PIONEER
Halton Cheadle
Attorney | Professor of Law | Constitution drafter
Born: 30 July 1949
“Halton was an expert in labour law, a brilliant academic and lawyer, and an extraordinary researcher and analyst. "
Who is
Halton Cheadle?
Attorney with extensive experience in drafting various labour statutes and laws, including drafting the Bill of Rights for South Africa.
Professions
and Roles
Practicing attorney at the Bradley Conradie Halton Cheadle law firm, and a Professor Emeritus at the University of Cape Town.
Best Known For
Drafting of the Bill of Rights, and member of the Technical Committee on the Bill of Rights.
Life highlights
- Cheadle established the General Factory Workers Benefit Fund alongside David Hemson, David Davies, Foszia Fisher, and Karel Tip.
- He assisted in expanding the African Textile Workers Industrial Union (A-TWIU) and forming new unions in sectors where none existed. He was elected as acting secretary of A-TWIU and later took over the position of organiser of A-TWIU in Johannesburg.
- Cheadle was elected Natal organising secretary of the National Union of Textile Workers in 1973. In 1974, Cheadle was placed under a five-year banning order due to his work with the National Union of Textile Workers, and travelled to the US for a ‘sabbatical’ at Yale Law School.
- He was appointed as an Independent Legal Expert with National Manpower Communications between 1992 to 1994.
- Cheadle drafted various labour statues including the National Economic Development and Labour Council Act of 1994, the Labour Relations Act of 1995, and the Mine Health and Safety Act of 1996.
- He was later appointed special advisor to the Minister of Labour.
- In 1999 he was involved in establishing the Resolve Group, providing a suite of human resources and labour relations services.
- Cheadle participated in the drafting of other laws such as the Special Pensions Bill, Electoral Bill, and the Public Administration Management Bill in 2014.
- He served as an acting judge in the high court and the labour court.
- Cheadle was founding partner of the human rights law firm, Cheadle, Thompson & Haysom Inc.
IN THE WORDS OF OTHERS
“Halton was an expert in labour law, a brilliant academic and lawyer, and an extraordinary researcher and analyst. He also remained true throughout to the aspirations of the ANC … When the issue of public purpose and public interest was raised with Halton, he immediately understood its implications. He later proposed something most unusual and interesting by defining “public interest” in the context of the property clause; this included the elements of land restitution and redistribution as part of achieving equality and redressing the inequalities of the past. We took the decision that water and minerals should be defined as national resources. The technical team led by Halton was cautious in ensuring that the water and mineral resources of the country were vested in the State − we had created the constitutional gateway to vestong water and mineral rights in the hands of the State and nationalisation was a constitutional reality.”
– Baleka Mbete, former Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa
