Enoch Dumbutshena was a distinguished Zimbabwean judge known for defending the independence of that country's judicial branch. He became Zimbabwe's first black judge in 1980 and served as Chief Justice from 1984 to 1990. Dumbutshena's decisions were often highly critical of President Robert Mugabe

Robert Mugabe

Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...

 and his government. A former member of the International Commission of Jurists

International Commission of Jurists

The International Commission of Jurists is an international human rights non-governmental organization. The Commission itself is a standing group of 60 eminent jurists , including members of the senior judiciary in Australia, Canada, and South Africa and the former UN High Commissioner for Human...

, he unsuccessfully attempted to launch a political career of his own in 1993 by founding the free-market Forum Party

Forum Party

The Forum Party of Zimbabwe was a conservative political party in Zimbabwe.The Forum party was formed in March 1993 and was led by a former Zimbabwean Chief Justice Enoch Dumbutshena...

. He died in late 2000 of liver cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer. Most cases of HCC are secondary to either a viral hepatitide infection or cirrhosis .Compared to other cancers, HCC is quite a rare tumor in the United States...

.