About us

The Department of Public Law and Jurisprudence prides itself on the extensive variety of courses it offers, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, as well as its strong record of high quality research. In addition to the courses that are traditionally regarded as public law and jurisprudence courses (i.e. human rights law, public international law, constitutional law, jurisprudence, administrative law as well as legal interpretation), the department presents a diverse menu of elective courses at undergraduate level, including, among others advanced public law, environmental law, gender law, and the South African Bill of Rights.

The list of postgraduate courses that the department offers is equally diverse. Students can choose to do any of the courses offered by the department (such as advanced environmental law,
international environmental law, international protection of human rights, international humanitarian law, children’s rights, gender equality and women’s rights, as well as international humanitarian law) or they can enrol for any of the specialised coursework LLM and MPhil degrees, including, among others: 

• Constitutional theory and design  
• Environmental law.

Research excellence is a central objective of the department. Members frequently publish articles in peer-reviewed journals, produce academic monographs, and present papers at international conferences. Members are also often invited to speak at university seminars and serve at academic institutions beyond the university. Fields of research expertise include international humanitarian law, the rights of the child, constitutional theory, environmental law, disability law, religion and the state, and constitutional design. The department hosts a number of NRF-rated scholars, whom include internationally acclaimed scholars. The department is furthermore home to a large number of doctoral students.

In addition to pursuing teaching and research excellence, members of the department serve as editors and/or members of editorial boards of a range of South African and international journals. They also sit on the boards of NGOs, government bodies, and specialist organisations. This enables staff members to gain practical knowledge of civil society and to ensure that their research is relevant in practice. The department moreover collaborates with international partners and is proud to regularly house international scholars that are well established in their respective areas of expertise.