south african university law clinics association
169-685 NPO
Prof David McQuoid-Mason
2021 marks his 50 years of contibution to ULC
The Board of Trustees of the AULAI Trust and executive committee of SAULCA wish to congratulate Prof David McQuoid-Mason on his 50-year anniversary in academia at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Prof McQuoid-Mason established one of the first law clinics in South Africa at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 1973 and the first Street Law programme in 1986. He has conducted clinical legal education programmes for law teachers in countries across the world. Prof McQuoid-Mason holds a PhD in Law and is a founding trustee of the AULAI Trust.
He served for many years as the Dean of the Law School at the then University of Natal and in that capacity was at the forefront of opposing apartheid from an academic perspective. He has educated generations of lawyers who are now contributing to the establishment of the rule of law in SA. He is a true inspiration and mentor to many, especially on social justice and clinical legal education.
The passing of Professor Schalk Meyer
Dear colleagues and friends
It is with great sadness that I have to inform you of the untimely passing this morning of Professor Schalk Meyer, affectionately known to us as "Oom Schalk". He served on the executive committee of the Association of University Law Clinics (AULAI), now known as the South African Universities Law Clinics Association (SAULCA), since 1993.
For the past number of years he was a co-opted member of the SAULCA executive committee. His institutional memory and vast experience were indispensable to so many consecutive SAULCA executive committees.
He served as the President of SAULCA for four years.
One of the leading exponents of law clinics and the Clinical Legal Education movement in South Africa, and a mentor to so many of us, Oom Schalk was an admitted attorney with 35 years' experience.
Since 2000, he served as the Programme Manager of the Association of University Law Clinics Trust (the AULAI Trust). During his lifetime he raised millions of rands from international donors to sustain Community-based Advice Offices (CAO's), all over South Africa, but also to support the promotion and activities of University Law Clinics. These advice offices also recently, during lockdown, became involved in the SAHRC Monitor Programme and humanitarian activities as such. The CAO's are also involved as far as access to justice on Gender Based Violence and Child Abuse matters are concerned.
Due to his efforts, the funding for our SAULCA workshops came from this source. He was also very involved with the paralegal movement in South Africa, who relied heavily on his advice and expertees.
His death is especially sad for the Law Clinic of the North-West University, where he served as Director for 25 years.
On behalf of SAULCA and all in the CLE community, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife Ina, his whole family, colleagues that he worked with to advance CLE his colleagues at the NWU and especially at the the NWU Law Clinic, and his many, many friends.
We have lost a great man and a friend. How can we ever replace him?
Rest in peace, Oom Schalk.
In memory of Oom Schalk
Post Comment:
Oom Schalk, as he was fondly known, was a gentle giant with a very kind heart.He had a passion to secure legal assistance to indigent and marginalised people of the community. He made an immense contribution and left an indelible footprint wherever he went. His contribution will live on!
On a more personal note, he reminded me of the person in the poem of Jan F E Cilliers:
"Stil,broers,
daar gaan n man verby,
hy groet,
en dis verlaas,
Daar's nog maar een soos hy;
bekyk hom goed."
Mev Meyer en familie, ons innige simpatie met u groot verlies.Ons bede is dat ons Hemelse Vader self u trane sal afdroog en u sal vertroos, versterk en bemoedig op die pad vorentoe.
Little did I realize the remarkable impact that Oom Schalk would have on my career development and my mind-set, through our many interactions and specifically those conversations and drives between SAULCA exec meetings, which conversations I will now reflect upon with pride and gratitude.
To me Oom Schalk’s passing is a loss that can never be adequately captured in words, leaving a void that can never be filled but instead leaving me to acknowledge that he had impacted my life more than I knew.
My deepest condolences and sympathy to his family and NWU Potch Law clinic colleagues
Oom Schalk, dankie vie alles dat U’ het vir my gedoen, maar nou is dit is tyd om te rus. Nou kan U’ rus met koffie en U se pyp want jy verdien dit, en toelyk op die nalatenskap wat U’ nagelaat het.
Totsiens my Prof Oom Schalk.
Words are so inadequate, but are all we have, especially as it is sadly not possible for so many of us to be at Schalk's funeral and to see his family and close colleagues in person. We will be with you all in spirit.
Thank you Schalk, for touching our lives so deeply, you have left your mark forever.
You have done your part, especially for the poor and I hope you fullfilled your perpose for being the pillar for access to justice.
TSAMAYA HANTLE OOM.
May your family be consoled by the fact that you were a father to all of us.
Dear Colleagues at the North West (Potch)
My diepste en innige simpatie. Mag al hierdie herinneringe en huldebetygings aan die "Grote" julle ietwatondersteun en krag gee.
Oom Schalk, as he was fondly known by all, including his contemporaries, was a big person with a booming voice , a big personality, a big leader-but with a tender heart
His contribution to the growth of individual law clinics and of the clincial movement, his alteuistic drive and unerring efforts to fundraise, build networks, his ways of engendering confidence amongst international and national donors, his managerial and highly astute administrative skills - all these.. are and will probably remain unique, unprecedented and unmatched
Deep and heartfelt Condolences to the Meyer family. May God grant them strength and courage during this challenging time.
I have met Oom Schalk for the first time in 2003 and, since then, he has touched me life in a meaningful way. He was a great man, always there to support others and always available when you wanted to talk. Oom Schalk, I really mourn your passing. I shall never forget you. To the family, please accept my heartfelt condolences. May you find peace during this very sad period.
Rest in peace, Oom Schalk. You will always live in our hearts.
May his soul rest in peace. Vela from Legal Aid SA, KZN
It with great sadness that I learnt of your passing. It has been an honour and a privilege to have known and worked with you over many years in both South Africa and elsewhere. You were always very humble and modest in the way that you went about your valuable work for the law clinics and paralegal movement in our country. You have laid a solid foundation for the AULAI Trust in which I have worked with you for many years. You have left giant shoes to be filled and we can honour you best by ensuring that the Trust endures and carries on its work in the manner that you established over the years.
It is always very painful for those of us who have been left behind after a great friend and colleague has passed on.
I offer my heartfelt condolences to your wife Ina, the rest of your family, your NWU colleagues - and indeed the entire clinical movement in South Africa.
Go in peace my friend - until we meet again.
David
We mourn with you today, the loss of a giant in the clinical movement, a champion of the advice office community, and a dear friend, Schalk. We also celebrate a life well-lived, serving the people of South Africa to the very end.
May his soul rest in peace, and may you find comfort, solace and peace at this difficult time.
Yousuf Vawda, Trustee AULAI Trust.
We thank you for your immense efforts, expertise and irreplaceable experience. Oom Schalk May you Rest In Peace and your soul rise in Glory. Natasha Naidoo Director UJ Law Clinic on behalf of the staff of the Uj law clinic
We have lost a giant, unafraid yet unassuming.
A life well lived, a friend remembered always.
Rest in peace, Oom Schalk.
Even after retirement he never stopped serving the cause.
What a man! We all need to learn from him. Irreplaceable. i cannot imagine iur world without him.
May he rest in peace.
Eddie Hanekom
Prof David McQuoid-Mason
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