John Didcott

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John Mowbray Didcott (born August 14, 1931 in Durban ; † October 20, 1998 ibid) was a South African lawyer and judge at the Constitutional Court of the Republic of South Africa from 1994 to 1998 .

Education and professional career

Didcott received his education at Hilton College in Hilton . He then began studying law at the University of Cape Town , where he was awarded the Bachelor of Arts in 1951 and the Bachelor of Laws in 1953 . During his studies Didcott was a member from 1951 to 1954 and from 1952 chairman of the university's student council. He was also a founding member of the Liberal Party of South Africa (LPSA) in 1953 and vice-chairman of the National Union of South African Students between 1953 and 1954 . After completing his studies, he was admitted to the bar in Johannesburg on February 26, 1954 . After initially working as a court reporter for the Cape Argus newspaper , he set up as a lawyer in Durban in 1955. He practiced there until 1975. In 1960 he had to leave the country for a short time because of his activities in the LPSA in order to avoid arrest. He stayed a few months in Southern Rhodesia , where he worked as a public prosecutor . During his time as a lawyer, he served as a temporary judge in the Natal Provincial Division in February 1971 and April to June 1975 . On June 16, 1975 he was appointed full-time judge there. He held this position until October 12, 1994. During his tenure there, he did not pronounce a death sentence and, as far as this was possible under the apartheid system, campaigned for the right to a fair trial . At the same time, he was a member of the special court to review the parliamentary elections in 1994 . In 1994 he was appointed judge at the Constitutional Court of the Republic of South Africa by Nelson Mandela .

Others

Didcott was married to Pam Didcott, with whom he had two daughters. He was also the grandfather of four grandchildren. In addition to his professional activity, he was often involved in voluntary work. Between August and December 1984 he gave guest lectures at Columbia University . He was also Chancellor of the University of Durban-Westville between 1988 and 1993 .

Awards

  • Honorary Professor at the University of Durban-Westville (1989)
  • Honorary doctorate from the University of Natal (1991)
  • Honorary doctorate from the University of Cape Town (1991)
  • Honorary doctorate from the University of Witwatersrand (1992)

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Justice John Mowbray Didcott. Retrieved July 1, 2013 .
  2. ↑ Eric Pace: John Didcott, South African Lawyer and Judge, Dies at 67 . In: The New York Times . October 27, 1998, ISSN  0362-4331 ( online [accessed July 1, 2013]).

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Didcott, John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Didcott, John Mowbray
BRIEF DESCRIPTION South African lawyer, judge at the Constitutional Court of the Republic of South Africa
DATE OF BIRTH August 14, 1931
PLACE OF BIRTH Durban
DATE OF DEATH October 20, 1998
Place of death Durban