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Judge Eberhard Bertelsmann of the North Gauteng High Court delivered the address published here as he delivered it in Afrikaans in the series of FW de Klerk lectures in Potchefstroom on 20 February 2012. He dealt with the role of and limitations on the judiciary to promote social peace in South Africa, pointing out the achievements of the courts in the establishment of the constitutional dispensation over the past decades. He however also showed that the courts are over-burdened and that court administration leaves much to be desired. Litigants and practitioners do not hesitate to abuse the system and ugly incidents of unethical conduct have marred the professions. Judges however do not take these trends lying down and measures to rectify the situation are well underway. Fair, understandable, predictable and speedy adjudication without fear, favour or prejudice continues to be the contribution of judges to the protection of the South African democracy.

In this contribution, the author reflects on Question 52 of the Heidelberg Catechism where it asks: ‘What comfort is it to you that Christ “shall come to judge the living and the dead”?’ The author points out possible sources from which this formulation stems, that is, Articles 86 and 87 in John Calvin’s Catechism from 1545. God is described as a compassionate judge. Even more: the One who is the last judge, was also judged and had paid for our sins. In a dialectical fashion we discover a God who is just, but also merciful. The Reformed tradition did not follow a dead-end where it is taught that God shows us grace instead of righteousness. Had God proceeded in this way, he would only mean things well, but he would not make them well. The realisation of God being just and merciful leads to joy and repentance. The contribution ends with a discussion of the final separation of the just and evil.