Last updated on: 1/11/2016 | Author: ProCon.org

Richard J. Goldstone, LLB Biography

Title:
First Chief Prosecutor of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda
Position:
Not Clearly Pro or Con to the question "Is a Two-State Solution (Israel and Palestine) an Acceptable Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?"
Reasoning:

“Insofar as movement and access restrictions, the settlements and their infrastructure, demographic policies vis-a-vis Jerusalem and ‘Area C’ of the West Bank, as well as the separation of Gaza from the West Bank, prevent a viable, contiguous and sovereign Palestinian State from arising, they are in violation of the jus cogens [fundamental overriding principle of international law, exemption from which is never permitted] right to self determination.”

Cowritten with Christine Chinkin, PhD, Hina Jilani, and Desmond Travers, “Human Rights in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab Territories: Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict [‘Goldstone Report’],” www2.ohchr.org, Sep. 25, 2009
Theoretical Expertise Ranking:
    Experts
Individuals with PhDs or equivalent advanced degrees in fields relevant to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Also top-level government officials (such as foreign leaders, US presidents, Founding Fathers, Supreme Court Justices, members of legislative bodies, cabinet members, military leaders, etc.) with positions relevant to Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Involvement and Affiliations:
  • Chair, Advisory Committee on the Archiving of Documents and Records of the United Nations’ International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, Oct. 2007
  • Faculty Member, Salzburg Seminar, 1996-2006
  • Member, Independent Committee Investigating the Iraqi Oil-for-Food Program [‘Volcker Committee’], Apr. 2004
  • President, World ORT, 1997-2004
  • Chair, Standing Advisory Committee on Company Law (South Africa), 1984-2004
  • Member, International Group of Advisers, International Committee of the Red Cross, 1999-2003
  • Chair of the Board, Human Rights Institute of South Africa, 1994-2003
  • Justice, Constitutional Court (South Africa), July 1994-Oct. 2003
  • Joint Chair, International Task Force on Terrorism, Dec. 2001
  • Chair, International Independent Inquiry on Kosovo, Aug. 1999-Dec. 2001
  • National President, National Institute of Crime Prevention and the Rehabilitation of Offenders, 1985-2000
  • Chair, International Panel of Experts in charge of drafting the Declaration of Human Rights and Responsibilities (the Valencia Declaration), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 1998
  • Member, Panel to Monitor the Inquiry into Nazi Activities in Argentina Since 1938, Aug. 1997
  • First Chief Prosecutor, United Nations’ International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, Aug, 15, 1994-Sep. 1996
  • Chair, Commission of Inquiry Regarding Public Violence and Intimidation [‘Goldstone Commission’], 1991-1994
  • Judge, Transvaal Supreme Court (South Africa), 1980
  • Senior Counsel, Corporate and Intellectual Property Law, Johannesburg (South Africa), 1976-1980
  • Barrister, Corporate and Intellectual Property Law, Johannesburg (South Africa), 1963-1976
Education:
  • BA LLB, cum laude, University of the Witwatersrand, 1962
Other:
  • Born on Oct. 26, 1938
  • Full name is Richard Joseph Goldstone
  • Has undertaken the role of Visiting Professor at a number of US law schools since 2004, including, Georgetown, NYU, and Harvard
  • Served as Chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand between 1995 and Mar. 2007
  • Serves as a member of the board of Human Rights Watch, Physicians for Human Rights, the International Center for Transitional Justice, and the Center for Economic and Social Rights
  • Serves as Governor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  • Serves as Chair of the advisory board of the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation
  • Serves as a member of the advisory board of the Brandeis University Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life
  • Serves as Chair of the Bradlow Foundation
  • Serves as an honorary Bencher of the Inner Temple in London (UK)
  • Serves as an honorary Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge (UK)
  • Serves as an honorary member of the Association of the Bar of New York
  • Was awarded the International Human Rights Award of the American Bar Association in 1994, and the 2008 World Peace Through Law Award from Washington University in St. Louis
  • Has received honorary doctorates from 21 universities
Quoted in:
  1. Is Israel an Apartheid State?