Gabriel Smit

I have extensive law enforcement experience as I was a police officer appointed in the South African Police Service, where I served from 2003 to 2014. My duties, inter alia, concerned attending to various complaints made by members of the public, opening criminal dockets when a crime occurred, crime scene management, and other functions performed by police officers.

After I resigned from the SAPS in January 2014, I attended the North-West University, where I obtained my BCom in Law and LLB degrees with distinction. After obtaining the said degrees, I was a candidate attorney at a medium-sized law firm in Centurion, Gauteng, where I gained further knowledge in civil and criminal litigation, including commercial and corporate litigation and administration.

In 2021, I enrolled for my Masters in Law (LLM) in Criminal Law and Procedure at the North-West University. I completed the degree with distinction, and it was conferred on me on 20 June 2022. 

I was admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa on 23 March 2021. I was employed as a junior associate in the commercial litigation department, where I attended to insolvency and company law litigation. I was later transferred to the family law department, where I dealt with divorce litigation and other family law matters, including child law issues, such as maintenance, parenting plans, and the suspension of certain rights of an absent parent.

I attended to negotiating favourable settlement agreements between the parties, drafting of settlement agreements, parenting plans, and pleadings, briefing counsel, and have litigation experience in various fields. I also appeared in both the Regional and District Courts on behalf of clients.

I also dealt with all the criminal law matters, where I have made appearances on behalf of the accused in the Regional and District Court on various matters. I have made various submissions in Court for the referral of criminal charges to diversion programs, requests to Public Prosecutors to request the withdrawal of charges, bail applications, etc.