The Mandela Brief

Reviews

Well-written, deeply researched and wholly gripping Meticulously researched Kentridge is not only one of the finest advocates of all time, he is also one of the finest men The barrister's barrister . . . a moral stature that no amount of moral forensic technique can impersonate One of the greatest lawyers of our times - a legal titan A good read . . . well-researched. It can be recommended as a short introduction to the horrific nature of the ancien régime and the risks run and suffering borne by its opponents, as they emerge through the prism of the South African legal system Anyone who wants a fresh understanding of how South Africa became the polecat of the international community will gain insight from Thomas Grant's gripping telling of the stellar career of Sydney Kentridge and his struggle for justice In all of [Grant's] chapters, the role of fearless hugely skilled advocacy in creating a belief that the rule of law matters is luminously documented . . . Grant's description of Kentridge's cross-examination of State witnesses who were cynically employed to convict opponents of the apartheid regime should be compulsory reading In November [2022], [Sydney] Kentridge will mark his 100th birthday, and Grant's in-depth research sets the scene for a celebration of a remarkable legal tactician Thomas Grant KC has performed a real service by enabling us to get a vivid sense of some of Kentridge's most important cases . . . This is a powerful, but easy, read A forensic, riveting account of a wondrous and principled advocate Expand reviews