KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY

When their youngest daughter was admitted as an attorney recently, it meant four legal eagles in the house!

- JANICE BECKETT-MSIZA

IF EVER there was a family who could lay down the law with one another, it's this one. Arguments have to be really solid to be won without a reasonable doubt and nobody is a law unto themselves.

Luckily, this tightknit family of four doesn't battle around the dinner table on legal matters. They certainly could if they wanted to seeing as they're all lawyers now.

When Thiavna Subroyen (26) was recently admitted as an attorney, she became the fourth person in her family to become a member of the legal fraternity.

Her mom Sagra (53) is a magistrate who presides in criminal court, dad Selvan (55) specialises in mining and environmental law, and sister Suvania (27) is an advocate and intellectual property lawyer.

It was a proud moment for the family when Thiavna recently qualified - and what made it even more special was that it was her big sister who admitted her as an attorney of the high court.

"It was an absolute honour to have my sister admit me, Thiavna says. "It's very rare for a sibling to admit their sister, so it was a very beautiful moment.

It was like, 'Okay, I'm the final member [of the family] and now I'm part of the cool kids' club".

Thiavna, who specialises in civil litigation as well as criminal, family and commercial law, says her sister was a huge support throughout her learning journey. It was intense and emotional when the official moment came and Suvania was the one to do it.

"I tried to keep it together in court but after she admitted me and the judge said I can practice and there was a whole speech about the need for us to do better for the people in society, that's when I started crying, Thiavna says. "I looked at my family and was like, 'Guys, I did it".