From a young age, Justice Albie Sachs played a prominent part in the struggle for justice in South Africa. As a result, he was detained in solitary confinement, was subjected to sleep deprivation and eventually injured by a car bomb that cost him an arm and the sight in one eye.

Justice Sachs played a critical role in drawing up South Africa’s post-apartheid Constitution, and served as a member of the Constitutional Court for 15 years.

Professor Margaret Burnham (left) warmly greeted Justice Sachs. In 1993, South African president Nelson Mandela appointed Professor Burnham to serve on an international human rights commission to investigate alleged human rights violations within the African National Congress. The commission was a precursor to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Justice Sachs new book, The Strange Alchemy of Life and Law, combines personal reflections with extracts from some of his key judgments.