He received an education in law in England and Germany, was called to the English Bar at the Middle Temple in 1865, and in 1866 was admitted as an advocate in Cape Town.

This was controversial work, as the principal diamond fields lay within Griqualand West, and the rulings of the court would naturally influence the access that neighbouring states would have to this resource.

This decision also validated many of the official claims of the Orange Free State to the dry diamond diggings, but President Brand waived his country's rights in return for a payment of £90,000.

A common accusation, that Stockenström strongly denied, was that he was prejudiced against the Griqua agent David Arnot, and sympathetic towards Orange Free State President Johannes Brand.

The size of the furore that arose in the wake of the Land Court findings led Andries to plea for a full Royal Commission of Inquiry into his rulings, and Barkly's successor as Governor, Sir Henry Bartle Frere supported this request.

He was appointed Attorney-General for the government of Prime Minister John Molteno in 1877, to replace Simeon Jacobs who had retired due to ill health.