Southern Rhodesia Legal Aid and Welfare Fund, 1959-1967

This material is held atInstitute of Commonwealth Studies Library, University of London

Scope and Content

Photocopied minutes of meetings of the Committee of the Southern Rhodesia Legal Aid and Welfare Fund in Salisbury, 1959 and 1963-1965; accounts, 1963-1966; typescript notes on clients defended 1966-1967.

Administrative / Biographical History

The Legal Aid and Welfare Fund was first set up in 1959 to provide support to persons detained by the Government of Southern Rhodesia, later Rhodesia. It received donations from individuals and organisations within Rhodesia and overseas, and used these to provide both legal aid for detainees to be adequately defended, and practical support in the form of various necessities, and other items such as books, while they were in prison. Other national and international organisations also gave support. The papers in this collection relate to the meetings and work of the group in Salisbury only. The minutes and accounts frequently refer to specific cases of aid required and/or given. A pencil note at the end of the minutes of the meeting of 3 Aug 1965 suggests that this was probably the last meeting to be held, the suspension of activity partly being due to the suspicion that a police informer had been planted on the Committee. However, there are further notes on detainees' cases in 1966-1967 and the support they received from legal representatives.

Arrangement

The papers have been listed in their original order.

Access Information

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.

Acquisition Information

The photocopies were donated to ICS at an unknown date.

Other Finding Aids

Catalogued to file level (see link to repository catalogue).

Physical Characteristics and/or Technical Requirements

Mostly photostatic copies; one ms paper and three typescript papers.

Archivist's Note

Created 2000, revised by Alan Kucia as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

Conditions Governing Use

A photocopying service is available, at the discretion of the Library staff. Copies are supplied solely for research or private study. Requests to publish, or to quote from original material should be submitted to the Information Resources Manager.

Related Material

ICS holds several other collections relating to political detainees in Rhodesia, including Ignatius Chigwendere (ICS 12), Tim Matthews (ICS 54), D D E Mutasa (ICS 91), Southern Rhodesia Ministry of Justice (ICS 53) and Southern Rhodesia Ministry of Native Affairs (ICS 78).

Geographical Names