University of Fort Hare Faculty Of Law Courses offered
Courses offered
- MERCANTILE LAW
The term ‘mercantile law’ is generally used to refer to the broad field of law covering the rules, processes and institutions specifically intended for the regulation of transactions or activities that are economic or profit-driven in their nature or underlying motivation. Precisely because of that nature, these transactions or activities, inter alias, pose unique risks/dangers to the parties and the public interest, hence the need for appropriate and effective legal rules. As a term, ‘mercantile law’ is often used interchangeably with ‘commercial law’, ‘business law’, and even ‘entrepreneurial law’.
The law subjects or modules falling within the field (and therefore under the Department’s responsibility) are: Law of Business Entities; Company Law; Competition Law; Law of Insolvency; Labour Law; Law of Instruments of Payment; Insurance Law; Securities Regulation; Consumer Law; Law of Intellectual Property; International Trade Law; Tax Law; and Commercial Law for non-law degree students. The Department also offers opportunities for postgraduate students to pursue master’s or doctoral studies (by research) on topics falling within any of the above mentioned subject areas.
- PRIVATE LAW
A large of modules that deal with the regulation of relationships between private persons as well as between person in relation to legal objects fall under the Department of Private Law. These are offered at every level of the LLB curriculum. They include Introduction to Law, Law of Persons and Family Law. These are followed by the Law of Contract and Customary at the second year, which are in turn followed by the Law of Delict, the Law of Property and the Law of Succession and Administration of Estates in the penultimate year. In the final year the Faculty offers electives in Medical Jurisprudence, Media Law in addition to Jurisprudence. Other electives such as Private International Law may also be offered.
Students studying towards the LLM and LLD research degrees can also work on topics that fall under various private law areas and are supervised by members of staff in the Department.
- ADJECTIVAL LAW
Welcome to the adjectival law department in the Nelson Mandela School of Law, University of Fort Hare.
The focus of this department is to teach the adjectival courses such as civil procedure; criminal procedure as well as law of evidence, among others. These modules are designed to introduce our students to the rules and procedures the courts and all litigants are obliged to abide by when conducting all kinds of litigation. Further, the modules are also aimed at bringing to the attention of our students’ important litigation ethics.
Other courses offered by the department are:
- Legal Research and Writing
- Legal Profession
- Legal Skills
- Numeracy Skills
- Professional Skills and Ethics
- Advanced Legal Writing
In complementing our Faculty’s rich post-graduate initiatives, our department has the capacity and opportunities for postgraduate students to undertake research towards LLM as well as LLD degrees in various areas of Adjectival Law. Potential LLM and LLD students are therefore encouraged to find out more on this from the faculty administration headed by our Faculty Manager.
- PUBLIC LAW
The Department of Public Law focuses on the administration and delivery of modules that are traditionally associated with public law in that they involve, inter alias, the regulation of relationships between persons and the state, between organs of the state, spheres of government as well as aspects of Public International law.
Modules that fall under the Department of Public Law start in the second year of the LLB with Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and Criminal Law. These are followed in the final year by Public International Law, Human Rights Law and Social Security Law. In addition the Faculty offers electives that fall under this Department which include Advanced Constitutional law, Advanced Administrative Law and Local Government law.
In addition the multidisciplinary Diploma in Local Government law and Administrative that comprises Law, Public Administration and Development Studies modules is located under the Department. Sort courses ancillary to this qualification also fall under this Department.
Further the Faculty offers opportunities for postgraduate students to undertake research towards LLM as well as LLD degrees in various areas of Public Law. The MPhil (Human Rights) which is offered by the OR Tambo Chair for Human Rights also deals with Public Law.