Percy Yutar
Encyclopedia
Dr. Percy Yutar was South Africa
’s first Jewish attorney-general. Yutar was one of eight children in a family of Lithuania
n immigrants. His father originally spelled his surname as Yuter before arriving in South Africa.http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/Lithuania/
Yutar began his career as a lawyer
in Johannesburg and later became a junior law clerk
in Pretoria
’s Palace of Justice
. In 1940, he was appointed a junior state prosecutor
and eventually become the Deputy Attorney General for the Transvaal
. Yutar frequently suffered from anti-semitism
, and was at first forbidden from joining the attorney general's office in Cape Town because a Jew appearing for the state in court was anathema at the time.
He prosecuted Nelson Mandela
in the 1963 Rivonia Treason Trial
and pursued the death sentence
. Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment
for sabotage
as a result of the trial. Yutar was said to be indifferent towards Apartheid.
Decades later, Mandela displayed kindness towards Yutar. In November 1995, the then South African President Mandela invited Yutar to lunch, which included a kosher meal. Mandela agreed with Yutar that he [Yutar] had played a minor role in the conviction and was doing his duty as prosecutor.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
’s first Jewish attorney-general. Yutar was one of eight children in a family of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n immigrants. His father originally spelled his surname as Yuter before arriving in South Africa.http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/Lithuania/
Yutar began his career as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in Johannesburg and later became a junior law clerk
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
’s Palace of Justice
Palace of Justice
Palace of Justice may refer to:Places*Justizpalast *Law Courts of Brussels also known as Justitiepaleis van Brussel in Dutch and Palais de Justice de Bruxelles in French*Palace of Justice *Palace of Justice...
. In 1940, he was appointed a junior state prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
and eventually become the Deputy Attorney General for the Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
. Yutar frequently suffered from anti-semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
, and was at first forbidden from joining the attorney general's office in Cape Town because a Jew appearing for the state in court was anathema at the time.
He prosecuted Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
in the 1963 Rivonia Treason Trial
Rivonia Trial
The Rivonia Trial was a trial that took place in South Africa between 1963 and 1964, in which ten leaders of the African National Congress were tried for 221 acts of sabotage designed to overthrow the apartheid system.-Origins:...
and pursued the death sentence
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
. Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
for sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
as a result of the trial. Yutar was said to be indifferent towards Apartheid.
Decades later, Mandela displayed kindness towards Yutar. In November 1995, the then South African President Mandela invited Yutar to lunch, which included a kosher meal. Mandela agreed with Yutar that he [Yutar] had played a minor role in the conviction and was doing his duty as prosecutor.