This is a Tribute article, recognising the scholarly and other contributions by long-time human rights and land reform lawyer, Advocate Rudolph Jansen SC, who died in Limpopo Province, South Africa on 25 November 2017.

His passion for social justice was matched by a keen wit and abiding sense of humour, a combination that was reflected in his own twist to an iconic statement by Mao Tse-Tung, sardonically remarking that ‘change will come in a barrel’.