Joshua Hassan
Encyclopedia
Sir Joshua Abraham Hassan, GBE
, KCMG
, LVO
, QC
(21 August 1915 – 1 July 1997), nicknamed "Salvador" (Saviour), was a Gibraltarian
politician
, and first Mayor
and Chief Minister
of Gibraltar
, serving two terms as Chief Minister for a total of 17 years. He is seen as the key figure in the civil rights movement
in Gibraltar, and played a key role in the creation of the territory's institutions of self-government
.
from Morocco
and Minorca
, he trained as a lawyer
at Middle Temple
and was called to the Bar
of England and Wales
in 1939. When World War II
broke out, he volunteered
as a gunner
in the Gibraltar Defence Force and remained in the then colony
when most of Gibraltar's civilian population had been evacuated
and only a small number of Gibraltarians remained on The Rock
.
, came together to form an association advocating the return of the evacuees and the civil rights of the local inhabitants of Gibraltar. They asked Hassan to join them. Initially named "The Gibraltarian Association", upon Hassan's advice, the group took a much more ambitious name: The Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights in Gibraltar
(AACR). Hassan was the vice-president of the party under the leadership of Risso. In 1948, Hassan succeeded him as president and was the leader of the AACR and the dominant figure in the politics of the territory for almost thirty years.
His first term in office lasted from 11 August 1964 to 6 August 1969, with his second lasting from 25 June 1972 to 8 December 1987. During the 1960s, Hassan addressed the United Nations
Special Committee on Decolonization
twice, opposing Spain's claim for Gibraltar
and insisting that the vast majority of Gibraltarians wanted to remain British
. He was one of the members of the 1968 Constitutional Conference chaired by Malcolm Shepherd, 2nd Baron Shepherd
, which drafted the Gibraltar's first Constitution
. Hassan only lost one election, the 1969 election, when the AACR failed to win a majority by just one seat, as it only obtained seven of the fifteen seats of the House. The Integration with Britain Party
(IWBP, supporter of the integration of Gibraltar into the United Kingdom) gained support from the independent members of the House of Assembly and its leader Robert Peliza
became Chief Minister and remained so for three years. Hassan was returned to office in 1972. He resigned without completing his term as Chief Minister in 1987 after an agreement on the shared use of Gibraltar Airport
was signed by Spain
and the United Kingdom, citing personal reasons. He was succeeded by the then Deputy Chief Minister, Adolfo Canepa
. However, Canepa lost the 1988 election to Joe Bossano
of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party
(GSLP) and the AACR disbanded shortly afterwards. Bossano was one of Hassan's main critics, accusing him of being too conciliatory towards the British Government
:
(1945–1950, 1953–1969; until 1955 the name of the title was Chairman of the City Council), and as the Chief Member of the Legislative Council (1950–64).
He was knighted
by Queen Elisabeth II
in 1963 and was therefore styled "Sir" since then.
, is now the largest in Gibraltar.
. They had two daughters, but the marriage dissolved in 1969. In 1969, he married Marcelle Bensimon, a Jew from Morocco. He fathered a further two daughters from this relationship.
Sir Joshua died in his sleep at the age of 81 on 1 July 1997 at Old St. Bernard's Hospital, after having been admitted the previous day complaining of back pain
s.
According to Peter Caruana
, Chief Minister of Gibraltar at the time of Hassan's death:
In 1997, a special stamp was issued by the Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau to pay tribute to Sir Joshua Hassan.
Hassan's nephew, Solomon Levy
, was Mayor of Gibraltar between 2008 and 2009.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, LVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(21 August 1915 – 1 July 1997), nicknamed "Salvador" (Saviour), was a Gibraltarian
Gibraltarian people
The Gibraltarians are a cultural group native to Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance to the Mediterranean sea.- Origins :...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and first Mayor
Mayor of Gibraltar
His or Her Worship, the Mayor of Gibraltar, is currently the ceremonial official of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Mayor is appointed by the elected Members of Parliament and takes residency in the City Hall...
and Chief Minister
Chief Minister of Gibraltar
The Chief Minister of Gibraltar is the leader of the largest party elected to the Gibraltar Parliament, and is formally appointed by the Governor of Gibraltar, representative of the British Crown.-List of Chief Ministers:...
of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, serving two terms as Chief Minister for a total of 17 years. He is seen as the key figure in the civil rights movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
in Gibraltar, and played a key role in the creation of the territory's institutions of self-government
Self-governance
Self-governance is an abstract concept that refers to several scales of organization.It may refer to personal conduct or family units but more commonly refers to larger scale activities, i.e., professions, industry bodies, religions and political units , up to and including autonomous regions and...
.
Early life
Born to a Sephardic Jewish familyHistory of the Jews in Gibraltar
There has been a Jewish presence in Gibraltar for more than 650 years. There have been periods of persecution, but for the most part the Jews of Gibraltar have prospered and been one of the largest religious minorities in the city, where they have made contributions to the culture, defence, and...
from Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
, he trained as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
at Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
and was called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
of England and Wales
English law
English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countries and the United States except Louisiana...
in 1939. When World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out, he volunteered
Volunteering
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be...
as a gunner
Gunner (rank)
Gunner is a rank equivalent to Private in the British Army Royal Artillery and the artillery corps of other Commonwealth armies. The next highest rank is usually Lance-Bombardier, although in the Royal Canadian Artillery it is Bombardier....
in the Gibraltar Defence Force and remained in the then colony
Crown colony
A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....
when most of Gibraltar's civilian population had been evacuated
Military history of Gibraltar during World War II
The military history of Gibraltar during World War II exemplifies Gibraltar's position as a British fortress since the early 18th century and as a vital factor in British military strategy, both as a foothold on the continent of Europe, and as a bastion of British sea power...
and only a small number of Gibraltarians remained on The Rock
Rock of Gibraltar
The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic limestone promontory located in Gibraltar, off the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is high...
.
Chief Minister of Gibraltar
In September 1942, a group of fellow Gibraltarians, clerks and workers, led by trade-unionist Albert RissoAlbert Risso
Albert J. Risso, GMH was a Gibraltarian trade unionist and politician. He was the first president of the Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights in Gibraltar.-Career:...
, came together to form an association advocating the return of the evacuees and the civil rights of the local inhabitants of Gibraltar. They asked Hassan to join them. Initially named "The Gibraltarian Association", upon Hassan's advice, the group took a much more ambitious name: The Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights in Gibraltar
Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights
The Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights is a now defunct political party in Gibraltar.Like all Gibraltar political parties, it opposed transfer of sovereignty over Gibraltar from the United Kingdom to Spain...
(AACR). Hassan was the vice-president of the party under the leadership of Risso. In 1948, Hassan succeeded him as president and was the leader of the AACR and the dominant figure in the politics of the territory for almost thirty years.
His first term in office lasted from 11 August 1964 to 6 August 1969, with his second lasting from 25 June 1972 to 8 December 1987. During the 1960s, Hassan addressed the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Special Committee on Decolonization
Special Committee on Decolonization
The Special Committee on Decolonization was created in 1961 by the General Assembly of the United Nations with the purpose of monitoring implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples...
twice, opposing Spain's claim for Gibraltar
Disputed status of Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory, near the southernmost tip of the Iberian peninsula, which is the subject of a disputed irredentist claim by Spain....
and insisting that the vast majority of Gibraltarians wanted to remain British
British nationality law
British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom that concerns citizenship and other categories of British nationality. The law is complex because of the United Kingdom's former status as an imperial power.-History:...
. He was one of the members of the 1968 Constitutional Conference chaired by Malcolm Shepherd, 2nd Baron Shepherd
Malcolm Shepherd, 2nd Baron Shepherd
Malcolm Newton Shepherd, 2nd Baron Shepherd [Hereditary] and also Baron Shepherd of Spalding [Life Peerage] PC , was a British Labour politician and peer who served as Leader of the House of Lords under Harold Wilson and James Callaghan.Shepherd was the son of the Labour politician George...
, which drafted the Gibraltar's first Constitution
Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969
The Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969 was published on 30 May 1969 as an Order in Council.The constitution was the outcome of the Constitutional Conference chaired by Malcolm Shepherd, 2nd Baron Shepherd which lasted from July 16 1968 to July 24...
. Hassan only lost one election, the 1969 election, when the AACR failed to win a majority by just one seat, as it only obtained seven of the fifteen seats of the House. The Integration with Britain Party
Integration with Britain Party
The Integration with Britain Party was a political party in Gibraltar established in February 1967. Although it never won an election, it was briefly in power from 1969 to 1972 when Robert Peliza of the IWBP was Chief Minister.- History :...
(IWBP, supporter of the integration of Gibraltar into the United Kingdom) gained support from the independent members of the House of Assembly and its leader Robert Peliza
Robert Peliza
Sir Robert John "Bob" Peliza, KBE, ED is a Gibraltarian politician. He founded and led the Integration with Britain Party and was the second Chief Minister of Gibraltar serving in office from 6 August 1969 to 25 June 1972...
became Chief Minister and remained so for three years. Hassan was returned to office in 1972. He resigned without completing his term as Chief Minister in 1987 after an agreement on the shared use of Gibraltar Airport
Gibraltar Airport
Gibraltar Airport or North Front Airport is the civilian airport that serves the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It is owned by the Ministry of Defence for use by the Royal Air Force as RAF Gibraltar. Civilian operators use the airport; currently the only scheduled flights operate to the...
was signed by Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and the United Kingdom, citing personal reasons. He was succeeded by the then Deputy Chief Minister, Adolfo Canepa
Adolfo Canepa
Adolfo John Canepa was a Gibraltarian politician. He has dedicated most of his life to politics and the development of Gibraltar, having served both as Leader of the Opposition and as Chief Minister of Gibraltar from 8 December 1987 to 25 March 1988...
. However, Canepa lost the 1988 election to Joe Bossano
Joe Bossano
Joseph "Joe" John Bossano is a Gibraltarian politician, and the former leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party. He was Chief Minister of Gibraltar from 25 March 1988 to 17 May 1996. He served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Gibraltar Parliament from its founding in 1978 until April...
of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party
Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party
The Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party is the oldest surviving active political party in Gibraltar. Its grass roots are deep in the Trade Union Movement, as its founder and former leader Joe Bossano was the District Officer of the Transport and General Workers Union...
(GSLP) and the AACR disbanded shortly afterwards. Bossano was one of Hassan's main critics, accusing him of being too conciliatory towards the British Government
Government of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Government is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who selects all the remaining Ministers...
:
Mayor of Gibraltar
Prior to the creation of the post of Chief Minister in 1964, Hassan had served as a member of the Gibraltar Executive Council (1950–64), as Mayor of GibraltarMayor of Gibraltar
His or Her Worship, the Mayor of Gibraltar, is currently the ceremonial official of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Mayor is appointed by the elected Members of Parliament and takes residency in the City Hall...
(1945–1950, 1953–1969; until 1955 the name of the title was Chairman of the City Council), and as the Chief Member of the Legislative Council (1950–64).
He was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
by Queen Elisabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in 1963 and was therefore styled "Sir" since then.
Lawyer
Hassan was also a successful lawyer and his chambers, Hassans International Law FirmHassans
Hassans International Law Firm is the largest law firm in Gibraltar. It has approximately 74 lawyers and was established in 1939 by Joshua Hassan, just returned to Gibraltar, and later the first Chief Minister of Gibraltar.-Practice:...
, is now the largest in Gibraltar.
Personal life
In 1945 Hassan married Daniela Salazar from SpainSpanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
. They had two daughters, but the marriage dissolved in 1969. In 1969, he married Marcelle Bensimon, a Jew from Morocco. He fathered a further two daughters from this relationship.
Sir Joshua died in his sleep at the age of 81 on 1 July 1997 at Old St. Bernard's Hospital, after having been admitted the previous day complaining of back pain
Back pain
Back pain is pain felt in the back that usually originates from the muscles, nerves, bones, joints or other structures in the spine.The pain can often be divided into neck pain, upper back pain, lower back pain or tailbone pain...
s.
According to Peter Caruana
Peter Caruana
Peter Richard Caruana, QC is a Gibraltarian politician, and has been Chief Minister of Gibraltar since 1996, when his party, the Gibraltar Social Democrats , first came to power. His party was re-elected to office in 2000, 2003 and 2007...
, Chief Minister of Gibraltar at the time of Hassan's death:
In 1997, a special stamp was issued by the Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau to pay tribute to Sir Joshua Hassan.
Hassan's nephew, Solomon Levy
Solomon Levy
Solomon "Momy" Levy, is a Jewish Gibraltarian estate agent and former Mayor of Gibraltar. He held office from 1 August 2008 to 31 July 2009.-References:...
, was Mayor of Gibraltar between 2008 and 2009.
External links
See also
- List of Gibraltarians
- Politics of GibraltarPolitics of GibraltarGibraltar is represented in the European Union, having been the only British overseas territory which joined the EC under the British Treaty of Accession ....