Shaun Abrahams is a South African lawyer and the former national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) at the

National Prosecuting Authority The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) is the agency of the South African government responsible for state prosecutions. Under Section 179 of the Constitution and the National Prosecuting Authority Act of 1998, which established the NPA in 1 ...

. Prior to his appointment in 2015 when

Mxolisi Nxasana Mxolisi Sandile Oliver Nxasana was the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) in South Africa, the head of the National Prosecuting Authority. In August 2013 he was appointed NDPP by President Jacob Zuma effective from 1 October 2013. Af ...

stepped down as NDPP, Abrahams had been a senior state advocate in the Priority Crimes Litigation Unit. Questions were immediately raised about the manner in which he had been promoted ahead of more senior prosecutors. Abrahams had joined the NPA as an administrative clerk in a provincial office while completing his legal studies. He holds B Iuris, B Proc and

LLB Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

degrees, which he read part-time at the

University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg The University of Natal was a university in the former South African province Natal which later became KwaZulu-Natal. The University of Natal no longer exists as a distinct legal entity, as it was incorporated into the University of KwaZulu-N ...

.Brief Resumé
npa.gov.za Abrahams has been seen as complicit in helping President

Jacob Zuma Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan name Msholozi, and was a former anti-apart ...

avoid corruption charges, and was given the nickname Shaun The Sheep as a result. Abrahams has described himself as "nobody’s man". Abrahams' appointment was challenged by Freedom Under Law, and on 8 December 2017, his appointment was set aside by a full bench of the High Court, finding that he was irregularly appointed. The court also ruled that President Zuma was conflicted and therefore a replacement should be appointed by the Deputy President

Cyril Ramaphosa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African businessman and politician who is currently serving as the fifth democratically elected president of South Africa. Formerly an anti-apartheid activist, trade union leader, and ...

instead, and this must be done within 60 days. The NPA appealed this ruling, but in August 2018, the Constitutional Court ordered that Shaun Abrahams vacate his position as NDPP and President Cyril Ramaphosa appoint a new NDPP within 90 days. Abrahams reportedly retired from the NPA with benefits, but the NPA declined to comment on such employment-related matters. Abrahams said he would not be lost to the legal fraternity. Abrahams was succeeded as NDPP by

Silas Ramaite Silas or Silvanus (; Greek: Σίλας/Σιλουανός; fl. 1st century AD) was a leading member of the Early Christian community, who according to the New Testament accompanied Paul the Apostle on his second missionary journey. Name and e ...

in an acting capacity. His successor,

Shamila Batohi Shamila Batohi is a South African prosecutor and the national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) at the National Prosecuting Authority. Education Batohi completed high school at Burnwood Secondary School in Clare Estate. She completed her ba ...

, was appointed NDPP on 4 December 2018 and assumed office in February 2019.

Childhood

Abrahams was born in

Piketberg Piketberg (also sometimes spelt Piquetberg in the past) is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa, located about 80 km east of Saldanha Bay. The original spelling of the name was "Piquetberg". The town is in the foothills of the Piketberg mount ...

in the Cape where his father worked in construction and his mother was a teacher. He attended school in Pietermaritzburg.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abrahams, Shaun Living people 21st-century South African lawyers People from Bergrivier Local Municipality Year of birth missing (living people)