| Intro | Zimbabwean judge |
| Was |
Politician Judge |
| From | Zimbabwe |
| Type |
Law Politics |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 20 April 1920 |
| Death |
14 December 2000 (aged 80 years) |
Enoch Dumbutshena (20 April 1920 – 14 December 2000) was a distinguished Zimbabwean judge known for defending the independence of that country’s judicial branch. He became Zimbabwe’s first black judge in 1980 and served as Chief Justice from 1984 to 1990. Dumbutshena’s decisions were often highly critical of President Robert Mugabe and his government. A former member of the International Commission of Jurists, he unsuccessfully attempted to launch a political career of his own in 1993 by founding the free-market Forum Party. He died in late 2000 of liver cancer.