# Ministry of Justice (Rhodesia)

The Ministry of Justice was a cabinet ministry of the government of Rhodesia. It was responsible for overseeing the nation's laws, legal system and law enforcement.
The Ministry of Justice was established in 1923 during the colonial period of Southern Rhodesia. It retained the same structure when Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence in 1965. The Ministry was led by the Attorney General (until 1933) and the Minister of Justice (after 1932), who was appointed by Prime Minister. In 1979, Rhodesia became Zimbabwe Rhodesia as part of the Internal Settlement. In 1980 Zimbabwe gained its independence and the Ministry was succeeded by the Ministry of Justice of Zimbabwe.

## List of ministers
### Attorney General (1894–1923)

| № | Name | Took office | Left office | Administrator |
| 1 | Andrew Duncan (Legal Adviser) | 10 September 1894 | 3 January 1896 | Leander Starr Jameson |
| 2 | Sir Thomas Scanlen (Legal Adviser) | 3 January 1896 | 2 April 1896 | Leander Starr Jameson |
| 2 | Sir Thomas Scanlen (Legal Adviser) | 2 April 1896 | 5 December 1898 | The Earl Grey |
| 2 | Sir Thomas Scanlen (Legal Adviser) | 20 December 1898 | 9 August 1900 | William Henry Milton |
| 3 | John Gilbert Kotzé | 9 August 1900 | 7 April 1903 | William Henry Milton |
| 4 | Clarkson Henry Tredgold | 7 April 1903 | 1 November 1914 | William Henry Milton |
| 4 | Clarkson Henry Tredgold | 1 November 1914 | 5 January 1920 | Sir Drummond Chaplin |
| 5 | James Donald Mackenzie | 5 January 1920 | 1 October 1923 | Sir Drummond Chaplin |

### Attorney General (1923–1933)

| № | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party | Premier |
| 6 | Sir Robert Hudson | 1 October 1923 | 2 September 1927 | Rhodesia Party | Sir Charles Coghlan |
| 6 | Sir Robert Hudson | 2 September 1927 | 5 July 1933 | Rhodesia Party | Howard Moffat |

### Ministers of Justice (1933–1979)

| № | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party | Prime Minister | Title |
| 1 | Sir Robert Hudson | 5 July 1933 | 12 September 1933 | Rhodesia Party | George Mitchell | Minister of Justice and Defence |
| 2 | Stephen O'Keeffe | 12 September 1933 | 14 November 1934 | Reform Party | Sir Godfrey Huggins | Minister of Justice |
| 3 | Vernon Arthur Lewis | 24 August 1934 | 12 August 1936 | United Rhodesia Party | Sir Godfrey Huggins | Minister of Justice and Defence |
| 4 | Robert Clarkson Tredgold | 12 August 1936 | 1 March 1943 | United Rhodesia Party | Sir Godfrey Huggins | Minister of Justice |
| 5 | Harry Bertin | 1 March 1943 | 10 May 1946 | United Rhodesia Party | Sir Godfrey Huggins | Minister of Justice |
| 6 | Hugh Beadle | 10 May 1946 | 20 July 1950 | United Rhodesia Party | Sir Godfrey Huggins | Minister of Justice |
| 7 | Julius Greenfield | 20 July 1950 | 7 September 1953 | United Rhodesia Party | Sir Godfrey Huggins | Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs |
| 7 | Julius Greenfield | 7 September 1953 | 5 February 1954 | United Federal Party | Garfield Todd | Minister of Justice |
| 8 | Garfield Todd | 5 February 1954 | 26 November 1954 | United Federal Party | Garfield Todd | Minister of Internal Affairs and Justice |
| 10 | Rubidge Stumbles | 26 November 1954 | 17 January 1958 | United Federal Party | Garfield Todd | Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs |
| 11 | Alan David Hutchinson Lloyd | 17 January 1958 | 17 February 1958 | United Federal Party | Garfield Todd | Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs |
| 12 | Reginald Knight | 17 February 1958 | 24 September 1962 | United Federal Party | Edgar Whitehead | Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs |
| – | Rubidge Stumbles | 24 September 1962 | 16 November 1962 | United Federal Party | Edgar Whitehead | Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs |
| – | Rubidge Stumbles | 16 November 1962 | 17 December 1962 | United Federal Party | Edgar Whitehead | Minister of Justice Minister of Law and Order |
| 13 | Clifford Dupont | 17 December 1962 | 14 April 1964 | Rhodesian Front | Winston Field | Minister of Justice Minister of Law and Order |
| 13 | Clifford Dupont | 14 April 1964 | 23 June 1964 | Rhodesian Front | Ian Smith | Minister of Justice Minister of Law and Order |
| 14 | Desmond Lardner-Burke | 23 June 1964 | 1976 | Rhodesian Front | Ian Smith | Minister of Justice Minister of Law and Order |
| 15 | Hilary Squires | 1976 | 1 June 1979 | Rhodesian Front | Ian Smith | Minister of Justice Minister of Law and Order |
| − | Byron Hove (co-minister) | 27 December 1978 | 1978 | Zimbabwe African National Union | Ian Smith | Minister of Justice Minister of Law and Order |
| − | Francis Zindonga (co-minister) | 1978 | 1 June 1979 | United African National Council | Ian Smith | Minister of Justice Minister of Law and Order |