Bennie Goldin | |
|---|---|
| Judge of Appeal of the Appellate Division of theHigh Court of Zimbabwe | |
| In office 8 May 1980 – 1981 | |
| Appointed by | Canaan Banana |
| Justice of theHigh Court of Rhodesia | |
| In office 1964–1980 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1918-08-05)5 August 1918 |
| Died | 20 March 2003(2003-03-20) (aged 84) |
| Spouse | Hancy Goldin |
| Children | Jonathan Goldin,Robert Goldin and Barbara Weinberg |
| Alma mater | University of Cape Town (BA,LL.B) |
| Occupation | Lawyer,judge |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  South Africa |
| Branch/service | Union Defence Force |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Bennie GoldinQC (5 August 1918 – 20 March 2003) was a Byelorussian-born,Zimbabweanlawyer andjudge. He was a justice of theSupreme Court of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1981. Previously, he served on theHigh Court of Rhodesia from 1964 to 1980. Born inNesvizh,Byelorussia (nowBelarus), he grew up in Cape Town (South Africa), immigrated toSalisbury (Southern Rhodesia) ( as it then was) afterWorld War II, and later returned in 1981 to Cape Town where he served as a judge inTranskei.
Goldin was born in Belarus, on 5 August 1918.[1][2] His family moved to South Africa before World war Two, He attended Sea Point Boy's High School in Cape Town before attending theUniversity of Cape Town, where he received hisBachelor of Arts andBachelor of Laws.[1][3] He entered South Africa'sUnion Defence Force duringWorld War II, serving inItaly andNorth Africa.[3]
Afterdemobilisation, Goldin emigrated from South Africa toSouthern Rhodesia.[3] There, he wascalled to the bar in the capital,Salisbury, and began practising law.[3] He became a judge in 1960 when he was appointed to the Valuations Court of Southern Rhodesia.[1] In 1962, he was named to the Southern Rhodesian Military Pensions Appeal Circuit.[1] He became aQueen's Counsel, In addition, he was leader of the Rhodesianbar from 1962 to 1965.[1] He served on both the Valuations Court and the Military Pensions Appeal Circuit until 1964, when he became a justice of theHigh Court of Rhodesia.[1][4]
Like the entire Rhodesian judiciary, Goldin faced a dilemma regarding the illegality ofRhodesia'sUnilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) in 1965.[5] He later wrote about the experience of the Rhodesian judges (including himself), "When faced with a distinct likelihood of a declaration of independence, they were obviously concerned about it as judges and citizens."[5] Though Goldin was sympathetic to bothGovernor SirHumphrey Gibbs andChief Justice SirHugh Beadle, he strongly disagreed with Beadle's eventual recognition of the Rhodesian government's claims of sovereignty.[6] In 1973, Goldin heard the appeal ofPeter Niesewand, a Rhodesian journalist convicted for "revealing official secrets."[7] The High Court reversed his conviction, with Goldin and JusticeHector Macdonald concurring with the opinion written by Chief Justice Beadle.[7]
The white Rhodesian government ended withZimbabwe's independence in April 1980. On 8 May 1980, Goldin was appointed, effective immediately, to theSupreme Court of Zimbabwe, which superseded the Rhodesian High Court.[8] He sat on the Supreme Court until 1981, when he retired and moved back toSouth Africa.[9] There, he became a judge on theSupreme Court ofTranskei, one of thebantustans, or unrecognised "states" within South Africa set up for black inhabitants.[9][10] He died in 2003.[11]
Goldin was Jewish.[12] He and his wife, Hancy, lived in Salisbury (todayHarare),[1] where they were active members of their synagogue.[13]
In 1990, he published a book,The Judge, the Prince, and the Usurper – from UDI to Zimbabwe.[14]
ProfessorMichael Gelfand was a close friend with whom he co-authored several books including "African Law and Custom" which dealt with Shona law. Other books he published were: "Unhappy Marriage and Divorce" and "In and Out of Marriage".