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Jurist

John Didcott

Modern Constitutional and Supreme Court Judges of Africa and the Middle East

John Didcott (14 August 1931 to 20 October 1998) was a South African judge who served on the Natal Provincial Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa from 1975 to 1994 and as a Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa from 1995 until his death in 1998. Admitted to the bar in Cape Town in 1954, he built a commercial law practice in Durban, took silk in 1967, and chaired the Natal Bar from 1973 to 1975. He earned a reputation for progressive judgments protecting individual rights during apartheid, including overturning a banning order against activist Fatima Meer and striking down limitations on subversive speech during the 1986 state of emergency, and he never imposed a death sentence despite mandatory sentencing laws, always finding extenuating circumstances. In the Constitutional Court his concurring judgment in S v Makwanyane affirmed his lifelong opposition to capital punishment. He died of leukaemia in 1998 and was succeeded by Justice Sandile Ngcobo. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Role
Judge 1
Nationality / Jurisdiction
South African 1
Born
1931 2
Birth Date
1931-08-14 2
Birthplace
Durban 2
Died
1998 2
Death Date
1998-10-20 2
Place of Death
Durban 2
Classification
Field of Law
Commercial and Business Law 1
Gender
Male 1
Role
Role (category)
Judge 1
Connections

In Legal System

Source John Didcott (Wikipedia)

Member Of

Source John Didcott (Wikipedia)
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Sources
1. John Didcott (Wikipedia)
  • Introduction, role
    John Mowbray Didcott was a South African judge who served in the Constitutional Court of South Africa from February 1995 until his death in October 1998.
  • Introduction, nationality
    John Mowbray Didcott was a South African judge who served in the Constitutional Court of South Africa from February 1995 until his death in October 1998.
  • Member Of: Constitutional Court of South Africa, Lead section
    John Mowbray Didcott (14 August 1931-20 October 1998) was a South African judge who served in the Constitutional Court of South Africa from February 1995 until his death in October 1998.
  • In Legal System: South African Law, Wikipedia lead sentence
    was a South African judge who served in the Constitutional
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2. Wikidata: John Didcott
  • Wikidata Q6229421, P569 date of birth claim (year)
    P569 (date of birth): 1931
  • Wikidata Q6229421, P569 date of birth claim (full date)
    P569 (date of birth): 1931-08-14
  • Wikidata Q6229421, P570 date of death claim (year)
    P570 (date of death): 1998
  • Wikidata Q6229421, P570 date of death claim (full date)
    P570 (date of death): 1998-10-20
  • Wikidata Q6229421, P19 place of birth claim
    P19 (place of birth): Durban
  • Wikidata Q6229421, P20 place of death claim
    P20 (place of death): Durban
View the Source
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