Human Rights Protection
A specialised Master's programme engaging land reform, access to adequate housing, constitutional property law and the broader protection and progressive realisation of human rights.
About the Programme
The Human Rights Protection programme offers advanced engagement with fundamental rights and transformative constitutionalism. This specialist pathway brings together constitutional property law, land reform and the right of access to adequate housing, enabling students to examine some of South Africa's most significant constitutional, social and legal challenges.
Programme Information
The Master's programme in Human Rights Protection provides specialised postgraduate study in human rights, constitutional law and related areas.
This specialist pathway focuses particularly on Land Reform, the Fundamental Right of Access to Adequate Housing, and Constitutional Property Law.
Constitutional Property Law engages the property clause in section 25 of the Constitution, while the land-reform component considers the transformative dimensions of the same constitutional provision. The right of access to adequate housing is grounded in section 26.
The relationship between these constitutional provisions raises important questions about the regulation of property, land reform, housing, eviction, equality and the protection against arbitrary interference.
Advanced engagement with constitutional property protection, regulation, section 25 and the relationship between property rights and transformative constitutional objectives.
Land reform, access to adequate housing, eviction, marginalised communities and the regulation of scarce land and urban resources.
Methodological and theoretical approaches to land, housing, socio-economic rights and constitutional transformation.
Comparative engagement with jurisdictions including the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom.
The brochure presents a research-paper component together with International Protection of Human Rights Law and a basket of elective modules.
A core area of advanced study in international human-rights protection.
Specialist engagement with gender equality and women's rights.
Legal pluralism, culture and the interaction of different normative orders.
The legal protection and promotion of children's rights.
Family-law questions in international and comparative contexts.
Legal principles governing armed conflict and humanitarian protection.
Contemporary and emerging human-rights questions in the global context.
Specialist engagement with Islamic legal traditions and jurisprudence.
The protection and progressive realisation of socio-economic and cultural rights.
Property, section 25 and constitutional regulation.
Land reform, housing rights and related constitutional and administrative-law issues.
The specialisation is relevant to students from South Africa and abroad who are interested in public law, human rights and the progressive realisation of fundamental rights.
It is particularly relevant to those interested in the welfare state, sustainable development, land and housing rights, constitutional development and socio-economic rights.
The programme will also appeal to students interested in interdisciplinary questions involving sociology, history, political science and philosophical debates about human welfare and the role of the state.
The brochure states that applicants to the LLM/MPhil in Human Rights Protection should have completed undergraduate studies in law before enrolling.
Candidates with an honours degree in a relevant social-science discipline, such as political science or international relations, may also apply for admission.
Applicants must demonstrate proven ability to undertake advanced research.
Programme Actions & Enquiries
Use the links below for application, programme and postgraduate admission information.
Postgraduate enquiries
lawpostgradenq@uwc.ac.za / sviljoen@uwc.ac.za
