UWC Law, The history of the UWC Law Faculty starts with the establishment in 1960 of the University College of the Western Cape as a constituent college of the University of South Africa. A Department of Law was established in the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy in 1970, which presented the BA (law) and LLB degrees. A B.Com (law) degree was at the time presented by the Department of Commerce. In 1973 the Faculty of Commerce and Law was established.
The Law Faculty became an independent faculty on 1 January 1979 when the Faculty of Commerce and Law was divided in two: the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences and the Faculty of Law. The Law Faculty was first located in what is now the Education building, then in a ‘Prefab’ building which burned down, and later in what is now the ‘Old Arts’ building. In 1992 the Faculty moved to the current ‘law’ building. The Faculty today has approximately 2100 students (about 250 of whom are postgraduate students) and 104 staff members, 44 of which are permanent academic appointments.
Mission, vision and values
Mission statement
The Faculty of Law is an intellectually vigorous, engaged and diverse faculty, with a vibrant culture of research, teaching and social engagement.
Vision statement
The Faculty of Law is committed to being a prominent law faculty, renowned nationally and internationally for its high quality research publications, specifically in certain niche areas, for its innovative ideas, for developing graduates within the minimum prescribed time who are committed to social justice, and are furthermore well-qualified, workplace-ready, technologically equipped and have adaptive expertise for the 21st century, as well as for its extensive social engagement.
Values
The core values which the Faculty staff and students embrace are the pursuit of justice; ethical conduct and integrity; respect for diversity; transparency and accountability in decision-making; and excellence in research and teaching.
Deans Message
The history of the UWC law faculty starts with the establishment in 1960 of the University College of the Western Cape as a constituent college of the University of South Africa. In 1973 the Faculty of Commerce and Law was established, with the Law Faculty becoming independent on 1 January 1979. The Faculty today has approximately 2300 students (about 300 of whom are postgraduate students).
The Faculty offers a four-year and a five year (foundation) LLB degree while students can also choose to first complete a B.Com (law) degree in the Economic and Management Sciences Faculty and thereafter complete the LLB degree over two years. Master’s degrees offered by the Faculty allow one to specialise in Labour Law; Constitutional Theory; Environmental Law; Human Rights Protection; Law, State and Multilevel Government; Mercantile Law; International Trade, Investment and Business Law; Transnational Criminal Justice; and Criminal Justice. The Faculty has the expertise to provide supervision for a doctoral degree on a wide range of legal topics. The law degrees on offer enable one to become inter alia an advocate, attorney, prosecutor, magistrate, judge, legal advisor, consultant, mediator, researcher, legal editor, lecturer or professor. Those with law degrees can also work in various government departments (national, provincial and local) and in Parliament. Other career options with a law degree are Non-Governmental Organisations, Public Interest Organisations or international bodies such as the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund.
The Faculty consists of four departments: Criminal Justice and Procedure, Mercantile and Labour Law, Private Law, and Public Law and Jurisprudence. In addition, the Faculty hosts the Law Clinic, the Social Law Project, the South African-German Centre of Transnational Criminal Justice, and the Dullah Omar Institute for Constitutional Law, Governance and Human Rights.
The Faculty of Law is a richly diverse Faculty and some staff members have roots in Ethiopia, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Belgium, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
The Faculty is home to some of the best researchers in the country and currently has 12 NRF rated scholars, 6 of whom are B-rated.
About Us
The Department of Private Law provides the foundation stone on which the entire edifice of the law stands. The Department continues to fulfil this role at undergraduate level and is continually expanding the range of its post-graduate offerings.
The Department offers the following compulsory modules in the LLB programme: Legal Systems; Persons; Customary Law; Family Law; Law of Things (property); Succession; Delict; and Contract. Our final year electives include: Advanced Family Law; Advanced Contract Law; Law of Trusts; Muslim Personal Law; Unjustified Enrichment; Intellectual Property Law; and the Conflict of Laws.
At postgraduate level, the LLM modules offered at present are: International Family Law; Legal and Cultural Pluralism; and Intellectual Property Law.
Members of the Department offer high level expertise on the Law of Succession (a member was recently cited by the Supreme Court of Appeal) and Trusts, Family Law and Children’s Rights (a member is an internationally renowned expert) as well as Muslim Personal Law, among others.
| Minimum NSC Subject Requirements for 2018 |
|---|
| Programme | Course Code | English (Home or 1st Additional Language) | Another Language (Home or 1st Additional Language) | Mathematics or Mathematics Literacy | Point Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLaws | 7161 | 4(50-59%) | 3(40-49%) | 4(50-59%) | 37 | |
| Higher Certificate in Forensic Examination | 7115 | Matriculation Certificate or National Senior Certificate(NSC) plus three years working experience (RPL applicable) | 27 |
|---|
About Us
In line with the vision of the Division of Post Graduate Studies, The Faculty of Law postgraduate programmes are focused on strengthening research and theses in a number of established and emerging research niche areas.
With 42 full time members of the academic staff, and several affiliated research units (the Dullah Omar Institute, Centre for Transnational Criminal Justice and the Social Law Project), the Faculty boasts a significant research record, as captured in the Faculty’s annual research report. Particular areas of strength include constitutional law, children’s rights, multi-level government, labour law, trade and investment law, gender law, human rights and humanitarian law, environmental law, socio-economic rights, criminal justice and international criminal law, including money laundering and the law relating to corruption. Many of our postgraduate students hail from other African countries, and many postgraduate courses situate the regional or continental context upfront. The Faculty runs a series of initiatives aimed at building capacity for postgraduate studies and research, including an innovative doctoral student’s colloquium which is hosted off campus three times a year.
A key goal (encapsulated in the Faculty Institutional Operating Plan 2010-2014) was to increase the post-graduate student cohort and our publications output. The Faculty currently boasts 13 NRF rated researchers, seven of whom have ‘B’ ratings.
Here is an electronic version of our Postgraduate Brochure.pdf
The Virtual Office:
For your convenience, we have compiled internal data forms which are tools that you will require for your post-graduate submissions (theses, exams, assessments etc.) See our Virtual Office page.
LLB (Bachelor of Laws)
The basic undergraduate qualification offered by the Faculty of Law is the Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB). At present the Faculty offers:
A four-year stream and;
A five-year stream (Foundations Programme)
Both programmes lead to the same qualification. The LLB degree is divided into these two streams to take into account the academic differences
amongst students. The five year stream is structured to offer a better opportunity of success to students who may have difficulty in completing the
LLB degree in four years, and to provide them with additional academic support.
| CurriculumThe curriculum has been designed around the needs of the law students of today. A wide range of prescribed modules enable students to equip themselves with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in any aspect of legal practice. In the final year, a wide range of elective modules are offered to senior students who can acquire advanced knowledge and skills in aspects of the law in which they have a special interest or talent. | What stream should you follow?The allocation of students to the four-year or five-year stream is made on the basis of a complete assessment of the student’s academic potential for law studies.Possible career optionsThe LLB degree offers entry to all branches of the legal profession and opens the door to any of the following professions: Attorney; Advocate; Prosecutor; Magistrate; Judge; Corporate Legal Adviser; Legal Consultant; Law Lecturer and Legal Researcher. |
ADMISSION TO THE FACULTY
The requirements listed below are minimum requirements.
They qualify you to apply for a place as a student in the Faculty of Law, but they do not guarantee that you will be offered a place.
The Faculty can only accommodate a limited number of students and only the applicants with the best results will therefore be offered a place.
Please note that the following requirements qualify you to apply but selection happens in descending order, from the top student down, according to National Senior Certificate and Matriculation results.
LLB Four-year stream
a The National Senior Certificate for Bachelors Degree study plus a score of no less than 37 points calculated according to the university’s approved points system, as well as the following specific programme requirements:
– Level 4 (50-59%) in English (home or first additional language)
– Level 3 (40-49%) in another language (home or first additional language)
– Level 4 (50-59%) in Mathematics or in Mathematical Literacy
OR
b A qualification or level of competence which the Senate of the University has deemed to be equivalent to the requirements stipulated above.
LLB Five-year stream
a The National Senior Certificate for Bachelors Degree study plus a score of no less than 32 points calculated according to the university’s approved points system, as well as the following specific programme requirements:
– Level 4 (50-59%) in English (home or first additional language)
– Level 3 (40-49%) in another language (home or first additional language)
– Level 3 (40-49%) in Mathematics or in Mathematical Literacy
OR
b A qualification or level of competence which the Senate of the University has deemed to be equivalent to the requirements stipulated above.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS WHO MATRICULATED BEFORE 2008
LLB Four-year stream a Matriculation Exemption with a minimum of a C aggregate
ORb A qualification or level of competence which the Senate of the University has deemed to be equivalent to the requirements stipulated above.
LLB Five year stream
a A Matriculation Exemption with a minimum of D aggregate or conditional exemption or an age exemption
OR
b A qualification or level of competence which the Senate of the University has deemed to be equivalent to the requirements stipulated above.
Recognition of Prior Learning is an alternative admissions route into the university.
Applicants who do not have the required formal qualifications may bid for admission by writing tests of academic readiness or by completing a portfolio development course. Enquiries [email protected]
UWC Points System
UWC uses a weighted system for calculating points. See pdf copy of Brochure (below) with table that indicates how points are calculated.
Click Here to: Download Brochure.
How do I apply to the Law Faculty?
Online Applications
Apply online at www.uwc.ac.za. If you have not studied at a university before, the application is for undergraduate purposes. Remember to choose the LLB degree. Please complete ALL the required fields to ensure that your application will be processed.
CONTACT INFORMATION
UWC Contact Centre: 021 959 3900/1/2/3
Enquiries to [email protected]
GET DETAILS ON UNIVERSITY APPLICATION IN SA