Lorimer Eric Leach (born 17 August 1952) is a South African retired judge who served in the Supreme Court of Appeal from 2009 to 2020.
Before his elevation to the appellate court, he was a judge of the Eastern Cape Division from 1993 to 2009, and he practised as an advocate in Grahamstown from 1976 to 1993, taking silk in 1990.
[2] On 28 June 1993, Leach joined the bench permanently as a judge of the Eastern Cape Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa.
[6] In November that year, President Jacob Zuma confirmed his appointment to the appellate court, and he took office on 1 December 2009 alongside Jeremiah Shongwe and Zukisa Tshiqi.
[8][9] Writing on behalf of a unanimous five-member bench, Leach overturned the culpable homicide conviction, which he said had resulted from trial judge Thokozile Masipa's misapplication of the principles of dolus eventualis; the Supreme Court found Pistorius guilty of murder instead.