Edwin Cameron

Constitutional Court Judge Edwin Cameron is regarded around the world as an inspirational figure for his work in human rights activism, championing gay and lesbian equality, and his outspoken stance on HIV/Aids. 

Edwin was born in Pretoria in 1953 and finished his schooling at Pretoria Boys High. He was able to study at Stellenbosch University after receiving the Anglo-American Corporation Open Scholarship award, and went on to complete his BA Law degree and Honours in Latin.

His brilliant legal mind truly came to the fore during his studies at Oxford University in 1976, where he obtained a BA in Jurisprudence with first class honours, the Jurisprudence Prize, Bachelor of Civil Law with first class honours, and the Vinerian Scholarship. Not stopping there, Edwin later attained his LLB from the University of South Africa cum laude, and was awarded the Johannes Voet Medallion for Best Law Graduate.  

After he was appointed South African High Court judge by Nelson Mandela in 1994, Edwin took a brave step in publicly admitting his homosexuality and HIV-positive status. He was largely inspired to do so because of the widespread negative stigma attached to the disease, where millions of people suffering from Aids were needlessly condemned by society.

Edwin later wrote his critically acclaimed and prize-winning memoire Witness to Aids, in which he debunks myths about the disease and expresses his anger at the fact that he, on a judge’s salary, can afford treatment and medication while so many others are condemned to die just because they are poor.

His work in promoting gay and lesbian equality also went a long way to help secure the inclusion of sexual orientation in the South African Constitution.

Edwin has been acknowledged for these and many other achievements by being given the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights, the Transnet HIV/AIDS Champions Award, induction as an Honorary Fellow of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies in London, the special award by the Bar of England and Wales for “contribution to international jurisprudence and protection of human rights”, and many others.

He was also invited as a keynote speaker at the XII International Conference on HIV/AIDS in Durban, and was invited to deliver an inaugural lecture for the British Academy in London.