User:Darthmewl/sandbox

David Soggot (1931-2010) was a leading human rights defence lawyer in apartheid South Africa. He attended Parktown Boys' High School and later University of the Witwatersrand. As a student he was affiliated with the Progressive Forum, part of the Trotskyist Unity Movement. Before joining the bar he taught political science for two years.He is particularly noted for his defence of Steve Biko (who lived with him briefly when confined to the Eastern Cape), John Harris (the only white South African to be executed for political crimes under apartheid), Mosiuoa 'Terror' Lekota, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, as well as members of SWAPO. Soggot's involvement in the latter case led to the permanent ban on arbitrary flogging in Namibia. Soggot was also important in developing a defence case premised on the psychological concept of "de-individuation" to excuse the ‘necklacing’ of Maki Skhosana, a suspected informant. While the case did not result in acquittal the accused avoided the death penalty. Soggot was placed under surveillance during the apartheid. He wrote a book about the Namibian independence struggle, 'Namibia the Violent Heritage' which was published in 1986.