Saturday, February 7, 2009

Sir Joshua Hassan


Sir Joshua Abraham Hassan was a Gibraltarian politician, and the first Chief Minister of Gibraltar, serving two terms and for a total of 17 years. His first term of office lasted from 11 August 1964 to 6 August 1969, and his second from 25 June 1972 to 8 December 1987. He was leader of the Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights and is seen as the key figure in the civil rights movement, and played a key role in the creation of Gibraltar's institutions of self-government. He was one of the members of the Constitutional Conference chaired by Malcolm Shepherd, 2nd Baron Shepherd in 1968 that drafted the 1969 Gibraltar Constitution. Hassan was also a successful lawyer, and his chambers Hassans is now the largest in Gibraltar.

Prior to the creation of the post of Chief Minister, Hassan had served as a member of the Gibraltar Legislative Council, Mayor of Gibraltar, and as the Chief Member of the Legislative Council. He was prominent in Gibraltar politics for over 30 years.

He died on July 1, 1997 at the age of 81.