Capacity: Advocate
First Appointed as a Judge: N/A
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: White
Date of Birth: October 1960
Qualifications: BA (1981) LLB (1983)(University of KwaZulu-Natal)
Key Judgments:
- Kufanikiwa Consulting (Pty) Ltd and Others v Member of the Executive Council for the Department of Transport, KwaZulu-Natal Province and Another (15659/2023P) [2024] ZAKZPHC 24 (22 March 2024)
- Banawo v S (684/2024P) [2024] ZAKZPHC 14 (26 February 2024)
- Wetlands Country Retreat (Pty) Ltd and Another v Schutmann Agri (Pty) Ltd (13203/2023P) [2024] ZAKZPHC 13 (23 February 2024)
- M-B.F.M v H.P.N.P (5182/2022P) [2024] ZAKZPHC 8 (8 February 2024)
Candidate Bio | Last updated: August 2025
Advocate Murray Breval Pitman is a practising advocate of the High Court of South Africa.
Advocate Pitman began his legal journey with financial assistance from the Department of Justice, which awarded him a bursary during his LLB studies. After completing his degree, he fulfilled his compulsory national service in Pretoria at the Personnel Services School. He was appointed as an officer and later served as a legal officer at the 97 Ammunition Depot in De Aar for 14 months.
Upon completion of his military service, he began his legal career as a District Court Prosecutor at the Durban Magistrate’s Court in 1986. After two years, he was promoted to Regional Court Prosecutor, where he handled high-profile and complex cases, including white-collar crimes, sexual offences, murders, and drug-related cases. His dedication led to his promotion as Regional Court Control Prosecutor for Durban, where he managed the administration of all Regional Court Prosecutors and made critical decisions when junior prosecutors required guidance.
Influenced by the legacy of his father, a respected advocate in Pietermaritzburg, Advocate Pitman pursued a career in advocacy, determined to honour his father’s memory. Following his resignation from the Department of Justice in 1993, he completed his pupillage and was admitted as an advocate in July 1994. Since then, he has been practising as an advocate.
Advocate Pitman has contributed to South Africa’s jurisprudence in several highlight cases of his career, including S v Khumalo and Others, his first High Court murder trial as an advocate. The death sentence was still a legal option at the time, and his client, a policeman, was convicted. Although the client was not sentenced to death, the emotional and moral weight of the case solidified Pitman’s personal aversion to the death penalty. This case took place during the period when capital punishment was being phased out, aligning with the broader societal shift that culminated in its official abolition on 6 June 1995.
Throughout his 40-year career, he has acquired deep institutional knowledge of the KwaZulu-Natal Division, which he is eager to share by offering his services to the judiciary.
Advocate Pitman has demonstrated his dedication to developing and safeguarding the field of advocacy through his mentorship of eight pupil advocates and his membership on one of the KwaZulu-Natal Bar Council’s Complaints Committees.
He has also sat as both a magistrate and an acting judge during his career. He acted as an Additional Magistrate in the District of Durban/eThekwini from 1990 to 1993, where he presided over criminal trials. Pitman has also sat as an acting judge of the High Court on seven occasions, amounting to 35 weeks on the bench, and is slated to resume his role as an acting judge in September of this year. He is currently a member of Umhlanga Chambers, where he serves as the group’s administrative head.
Pitman’s fierce commitment to professional ethics and the maintenance of professional standards is evident in the appeal matter of Banawo v S. This was an appeal against a magistrate’s decision not to grant an accused bail on a charge that both the state and defence agreed was neither a Schedule 5 nor 6 offence. In this matter, Pitman held both representatives responsible for what he identified as serious failures to adhere to proper procedure regarding the transformation of a statement into an affidavit. Only once this issue was addressed and rectified did he turn to the merits of the appeal. Thereafter, he demonstrated a thorough and nuanced approach to the matter of bail, balancing respect for the court a quo with his own responsibility to apply his mind to the matter. The appeal was ultimately dismissed, and bail was denied.
Advocate Pitman also completed the Aspirant Judges Course, which took place from 25 to 27 June 2024, reflecting his ongoing commitment to advancing his legal career.
October 2025 Interview:
The Judicial Service Commission interviewed candidates for five vacancies in the KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court. Following deliberations, the Commission had resolved to recommend Advocate Murray Breval Pitman for the position.
Advocate Murray Breval Pitman’s interview was successful.
October 2024 Interview: