Arthur Chaskalson
A legal architect of South Africa's democracy, he defended Mandela at the Rivonia Trial and later shaped the nation's groundbreaking constitution as its first chief justice.
1931–2012 (age 81)·South African judge·Birthday: November 24·The Silent Generation
Biography
Arthur Chaskalson's life was woven into the fabric of South Africa's struggle for justice. As a young lawyer in Johannesburg, he was part of the defense team for Nelson Mandela and other ANC leaders in the pivotal 1963 Rivonia Trial, a case that defined the brutality of apartheid. For decades, he used the law as a tool for resistance, co-founding the Legal Resources Centre to provide representation for those oppressed by the regime. When apartheid finally fell, his deep commitment to human rights made him the natural choice to lead the new Constitutional Court. As its first president, he was instrumental in building a judiciary that would protect the hard-won freedoms of the constitution. His thoughtful, principled rulings helped cement the rule of law in a nation learning to govern itself anew.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Arthur was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arthur Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Arthur's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 80
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2012Died at 81
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
Key Achievements
- Served as the first President of South Africa's Constitutional Court from 1994 to 2001, helping establish its authority.
- Was a key defense lawyer in the historic Rivonia Trial, which sentenced Nelson Mandela to life imprisonment.
- Founded the Legal Resources Centre, a public interest law organization that fought apartheid-era injustices.
- Later served as Chief Justice of South Africa from 2001 until his retirement in 2005.
Did You Know?
He was awarded the prestigious Order of the Coif, an honor for distinguished legal scholars, from the University of South Africa.
Chaskalson initially studied engineering before switching to law.
Despite his high office, he was known for his modest demeanor and was often seen riding a bicycle to work.
“The Constitution is located in a value system that assumes the worth and dignity of each individual.”
