Joel Joffe, Baron Joffe

Joel Goodman Joffe, Baron Joffe CBE (born 1932) is a Labour peer in the House of Lords.

Born in South Africa, he was educated at the University of Witwatersrand (BCom, LLB 1955), and worked as a human rights lawyer 1958-65, including, at the infamous 1963-4 Rivonia Trial, representing Nelson Mandela. Later he moved to the United Kingdom, and worked in the financial services industry, setting up Allied Dunbar, as well as the voluntary sector. He was associated with Oxfam in various roles between 1982 and 2001, including being its Chair 1995-2001.

He was awarded the CBE in 1999, and made a Life peer on 16 February 2000, being raised to the peerage as Baron Joffe, of Liddington in the County of Wiltshire. In February 2003 he proposed as a Private Member's Bill the "Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill", [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill [HL]
work = Public Bills before Parliament
publisher = United Kingdom Parliament
date = 2004-01-08
url = http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200304/ldbills/017/2004017.htm
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accessdate = 2007-11-08] which would legalise physician-assisted dying. [cite news
last =
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title = Bid to legalise assisted suicide
work = BBC News
pages =
language =
publisher = BBC
date = 2003-02-20
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2782887.stm
accessdate = 2007-11-08] After deliberation by a Lords committee, the bill was put forward again in November 2005.

On 12 May 2006 the Bill was debated once again in the House of Lords and an amendment to delay its introduction by six months was carried by a margin of 148-100.

He appeared on the BBC radio programme "Desert Island Discs" on 28 October 2007. [Joffe was the featured guest on [http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m14s49s53&SecId=53&AId=56480&ATypeId=1 BBC Radio 4 "Desert Island Discs" on 28 October 2007] . During the programme, Joffe mentioned his grandfather's role in writing "Hava Nagila". In the [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/desertislanddiscs_20071028.shtml programme notes] , the listing for "Hava Nagila" states "Composer: Bashir Am Israelim", meaning that either this is an alias for Abraham Zevi Idelsohn, to whom Joffe was clearly referring in the programme, or the programme notes contain an erroneous entry.]

Publications

*Joel Joffe, "The Rivonia Story", Mayibuye Books, Cape Town, 1995
*Joel Joffe, "The State Vs. Nelson Mandela: The Trial That Changed South Africa", Oneworld Publications, 2007

References

External links

* [http://www.dodonline.co.uk/engine.asp?lev1=4&lev2=38&menu=81&biog=y&id=2467 House of Lords biography]
* [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/minutes/000222/ldminute.htm Announcement of his introduction at the House of Lords] House of Lords minutes of proceedings, 22 February 2000
* [http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/frames/fulldesc?inst_id=16&coll_id=4719 Mandela trial papers at AIM25] - includes some biographical information about Joel Joffe
* [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_joffe Lord Joffe on TheyWorkForYou] - including his speeches in Parliament