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THE BRAM FISCHER MEMORIAL LECTURE President Mandela 'S Inaugural Speech

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THE BRAM FISCHER MEMORIAL LECTURE President Mandela 'S Inaugural Speech THE BRAM FISCHER MEMORIAL LECTURE President Mandela 's Inaugural Speech here present and many Highlighting the qualities of the man trial, when attempts were made to thousands elsewhere are during his speech he also highlighted remove us from the roll of profession­ ~grateful to the Legal the qualities of Bram Fischer the al organisations, and when we were Resources Centre for taking the initia­ lawyer: tried on charges of high treason from tive in establishing a Bram Fischer "Bram was a courageous man the end of 1956 to the beginning of Memorial Lecture. I thank you for who followed the most difficult course 1961. Bram's painstaking work on the asking me to deliver the first. I am any person could choose to follow. He law and above all his understanding of confident that there will be Bram challenged his own people because he the vital political issues of those days Fischer Memorial Lectures for as long felt that what they were doing was played a crucial part in the defence, as South Africans yearn for freedom in morally wrong. As an Afrikaner which led to our acquittal." a non-racial democratic South Africa. whose conscience forced him to reject President Mandela said that the Fittingly it was President Nelson his own heritage and be ostracised by contribution made by Bram Fischer R Mandela who delivered the first his own people, he showed a level of will live on. He was sure that had Bram Fischer Memorial Lecture, courage and sacrifice that was in a Bram been alive a year ago he would instituted by the Legal Resources class by itself. I fought only against have been well pleased as the accep-:­ Centre, and held on Friday 9 June injustice not against my own people." tance by the vast majority ofhis fellow 1995 at the Market Theatre in Referring to the legal work he had Afrikaners of a non-racial and democ­ Johannesburg. Bram Fischer repre­ done for the ANC over the years ratic South Africa would have 'been sented President Mandela in both the President Mandela noted that Bram the realisation of what he had fought 'treason' and 'Rivonia'trials. often acted as their legal adviser and for for the better part of his life. In the following words President defended them in Court. In cases in In his vote of thanks Justice Mandela set the tone of his speech: which he could not appear or thought Arthur Chaskalson, President of the "Bram Fischer was a great advo­ it advisable for other reasons not to do Constitutional Court and former cateand a great patriot. The lectures so, he asked other leaders of the Bar director ofthe LRC, succinctly formu­ that will follow this inaugural lecture such as Harold Hanson, Isie Maisels, lated the importance of the relation­ will provide opportunities for lawyers WaIter Pollak, Rex Welsh, HC ship that had existed between andothers to address fundamental Nicholas, Vernon Berrange, John President Mandela and Bram Fischer: issues relating to law and society with Coaker, Sydney Kentridge, Tony "All South Africans are benificiaries which Bram Fischer was deeply con­ O'Dowd, Chris Plewman and many of the bond that was forged between cerned, and which are also concerns of others to act for them. Bram Fischer and Nelson Mandela all the Legal Resources Centre. But as "All had the greatest respect for those years ago - the leading white this is the first Bram Fischer Bram. Because of this they often advocate and the leading black Memorial Lecture I have chosen to acted on our behalf without a fee. lawyer." talk about the man rather than the They acted for us when we were o law." charged in the defiance campaign The legal Resource Centre has decided to mark the life and work of a lawyer who was widely respected for his skills, his integrity, and Ids humanity in two ways: by naming the library in their Johannesburg office, which contains Bram Fischer's law library, the Bram Fischer Library; and by instituting this series of public lecture.s on issues of law and justice. The "Mandela Papers", containing Mr Mandela's notes and instmctions to his legal rep­ resentatives - including the now famous "I am prepared to die" clause in his own hand - as well as his speech­ es at the trials, were handed to Geoff Budlender by Mr Mandela for lodge­ ment in the library. 160 CONSULTUS, NOVEMBER 1995 .
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