The University of the Western Cape (UWC) Faculty of Law is ranked among the top 10 law faculties in the country. Its alumni occupy distinguished positions in the legal profession and the judiciary - including Judge Steven Majiedt, a Justice of the Constitutional Court. 

In October 2022, he presented the Dean's Distinguished Lecture. 

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic Professor Vivienne Lawack welcomed guests and reminded them of a quote from Justice Majiedt (pictured) where he said: “UWC taught me the fundamental values of humaneness, equality and respect for all people. It inculcated in me the mindset of justice for all and of standing up for the rights of the most downtrodden and marginalised.”

“My UWC experiences, particularly politically, were the foundation for my later involvement in a multitude of human rights and public interest cases as a lawyer during the turbulent mid-1980s to early 1990s. I've strived to let this paradigm infuse my work as a judge - To render justice fairly and equally to all, regardless of one’s station in life.”

The inaugural Dean's Distinguished Lecture was in 2015, and presented by former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke.

In presenting the keynote address, Justice Majiedt commented: “It is often said that law is but a means to achieve justice. And this then begs the question, how has the Constitutional Court fared in the respect of the enforcement of socio-economic rights?”

He added: “I propose in this lecture first outlining the historical perspective. I will then wade into the challenging debate concerning minimum core obligations. Briefly deal with a few selected cases from the Constitutional Court. And then conclude with my views on the question.”

Justice Majiedt said this was a debate that was close to his heart.

He quipped: “I chose this challenging topic myself. It lends new meaning to the phrase “volenti non fit injuria.” He added: “But I must emphasise that I think this is particularly important, that this is to be the introduction to a more comprehensive debate about this very important issue.”

In outlining his perspective, Justice Majiedt said: “Perhaps we need to remind ourselves again of the place of socio-economic rights or, as they are often referred to, second generation rights; juxtaposed against civil and political rights, which we often call first generation rights.”
 

He added: “Now in my view, despite this numerical categorisation, there’s hardly any difference between these rights. There does appear to be some reticence to accord socio-economic rights their proper status within the human rights discourse.

“The central question, as far as I'm concerned in the inquiry, ought to be, what is the nature of the obligation created by the different rights? Both of these sets of rights trigger concomitant obligations. A primary duty to respect, a secondary right to protect, and a tertiary duty to fulfil,” said Justice Majiedt.

He encouraged everyone to continue the debate which he started in the lecture: “I hope to facilitate panel discussions and debates with the leave of my boss, the Dean. By retired Constitutional Court justices… and academics on this topic in the forthcoming months here at UWC. Colloquially speaking, I am merely getting the ball rolling.”

You can watch the the Dean's Distinguished Lecture 2022 here: