About University Of The Western Cape Faculty Of Law
The UWC Faculty of Law graduates leading lawyers, judges and seniors in government and business. The LLB core degree, that includes developing practical skills, gives graduates entrance to all branches of the legal profession. The faculty is served by a nationally acclaimed Legal Aid Clinic, and the Community Law Centre established in 1990 serves national and international priority areas in policy development and research through its research excellence.
The Faculty of Law helped to shape the foundations of a democratic South Africa, with the prospect of a society based on justice and equality being refined within its lecture halls. Human rights – including areas of specialisation such as gender rights, disability, socioeconomic rights and children’s rights – provide anchor areas of high-quality in research and are offered at postgraduate level in LLM and LLD studies. The faculty’s postgraduate areas of specialisation also include international trade law, labour law, constitutional litigation and transnational criminal law.
A combined BCom (Law) is offered in conjunction with the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, bringing together pertinent areas of commercial and legal expertise to equip graduates comprehensively. A one-year Certificate in Forensic Examination is also offered.
The faculty has earned respect nationally and internationally for the rigorous legal education it offers while embracing a commitment to constitutionalism.
The Law Faculty’s mission is to offer quality legal training and conduct legal research of excellence and high social relevance.
To this end the Faculty aims to:
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be the first choice South African law faculty for prospective undergraduate and postgraduate students by offering a relevant and innovative legal education steeped in a culture of human rights and constitutionalism;
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make a quality legal education available to students from disadvantaged communities;
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provide an excellent all round student experience, through access to outreach activities, student societies, mentoring and support;
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foster a culture of academic discipline and excellence amongst students in order to establish itself as a leading research faculty;
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engender co-operation with regional and international academic and research partners –
Our Ethos
The UWC Law Faculty has a long tradition of breaking barriers and constraints while striving for justice and equality. The Faculty remains infused with a sense of community duty and public spirit: its various centres and projects focus on enhancing the wellbeing of all people in South Africa and Africa through innovation and engagement.