UP Law's Professor Johan Scott receives Toon van den Heever Prize for Legal Science

Posted on April 17, 2021

The Faculty of Law (UP Law) at the University of Pretoria (UP) announces with pride and extends hearty congratulations to emeritus Professor Johan Scott on receiving the ‘Toon van den Heeverprys vir Regswetenskap’ (Toon van den Heever Prize for Legal Science) from the ‘Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap and Kuns’ (South African Academy for Science and Art).  They announced the exceptional achievements of Scott (page 10) and others in a media release on Friday, 16 April 2021.  

According to the media release (freely translated), ‘The Toon van den Heever Prize may be awarded every three years for original legal work in Afrikaans; and/or published full-length articles or for articles of outstanding quality in Afrikaans that have been published in accredited legal journals; and/or groundbreaking judgments in Afrikaans.

Scott, as an expert in the field of South African Private Law, has produced 120 peer-reviewed publications over the course of his career.  UP has honoured Scott as an outstanding academic achiever on several occasions for his excellent research achievements and output. 

Scott is one of a few modern South African lawyers who can still decipher the original sources of Common Law in Latin and Old Dutch.  As editor, Scott extensively contributed to, and constructed and expanded on the encyclopaedic work ‘The Law in South Africa’, which is currently most likely one of the most important legal publications in South Africa. This prize not only recognises Scott’s academic excellence of his publications in the field of ​​Legal Science, but he also enjoys wide recognition for the distinguished and precise way in which he masters and uses multiple languages.'

Scott obtained the degrees BA (Law) (1966), LLB (1968) and BA Hons (Latin) (1971) at UP.  In 1976, he obtained the degree of Doctor Juris from the University of Leiden under the supervision of the renowned legal historian Robert Feenstra, with a dissertation titled ‘Die geskiedenis van die oorerflikheid van aksies op grond van onregmatige daad in die Suid-Afrikaanse reg’ (freely translated to ‘The history of the heredity of actions based on wrongful act in South African law’).

Scott has been associated with UP Law for more than 40 years from 1969 as lecturer until his retirement as a senior professor in 2010.  However, his services was retained by UP Law until his 'final' retirement in 2015.

UP Law also extends congratulations to the other recipients on their achievements and awards.

- Author Elzet Hurter

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