SACHS, Albert Louis (Albie) (b 1935)

Microfilm of papers of Dr Albert Louis (Albie) Sachs, lawyer and political activist, concerning legal cases and political trials of approximately 100 individuals, in South Africa, 1956-1968; charges include murder, sabotage, rape, contravention of Emergency Regulations, membership of the Pan African Congress, incitement, distribution of banned literature, banning orders, arson, corruption, race classification and entering native locations.

Albie (Albert Louis) Sachs was born in Johannesburg on 30 January 1935, matriculated at the South African College School (SACS) in Cape Town in 1950, and attended the University of Cape Town, where he obtained the degrees BA. and LL.B. He started his practice as an Advocate at the Cape Town Bar in 1957 and worked mainly in the civil rights sphere until he was himself twice detained without trial by the Security Police. In 1966 he went into exile in England where he completed a Ph.D at the University of Sussex (1971) and taught in the Law Faculty of the University of Southampton (1970 - 1977). He was the first Nuffield Fellow of Socio-Legal Studies, at Bedford College, London, and Wolfson College, Cambridge.
In 1977 he took up a position as Professor of Law at the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo, Mozambique. From 1983 onwards he served as Director of Research in the Ministry of Justice. After nearly being killed by a car bomb in 1988 he returned to England. In 1978 Sachs became the founding Director of the South Africa Constitution Studies Centre, based at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London. In 1992 the Centre moved to the University of the Western Cape, where he was made Professor Extraordinary. He was also appointed Honorary Professor in the Law Faculty at the University of Cape Town. He took an active part in the negotiations for a new Constitution as a member of the Constitutional Committee of the ANC and of the National Executive of that organisation. He is currently a Judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa.

Chronological

Open although advance notice should be given. Access to individual items may be restricted under the Data Protection Act or the Freedom of Information Act.

The papers were returned to South Africa in 1996, and a microform copy retained by ICS.

See link to repository catalogue.

Compiled by Alan Kucia as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

Copies may be supplied for research or private study.

The ICS holds a large number of collections relating to South African politics, including African National Congress (ICS 1), Mary Benson (ICS 6), Ruth First (ICS 117), Marion Friedmann (ICS 20), Ruth Hayman (ICS 30), Baruch Hirson (ICS 32), Mandela Trials papers (ICS 52), Josie Palmer (ICS 57), Edward Roux (ICS 67), South African Institute of Race Relations (ICS 95), University of Cape Town (ICS 81-82), University of Transkei (ICS 19).

The originals are now in the Mayibuye Centre, University of Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, South Africa.