The inaugural president of the WA Court of Appeal, Chris Steytler AO KC, has died aged 76.

In an email to colleagues, WA Chief Justice Peter Quinlan said Mr Steytler was “conspicuous for his industry, insight and great humanity” during his highly respected legal career.

“He was a model of judicial civility and temperament,” Justice Quinlan said.

“When the Court of Appeal was established in 2005, Justice Steytler was the obvious choice as its inaugural president.

“He is largely responsible for the innovative procedures for appeals developed for the new appellate division, which continue, largely unchanged, over 20 years later.”

Mr Steytler died at his Albany home on August 5.

“While physically frail, his character was undimmed. Chris Steytler’s was a truly great contribution to the law in this State. He is a great loss,” Justice Quinlan said.

“Chris is survived by his devoted wife Georgina, his sons and grandchildren. The Court will extend its condolences to his family.”

As Court of Appeal president, he presided over countless high-profile cases including the ruling that a Perth man, Darryl Beamish, was wrongly convicted of a young woman’s murder.

Mr Beamish, who had failed in five previous appeals, was initially sentenced to death, before the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

Judge Steytler sat on a three-judge panel in 2005 which decided that Mr Beamish had been wrongly convicted of killing 22-year-old Jillian Brewer.

The panel decided the 1964 gallows confession from one of Australia’s most notorious serial killers, Eric Edgar Cooke, was true.

It cleared Mr Beamish, who served 15 years behind bars.

In an interview with The West Australian in 2009 ahead of his retirement as a Judge, Mr Steytler said he chose to live in Australia because of South Africa’s political system — and the weather.

“I was unhappy with the political system in South Africa as it was then,” he said.

“I had the choice of Australia or England, and I chose here because of the weather.”

Born in Cape Town, Mr Steytler obtained degrees in arts and law before working as a barrister.

In 1976, he migrated to Australia, before becoming a partner at law firm Parker & Parker.

He then joined the independent Bar and was appointed a Queen’s Counsel.

In 1994, he was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court and in 2005, when WA established a Court of Appeal, Justice Steytler was chosen as president.

After four years with the Court of Appeal and 14 years as a Supreme Court Judge, he took up the role as a CCC Parliamentary Inspector.

Former CCC commissioner John McKechnie, in an online tribute, said his “contribution to Western Australian jurisprudence will long endure”.

“First President of the Court of Appeal, Chris was an exceptional lawyer with an innate understanding of the human condition,” he said.

“He never lost the common touch. It was my privilege to learn from and serve alongside him in the Supreme Court.”

A funeral service for Mr Steytler is scheduled for August 13.