University of Pretoria Faculty of Law

The proposal for a university for the capital, first mooted in the Volksraad in 1889, was interrupted by the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War in 1899. In 1902 after the signing of the Peace of Vereeniging, the Normal College for teacher training was established in Groenkloof, Pretoria and in 1904 the Transvaal Technical Institute, with emphasis on mining education, opened in Johannesburg. In 1906 the Transvaal Technical Institute changed its name to the Transvaal University College.[9] On 4 March 1908 when the Transvaal University College (TUC) transferred its arts and science courses to its newly established Pretoria Campus the precursor to the university was established, initially offering courses in languages, sciences, and law.[10][11]

Under the leadership and diligent commitment of its former and current leadership, students, staff and alumni, UP Law obtained a global 90^th placed ranking in 2020, 76^th in 2019 and 92nd in 2018,[12] making it the highest ranked Faculty of Law on the Africa continent.[13] A feat no other law faculty on the continent has come close to in the past number of years.

These global rankings demonstrate an ability to attract faculty and students from across the world. Consequently, this confirms the fact that UP Law possesses a strong international brand, as rankings establish a firm belief that the high standard of teaching and research predicates the quality of its research knowledge production and transfer. These claims are substantiated further by the record postgraduate output of the Faculty of Law which has conferred 179 masters’ and 35 doctoral graduates in 2017, followed by 173 master's and 27 doctoral graduates in 2018.[14]

UP Law functions under the leadership of Dean Professor Elsabe Schoeman,[15] the first woman to lead the Faculty since late 2019. Since August 2020, the Deputy Dean for Teaching and Learning is Professor Charles Maimela, the youngest and first black Deputy Dean at UP Law.[16]

Faculty of Law building

The University of Pretoria Old Arts building

At the undergraduate level, UP Law offers a four-year LLB degree[18]. However, the majority of our students first enrol for a BCom (Law) in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences or a BA (Law) degree, in the Faculty of Humanities[19].

UP Law aims to produce LLB graduates with the knowledge, critical thinking abilities, awareness of social and ethical responsibilities and the legal skills that are required to follow any of the established career paths in law. With this in mind, UP Law is progressively placing greater emphasis on an inquiry-led approach to teaching to improve the research and problem-solving skills of our students.

At the postgraduate level, UP Law offers extensive master’s programmes (LLM/MPhil)[20] (through either coursework or research) and a doctoral programme (LLD/PhD)[21].

UP Law prides itself as a leader on the Africa continent regarding inquiry-led approach teaching and hybrid learning.  

With this in mind, UP Law:

• Values and aims to develop and improve the research skills of our students.

• Hybrid learning is a feature of the teaching model.

• One of a few faculties in South Africa who prescribes a research component for final-year LLB-students.

• Equips students with knowledge, skills and perspectives with emphasis on socioeconomic and political issues locally and internationally

• Produces highly sought-after graduates who display leadership and critical thinking abilities and are aware of their social and ethical responsibilities.

• UP Law has top mooters (student participants in simulated court hearings) and host to a number of moot court competitions:
  • Law students of the UP Moot Society excel in local and international moot court competitions and our teams regularly achieve top honours at these events;
  • For instance, UP Law has had the best mooters on the African continent in 2018 and 5th in the world according to the 2018 Jessup ranking;
  • Students are trained by experienced former mooters, resulting in peer teaching and skills transfer;
  • The Centre for Human Rights hosts the following moots:
  • Annual African Human Rights Moot Court Competition - in 2021 it will host its 30th competition in Africa at the Stellenbosch University, South Africa;
  • The 12th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition, annually held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland.
  • The Centre for Child Law hosts the Annual National Child Law Moot Court Competition, currently in its 11th year; and

• The National Schools Moot Court Competition was initiated by UP Law and is organised and supported by the Department of Basic Education, Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, South African Human Rights Commission, and University of Pretoria Faculty of Law.

• Students are trained by experienced former mooters, resulting in peer teaching and skills transfer.

Centres, Units & Institutes in the faculty include the Centre for Advanced Corporate & Insolvency Law, Centre for Child Law, Centre for Human Rights, Centre for Intellectual Property Law, Centre for Medicine & Law, Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa and Sports Law Centre in Africa. The Centres, Units & Institutes have a research and academic purpose.

The Pretoria University Law Press (PULP), situated within the Faculty of Law, endeavours to publish and distribute advanced scholarly legal texts in English, Afrikaans, French, Arabic and Portuguese. "Pretoria University Law Press". University of Pretoria. PULP publishes a series of collections of legal documents related to African public law and legal text books from other African countries and is a member of the Publishers' association of South Africa.[25]

Law students participate in the following activities:

• The Constitutional Tribunal is the judicial body of student governance and adjudicates disputes primarily between student organisations and its judge's sit on the panel of student disciplinary hearings.
• The Pretoria Student Law Review (PSLR), published by PULP, is student driven and administered initiative providing an interactive student platform for to discuss topical legal matters.[26]
• Law House provides a platform for social engagement, community outreach and student engagement with the faculty.
• Several internal and external moot court competitions through the Moot and Debating Society.
• Educating Prisoners About Human Rights (EPHAR) which engages unsentenced offenders to inform them about their fundamental human rights and responsibilities.
• The Language Centre which assist other students in the development of their language skills under the guidance of admitted attorneys.
• The Student Disciplinary Advisory Panel (SDAP) may give advice to students appearing in front of student disciplinary hearings regarding the nature of the procedure of student disciplinary hearings.

Well known alumni include:[27]

• South African National Schools Moot Court Competition
• African Human Rights Moot Court Competition
• World Human Rights Moot Court Competition
• African Human Rights Law Journal
• African Human Rights Law Reports