Pieter Jacobus "Pierre" Rabie (1917–1997) was a senior South African judge during the apartheid era and served as Chief Justice from 1982 to 1989.[1]

Pierre Rabie
15th Chief Justice of South Africa
In office
1982–1989
Preceded byFrans Rumpff
Succeeded byMichael Corbett
Judge of the Appellate Division
In office
1971–1982
Judge of the Transvaal Provincial Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa
In office
1966–1971
Personal details
Born
Pieter Jacobus Rabie

(1917-01-30)30 January 1917
Orange Free State
Union of South Africa
Died28 December 1997(1997-12-28) (aged 80)
Alma materUniversity of Stellenbosch
University of Michigan

Early life and education

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Born in the Free State in 1917, Rabie matriculated at Koffiefontein in 1934. He then enrolled at the University of Stellenbosch where he obtained a BA degree, followed by a MA in Latin and a MA in Greek, all three degrees cum laude. After receiving a scholarship, he began his classical studies at the University of Michigan and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1943. After returning to South Africa, he taught in classical languages at the University of Stellenbosch and also began studying law and obtained his LLB (cum laude) at the end of 1948.[2]

Career

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Shortly after graduating, Rabie started practicing as an advocate at the Pretoria Bar and in 1962 he became a senior advocate. In 1966 he was appointed as a judge of the Transvaal Provincial Division of the Supreme Court. In 1970 he acted for the first time as a judge of the appellate division of the South African Supreme Court and 1971 he was permanently appointed to the Supreme Court of Appeal. In 1982 he was appointed as Chief Justice of South Africa.[2]

Personal life

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In 1947, he married Annalie le Roux, with whom he had two daughters and a son.[2] His son, also called Pierre, became a judge of the Gauteng High Court.[3][4]

References

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  1. ^ "The late Chief Justice P J Rabie SC" (PDF). Sabar.co.za. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Mahomed, Ismail (1998). "We remember them ... The late Chief Justice P J Rabie SC" (PDF). Consultus. General Council of the Bar of South Africa: 31.
  3. ^ "Fairbridges and the Chief Justice of South Africa". Fairbridges Wertheim Becker. 5 September 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  4. ^ "Student wins R23m lawsuit". IOL. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
Legal offices
Preceded by Chief Justice of South Africa
1982-1989
Succeeded by