Pieter Colyn is an Executive and head of ENS in the mine and occupational health and safety practice. 

He has extensive experience in general corporate and commercial litigation, employment law, environmental law and administrative law, with a specific focus on mine and occupational health and safety law.

Pieter has represented clients in the mining, construction/manufacturing and engineering industries, as well as in the ferrochrome, steel, vanadium and iron-making industries. He has personally appeared for a variety of companies, corporations and top executive and management personnel in accident investigations and inquiries, in particular, following major mine and occupational accidents and disasters in South Africa’s Westonaria, Rustenburg, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Free State and Northern Cape areas. He has also done appearances in criminal matters and inquests.

Pieter has successfully assisted a number of employers in conducting health and safety audits, as well as in the preparation and implementation of statutory appointment letters and in dealing with statutory enforcement measures (such as closure orders, prohibition notices, suspension of certificates of competency and recommendations for the imposition of administrative fines) in terms of the applicable South African mine and occupational health and safety legislation.

Pieter has presented various papers and training courses to a variety of companies, corporations and other organisations, and has also conducted annual seminars on his field of expertise. He is the co-author of Commentary to the Construction Regulations, 2014, and Occupational Health and Safety Law, a loose-leaf commentary on the South African Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993, both published by LexisNexis.

In 2000, Pieter obtained the highest mark for any thesis in the Faculty of Law at the University of Johannesburg, where he read for his LLM. His research topic analysed various evidentiary aspects of the concept of unfair discrimination in South African constitutional, labour and employment equity law.

Education

• BLC (cum laude) (University of Pretoria)
• LLB (University of Pretoria)
• LLM (cum laude) (University of Johannesburg)
• Advanced Diploma in Labour Law (cum laude) (University of Johannesburg)
• Admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa

Pieter is recognised as a leading/recommended lawyer by:

• Chambers Global Guide 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 – Energy and Natural Resources: Mining Health and Safety (South Africa)
• The Legal 500 EMEA 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2018, 2017 – Mining (South Africa)
• Best Lawyers® 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 – Mining (South Africa)
• Who's Who Legal 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 – Mining (South Africa)

• South African Mining Industry: Practical considerations for employers relating to coronavirus (COVID-19), post lockdown

  By Pieter Colyn |April 2020

• South African Mining Industry: Practical considerations for employers relating to coronavirus (COVID-19), post lockdown

  By Pieter Colyn |April 2020

• South African Mining Industry: is there an obligation on employers to report and investigate incidents of occupational-acquired Covid-19?

  By Pieter Colyn |March 2020