South African lawyer Chinette Gallichan was shot dead in a brazen daylight attack outside the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) offices at the corner of Fox and Joubert streets in Johannesburg’s central business district. The 35-year-old attorney was arriving for a scheduled hearing when the attack occurred.
According to witnesses, Gallichan had just stepped out of her car at around 9:00am on Monday, March 23, 2026, when an unknown assailant approached and fired several shots at close range. The gunman then fled on foot before entering a waiting vehicle, disappearing into the city streets.
Colleagues described the scene as shocking and tragic. Fellow attorney Jacobus Myburgh said Gallichan had been practising in the labour litigation department at Sibanye-Stillwater. She was reportedly handling a labour dispute involving retrenched workers seeking compensation, a case that may have drawn attention to her professionally.
Early indications suggest the shooting was targeted. Nothing was stolen from her, and investigators are exploring possible motives connected to her legal work. Police have opened a murder case and confirmed that inquiries are ongoing, though no arrests have been made.
Gallichan earned her LLB from the University of South Africa (Unisa) and went on to complete a postgraduate diploma in labour law with distinction at the University of Johannesburg. Colleagues and peers remember her as a committed advocate for workers’ rights, regularly representing clients at the CCMA in cases of unfair dismissal and unpaid wages.
In a social media tribute, Myburgh highlighted Gallichan’s presence in both legal and athletic circles, noting her dedication to her work and the respect she commanded among her peers.
The attack has sent shockwaves through Johannesburg’s legal community. Experts note that attacks on lawyers, though rare, raise concerns about the safety of legal professionals in high-stakes cases, particularly those involving labour disputes or financial claims.
As police continue to piece together the events, the broader legal fraternity is left grappling with the sudden loss of a prominent, driven attorney whose work often placed her in the centre of contentious cases.
