On 23 April 2025, Kohn gave an Opening Address at the Constitutional Court Review (‘CCR’) Conference, ‘Celebrating and Interrogating 30 Years of the South African Constitutional Court’. In particular, Kohn paid special tribute to the journal’s founder and managing editor, the late Prof Stu Woolman, who was immensely encouraging of Kohn’s search for a doctrinally sound solution to commence the disgorgement of state-capture profits pending legislative reform.
Indeed, it was Kohn’s legal Opinion and ensuing doctoral publication that laid the groundwork (see State capture in South Africa: time to think differently about redress and recovering the stolen loot) for the NPA’s Corporate Alternative Dispute Resolution Policy.
Kohn was immensely honoured that the late, great Prof Woolman decided that her ground-breaking and impactful CCR article was to be given pride of place in Volume XII as its Opening Lead Essay.
During the conference, Kohn also moderated the Panel presentations for the session, ‘crimes and (mis)punishment’. Having served as an editor of CCR – the leading, open-access, peer-reviewed journal singularly dedicated to reflecting upon the work of SA’s apex Constitutional Court – for many years alongside Prof Woolman, this academic conference was a bitter-sweet moment for Kohn.
It was a ‘tribute farewell’ to Stu, and it was also Kohn’s first time presenting at an academic conference in her capacity as the founder and director of LAGASA – the first-of-its-kind Academy of Excellence.
LAGASA has fast made its (unique) mark, considering it only recently launched – and a day after SONA in February 2025.
Kohn’s depth, and breadth, of knowledge of the theoretical and practical workings of the law across numerous fields and other disciplines, make her the embodiment of LAGASA’s core mission of shattering silos and building synergies to deepen a culture of excellence, professionalism, integrity and accountability in SA and beyond.
LAGASA looks forward to partnering with various stakeholders for enhanced, complementary capacity-building. LAGASA has been engaging with various potential donors, partners and stakeholders, including ABSA Bank, and various not-for-profit foundations as well as Embassy representatives (from the Dutch, Swiss, Austrian, Norwegian and the EU Delegations in SA).
