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University of Pretoria Faculty of Law

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University of Pretoria
Faculty of Law
Former names
Transvaal University College (1908–1930)[1]
TypePublic
Law school
Established1908
DeanAndré Boraine
Location
South AfricaPretoria
,
Gauteng
,
South Africa
CampusHatfield
ColoursBlue, Gold and Red      
NicknameTuks or Tukkies[2]
AffiliationsUniversity of Pretoria
MascotOom Gert[3]
WebsiteFaculty of Law

The University of Pretoria Faculty of Law was established in 1908 and consists of five academic departments, six centres, two law clinics and its own publisher the Pretoria University Law Press (PULP).[4] This faculty ranks best in Africa and 76th in the world[5] with leading Departments of Jurisprudence; Mercantile Law; Private Law; Procedural Law; Public Law; and Centre for Human Rights. The faculty offers the undergraduate LLB degree, the postgraduate LLM and LLD degrees as well as several continuing education courses.

The Oliver R Tambo Law Library houses the faculty's collection of legal materials and the Law of Africa collection in the library is the single most comprehensive and current collection of primary legal materials of African countries.[6]

The faculty organises the annual African and World Human Rights Moot Court Competition and in 2006, the faculty's Centre for Human Rights received the UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education.[7] Since 1997, the university as a whole has produced more research outputs every year than any other institution of higher learning in South Africa, as measured by the Department of Education's accreditation benchmark.[8]

History

The proposal for a university for the capital, first mooted in the Volksraad in 1889, was interrupted by the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War in 1899. In 1902 after the signing of the Peace of Vereeniging, the Normal College for teacher training was established in Groenkloof, Pretoria and in 1904 the Transvaal Technical Institute, with emphasis on mining education, opened in Johannesburg. In 1906 the Transvaal Technical Institute changed its name to the Transvaal University College.[9] On 4 March 1908 when the Transvaal University College (TUC) transferred its arts and science courses to its newly established Pretoria Campus the precursor to the university was established, initially offering courses in languages, sciences, and law.[10][11]

Global Ranking

Under the leadership and diligent commitment of its former and current leadership, students, staff and alumni, UP Law obtained a global 90th placed ranking in 2020, 76th in 2019 and 92nd in 2018,[12] making it the highest ranked Faculty of Law on the Africa continent.[13] A feat no other law faculty on the continent has come close to in the past number of years.

These global rankings demonstrate an ability to attract faculty and students from across the world. Consequently, this confirms the fact that UP Law possesses a strong international brand, as rankings establish a firm belief that the high standard of teaching and research predicates the quality of its research knowledge production and transfer. These claims are substantiated further by the record postgraduate output of the Faculty of Law which has conferred 179 masters’ and 35 doctoral graduates in 2017, followed by 173 master's and 27 doctoral graduates in 2018.[14]

UP Law functions under the leadership of Dean Professor Elsabe Schoeman,[15] the first woman to lead the Faculty since late 2019. Since August 2020, the Deputy Dean for Teaching and Learning is Professor Charles Maimela, the youngest and first black Deputy Dean at UP Law.[16]

Leading academia at UP Law

The Faculty houses leading academia in its departments of:

UP Law currently employs approximately 70 dedicated full-time academics,[17] of whom more than two-thirds have doctoral degrees in various fields of the law. Highly motivated professional corps support them, and together they serve and prepare our student community for the various law-related career opportunities.   

Specialised research centres and chairs

The specialised research centres in UP Law are the:

The Research Chairs housed in UP Law are the:

Academic programmes

Faculty of Law building
The University of Pretoria Old Arts building

At the undergraduate level, UP Law offers a four-year LLB degree[18]. However, the majority of our students first enrol for a BCom (Law) in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences or a BA (Law) degree, in the Faculty of Humanities[19].

UP Law aims to produce LLB graduates with the knowledge, critical thinking abilities, awareness of social and ethical responsibilities and the legal skills that are required to follow any of the established career paths in law. With this in mind, UP Law is progressively placing greater emphasis on an inquiry-led approach to teaching to improve the research and problem-solving skills of our students.

At the postgraduate level, UP Law offers extensive master’s programmes (LLM/MPhil)[20] (through either coursework or research) and a doctoral programme (LLD/PhD)[21].

Leader in Inquiry-led approach teaching and hybrid learning in Africa

UP Law prides itself as a leader on the Africa continent regarding inquiry-led approach teaching and hybrid learning.  

With this in mind, UP Law:

  • Values and aims to develop and improve the research skills of our students.
  • Hybrid learning is a feature of the teaching model.
  • One of a few faculties in South Africa who prescribes a research component for final-year LLB-students.
  • Equips students with knowledge, skills and perspectives with emphasis on socioeconomic and political issues locally and internationally
  • Produces highly sought-after graduates who display leadership and critical thinking abilities and are aware of their social and ethical responsibilities.
  • UP Law has top mooters (student participants in simulated court hearings) and host to a number of moot court competitions:
    • Law students of the UP Moot Society excel in local and international moot court competitions and our teams regularly achieve top honours at these events;
    • For instance, UP Law has had the best mooters on the African continent in 2018 and 5th in the world according to the 2018 Jessup ranking;
    • Students are trained by experienced former mooters, resulting in peer teaching and skills transfer;
    • The Centre for Human Rights hosts the following moots:
    • Annual African Human Rights Moot Court Competition - in 2021 it will host its 30th competition in Africa at the Stellenbosch University, South Africa;
    • The 12th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition, annually held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland.
    • The Centre for Child Law hosts the Annual National Child Law Moot Court Competition, currently in its 11th year; and
  • The National Schools Moot Court Competition was initiated by UP Law and is organised and supported by the Department of Basic Education, Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, South African Human Rights Commission, and University of Pretoria Faculty of Law.
  • Students are trained by experienced former mooters, resulting in peer teaching and skills transfer.

Centres, units and institutes

Centres, Units & Institutes in the faculty include the Centre for Advanced Corporate & Insolvency Law, Centre for Child Law, Centre for Human Rights, Centre for Intellectual Property Law, Centre for Medicine & Law, Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa and Sports Law Centre in Africa. The Centres, Units & Institutes have a research and academic purpose.

Centre for Human Rights

Main article: Centre for Human Rights

The Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, is an organisation dedicated to promoting human rights on the continent of Africa. The centre, founded in 1986, promotes human rights through educational outreach, including multinational conferences, seminars and publications such as Human Rights Law in Africa, The African Human Rights Law Journal, the African Human Rights Law Reports and The Constitutional Law of South Africa. The centre, which was founded during Apartheid, assisted in adapting a Bill of Rights for South Africa and contributed to creating the South African Constitution.[22] In 2006, the centre received the UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education.[7]

Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa

The Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa (ICLA), established at the beginning of 2011, is a research institute located in the Faculty of Law with Professors Erika de Wet and Christof Heyns (the United Nations Special Rapporteur for extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions) being appointed as Co-Directors.[6]

The ICLA co-ordinates the Oxford Constitutions Online African country reports and collaborates with the Centre for Human Rights to co-ordinate the Oxford Reports on International Law in Domestic Courts (ILDC) Online African case law.[6]

Centre for Child Law

The Centre for Child was established in 1998 and is enjoys recognition as a law clinic by the Law Society. Established in 2003 the centre's Children's Litigation Project acts as amicus curiae in litigation in relation to children's rights through, appearing in several cases before the North and South Gauteng High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court.[23][24]

Moot Court Competitions

Moot court Institution Founded Location
African Human Rights Moot Court Competition Organised by the University of Pretoria Faculty of Law 1992 Held at participating law schools across the African continent
South African National Schools Moot Court Competition Organised annually by a different grouping of law schools 2011 National oral rounds take place at the University of Pretoria Faculty of Law, Pretoria and the finals at the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg
World Human Rights Moot Court Competition Organised by the University of Pretoria Faculty of Law 2009 Pretoria
African Trade Moot Organised by the University of Pretoria Faculty of Law, University of the Western Cape Pretoria and Cape Town
Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition Organised by the International Institute of Space Law The Africa Regional Round is hosted by the Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa, University of Pretoria Faculty of Law

Pretoria University Law Press

The Pretoria University Law Press (PULP), situated within the Faculty of Law, endeavours to publish and distribute advanced scholarly legal texts in English, Afrikaans, French, Arabic and Portuguese. "Pretoria University Law Press". University of Pretoria. PULP publishes a series of collections of legal documents related to African public law and legal text books from other African countries and is a member of the Publishers' association of South Africa.[25]

Student Activities

Law students participate in the following activities:

  • The Constitutional Tribunal is the judicial body of student governance and adjudicates disputes primarily between student organisations and its judge's sit on the panel of student disciplinary hearings.
  • The Pretoria Student Law Review (PSLR), published by PULP, is student driven and administered initiative providing an interactive student platform for to discuss topical legal matters.[26]
  • Law House provides a platform for social engagement, community outreach and student engagement with the faculty.
  • Several internal and external moot court competitions through the Moot and Debating Society.
  • Educating Prisoners About Human Rights (EPHAR) which engages unsentenced offenders to inform them about their fundamental human rights and responsibilities.
  • The Language Centre which assist other students in the development of their language skills under the guidance of admitted attorneys.
  • The Student Disciplinary Advisory Panel (SDAP) may give advice to students appearing in front of student disciplinary hearings regarding the nature of the procedure of student disciplinary hearings.

Alumni

Well known alumni include:[27]

Politicians

  • Lamola, Ronald ‘Ozzy’[28] Minister of Justice and Correctional Services (Term of office:  May 2019 to current)
  • Nel, Andries,[29] Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services and now Deputy Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
  • Ms Yvonne Dasaub,[30] Minister of Justice, Namibia
  • Nelson Mandela,[31] President of South Africa (1994 to 1999) – Honorary doctorate
  • Adv George Bizos[32] – Honorary doctorate

Well-known politicians of yesteryear

  • Botha, Roelof Frederik ‘Pik’,[33] Minister of Foreign Affairs and later Minister of Mineral and Energy Affairs (27 April 1932 – 12 October 2018)
  • Strijdom, Johannes Gerhardus (Hans),[34] Prime Minister of South Africa (14 July 1893 – 24 August 1958), nicknamed the Lion of the North (30 November 1954 to 24 August 1958)

Justices/Judges

  • Basson, Anneli,[35] Judge of the Gauteng High Court
  • Basson, Dion,[36] Former Judge of the Gauteng High Court
  • Botha, Chris (C), Judge of the Gauteng High Court
  • Claasen, Neels (CJ), Retired Judge of the Gauteng High Court
  • Claasen, Roger (RD), Judge of the Gauteng High Court
  • Du Plessis, Ben (BR),[37] Judge of the Gauteng High Court
  • Eloff, Frikkie, Former Transvaal Judge President (deceased December 2017)
  • Fourie, Dawie (DS), Judge of the Gauteng High Court
  • Gildenhuys, Antonie, Judge of the Gauteng High Court and Land Claims Court
  • Goldstein, Ezra (EL), Retired Judge of the Gauteng High Court
  • Harms, Louis[38] – Retired Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Appeal
  • Hartzenberg, Willie (WJ), Retired Deputy Judge President, Gauteng High Court
  • Hendricks, Ronald (RD),[39] Judge President of the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court, Bisho
  • Jansen, Mabel (MM)[40] - Former Judge of the Gauteng High Court
  • Joffe, Meyer (MM),[41] Retired Judge of the Gauteng High Court
  • Kriegler, Johann,[42] Retired Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa (1994 – 2002)
  • Malan, Frans (FR),[38] Retired Judge of the Gauteng High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal
  • Pretorius, Cynthia,[43] Judge of the Gauteng High Court
  • Rasethaba, Ouma[44] – Advocate and Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions
  • Rumpff, Frans Lourens Hermann,[45] Chief Justice of South Africa (1972 to 1982) (5 June 1912 to 4 April 1992)
  • Seriti, Willie[46][47] – Judge
  • Smit, JMC – Retired Judge of the Gauteng High Court
  • Streicher, Piet – retired Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal

Other

See also

Notes

  1. ^ History
  2. ^ "History of the University of Pretoria". Archived from the original on 1 November 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  3. ^ "Oom Gert". University of Pretoria. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  4. ^ "Pretoria University Law Press (PULP)".
  5. ^ "Faculty of Law Brochure 2020" (PDF).
  6. ^ a b c "About the ICLA". University of Pretoria. 19 January 2012.
  7. ^ a b Europe Intelligence Wire. (2003-Jan-07) UNESCO awards Czech film festival One World
  8. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ^ "University of Pretoria Historical Overview". University of Pretoria. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  10. ^ "Universiteit Van Pretoria". Britannica.com.
  11. ^ "Special Edition in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Geology Department at the University of Pretoria". Sajg.geoscienceworld.org. 1 September 2008.
  12. ^ "World University Rankings 2020 by subject: law". Times Higher Education (THE). 29 October 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  13. ^ "UP's Faculty of Law in top 100 world university rankings". De Rebus. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Record year for UP Faculty of Law | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  15. ^ "UP welcomes new Dean of the Faculty of Law Professor Elsabe Schoeman | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  16. ^ "UP's Faculty of Law welcomes Prof Charles Maimela as Deputy Dean in historical appointment | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  17. ^ "Faculty of Law | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  18. ^ "Undergraduate LLB Programme | Article | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  19. ^ "Faculty of Humanities | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  20. ^ "LLM/MPhil - Master's through Course Work or Research | Article | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  21. ^ "LLD/PhD through Research | Article | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  22. ^ UNESCO, Human Rights and Gender Equality Section, Division of Human Rights, Human Security and Philosophy. (2006-Dec-11) University of Pretoria's Centre for Human Rights wins 2006 UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education portal.unesco.org.
  23. ^ "Centre for Child Law". University of Pretoria.
  24. ^ "Our Cases". Centreforchildlaw.co.za. 28 September 2012.
  25. ^ "PASA". Publishsa.co.za.
  26. ^ "Pretoria Student Law Review". University of Pretoria.
  27. ^ "Alumni". University of Pretoria. 10 July 2012. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  28. ^ "UP Law alumnus Ronald Lamola named Minister of Justice and Correctional Services | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  29. ^ "Faculty celebrates opening of Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa (ICLA) | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  30. ^ "Centre Master's graduates appointed to positions of great potential influence in Namibia and Uganda | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  31. ^ "Honorary Doctorate Degrees | Article | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  32. ^ "Advocate George Bizos received an honorary doctorate at the University's LLM graduations | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  33. ^ "University of Pretoria Centenary".
  34. ^ "Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom | prime minister of South Africa". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  35. ^ johannesburgbar.co.za. "Judge-AC-Basson" (PDF).
  36. ^ "This is the man I've been talking about - Mandela". Rekord East. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  37. ^ "Justice Du Plessis". www.concourt.org.za. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  38. ^ a b "TuksLaw alumni and staff members excel | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  39. ^ "JSC Candidates Judge Ronald Hendricks October 2019". Judges Matter. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  40. ^ Motau, Koketšo. "Mabel jansen". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  41. ^ "Judge Joffe goes out with a bang". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  42. ^ Khumalo, Simphiwe. "Justice Johann Kriegler". Centre for Human Rights. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  43. ^ "Womanity - Women In Unity". Iono.fm.
  44. ^ "Ramaphosa appoints new Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  45. ^ Rumpff, Frans Lourens Herman (1952). "Frans Lourens Herman Rumpff (Chief Justice of South Africa, 1974-1982) : treason trial 1957-1960". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  46. ^ "Arms Procurement Commission: Members". www.justice.gov.za. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  47. ^ "TuksLaw Vol 4" (PDF). TuksLaw News: 7. March 2010.
  48. ^ "Justice Johann van der Westhuizen". Constitutional Court of South Africa. Retrieved 9 November 2008.
  49. ^ a b "Johann Van der Westhuizen". Whoswhosa.co.za.
  50. ^ "Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions". University of Pretoria. 27 October 2011. Archived from the original on 16 September 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  51. ^ "Prof Dire Tladi". Sun025.sun.ac.za. Archived from the original on 9 May 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
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