Legal Pluralism and Family Law
Explore the interaction of African customary laws, religious laws, human rights and family law in plural and postcolonial societies.
About the Programme
The programme provides a distinctive African legal-pluralist perspective on family law, migration, human rights and the interaction of normative orders, combining core modules with a basket of specialist electives.
Programme Information
The Centre for Legal Integration in Africa (CLIA), based in the Department of Private Law, offers the Master of Laws in Legal Pluralism and Family Law. The programme examines the interaction of legal orders in Africa and its significance for migration, legal integration, family law and postcolonial legal identity.
It responds to the relationship between indigenous African laws, religious laws and human rights, and encourages critical engagement with customary family laws, new empirical evidence, equality, human dignity and changing social values.
A core module examining family-law questions across jurisdictions and legal orders.
A core module focused on the interaction of normative and legal orders in culturally plural societies.
An elective engaging legal protection and rights of children.
An elective linking plural legal systems with international human-rights protection.
An elective examining Islamic legal traditions and jurisprudence.
By studying how normative orders interact and affect families, students are encouraged to contextualise conflict of laws and examine the future of law in postcolonial societies. The programme's legal-revisionist pedagogy challenges orthodox ideas and aims to develop self-aware, curious and critical legal thinkers.
The brochure notes that limited bursaries may be available for exceptional applicants.
For further details, contact Prof Anthony Diala at adiala@uwc.ac.za.
Programme Actions & Enquiries
Use the links below for application, programme and postgraduate admission information.
