Jannie Eksteen SC, has been elected chairperson of the General Council of the Bar (GCB), according to a statement released on Monday.
He succeeds Norman Arendse SC.
At its sixth annual general meeting, the GCB also announced the appointments of Renata Williams SC as deputy chairperson and Rashid Vahed SC as vice-chairperson.
The meeting also saw the Chief Justice of South Africa, Justice Pius Langa, being awarded the Sydney and Felicia Kentridge Award for Service to Law in Southern Africa.
"The award is presented annually (by the GCB) to a person who has made an exceptional contribution to the development of law in Southern Africa," read the GCB statement.
At the meeting, it was further resolved to set in motion a process to reform the disciplinary procedures at the various Constituent Bars to promote transparency and accountability, the statement added. - Sapa