Azhar Cachalia (born 26 June 1956) is a former judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa and former anti-

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

activist for the United Democratic Front.

Early life and education

Cachalia was born in Scotland and received his schooling in Benoni, South African. He attended the

University of the Witwatersrand The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (), is a multi-campus South African Public university, public research university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University or Wits ( o ...

obtaining his BA degree and his

LLB Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the China, People's Republic ...

degree in 1983. After graduating he was admitted as an

attorney Attorney may refer to: * Lawyer ** Attorney at law, in some jurisdictions * Attorney, one who has power of attorney * ''The Attorney'', a 2013 South Korean film See also * Attorney general, the principal legal officer of (or advisor to) a gove ...

and while working as an attorney, he obtained a H Dip Tax Law. His brother is politician Firoz Cachalia.

Career

Cachalia was a founding member of United Democratic Front (a coalition of anti-apartheid organisations) in 1983. Due to his anti-apartheid activities during the late 1980s, he was detained on several occasions by the South African Police. In 1988 he joined the law firm, Cheadle Thompson & Haysom in Johannesburg as an attorney, becoming a partner and practised at the firm until 1996 when he joined the South African Government as Secretary of Safety and Security. In January 2001, Cachalia received an Acting Judge appointment at the

Johannesburg High Court The Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa is a superior court of law which has general jurisdiction over the South African province of Gauteng and the eastern part of North West province. The main seat of the division is at Pretoria, ...

and in September 2001 he was permanently appointed Judge of the High Court. After serving as acting Judge of Appeal in 2005, he became a Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa in 2006.

References

Living people 1956 births Place of birth missing (living people) South African judges South African people of Indian descent Judges of the Supreme Court of Appeal (South Africa) {{AntiApartheid-activist-stub