Billy Downer

Who is Billy Downer?

Advocate William John "Billy" Downer, SC, is a deputy director of public prosecutions with the South African National Prosecuting Authority.

Billy Downer attended Pretoria Boys High School and then graduated in law at Stellenbosch University in 1979, and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Brasenose College, University of Oxford, where he obtained the BCL degree. He joined the South African Department of Justice in October 1982. Since then he has had considerable experience in prosecuting corruption. One of his most well publicised cases was the State vs Shaik trial. His detailed investigations, which led to the discovery of a handwritten encrypted fax in French promising an amount of R500,000 per annum to 'JZ' until the first payment of ADS dividends, were key in securing the conviction of Schabir Shaik on two counts of corruption and one count of fraud.