Haffegee Roskam Savage in 2012.
Judicial career
Savage served as an acting judge of the Labour Court in 2011,[1] and nine terms as an acting judge of the Western Cape Division of the High Court from 2012 to 2014.[4] She was appointed to a permanent seat on the bench of the Western Cape Division with effect from 1 January 2015.[4]
During her time at the Western Cape Division, Savage also served at various times as an acting judge of the Labour Appeal Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal.[1] She was appointed to a permanent position at the Labour Appeal Court with effect from 1 January 2024.[5] During 2025 she served as an acting judge of the Constitutional Court.[5]
In October 2025 Savage was interviewed by the Judicial Service Commission for a vacant seat on the Constitutional Court bench. On 10 April 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that Savage and Nambitha Dambuza were appointed to the Constitutional Court with effect from 1 May 2026.[2]