Faculty of Law - in a nutshell ....
Prof PH O'Brien, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Johannesburg, had the honour of hosting the Annual Prestige Evening of the Faculty of Law on Monday 14 May 2012. Various prizes, awards and bursaries were awarded to our top students.
Dr Marlene Wethmar-Lemmer obtained the LLD degree at the University of Johannesburg during 2010 with a dissertation entitled "The Vienna Sales Convention and Private International Law", completed under guidance of Prof J L Neels. She was recently awarded the UNISA Research and Innovation Award as youngest UNISA staff member doctoral graduate for 2011.
UJ Faculty of Law awarded NRF Chair
The National Research Foundation (NRF) received 406 applications from 22 universities, in respect of the 2011/2012 SARChI Call. Following various panel meetings, 275 applications were recommended for further consideration. A total of 60 Research Chairs were selected for awarding by the Adjudication Committee of which one was awarded to the Faculty of Law of the University of Johannesburg in the area of International Law.
UJ Faculty of Law Professor first to publish in new journal
The first article published on LitNet Akademies (Regte) was written by Prof JM Otto from the Department of Private Law, University of Johannesburg. LitNet Akademies is the journal of the well-known LitNet website and is fully accredited with the SA Department of Education. Professor Otto's article, entitled "Die afkoelreg in die Nasionale Kredietwet en die Wet op Verbruikersbeskerming", is the first ever legal article of this journal which is edited by Professor Johann Neethling. The journal will be similar to traditional law journals in that it only accepts original research of the highest quality but is unique in that it only accepts Afrikaans contributions, is paperless and will be freely available for all visitors to the website. Read the article here.
UJ Faculty of Law alumnus elected as ITLOS Vice President
Judge Albert J. Hoffman has been elected as the Vice President for the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) to serve a three year term of office. The Tribunal settles disputes arising from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Judge Hoffman holds three law degrees from the Faculty of Law of the University of Johannesburg (formerly the Rand Afrikaans University) – B. Proc,(1979), LL.B, (1982) and LL.M (cum laude (1987)).
UJ Faculty of Law alumnus named as one of the Californian Lawyer Attorneys of the year
Mr. Dion Bregman who graduated with an LLB degree from the Faculty of Law of the University of Johannesburg (formerly the Rand Afrikaans University) in 1998, was recently named as one of the Californian Lawyer Attorneys of the year. Mr Bregman is a specialist in Intellectual Property Law. He is admitted to practice in California and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. For more details on this story, go to www.morganlewis.com or www.callawyer.com.
UJ Faculty of Law welcomes LLM students
The UJ Faculty of Law welcomed some of their new LLM students on Wednesday 1 February. The Faculty offers 6 specialised Master of Laws by coursework this year (LLM in Banking Law, Commercial Law, Corporate Law, Human Rights, International Commercial Law, International Law, and Labour Law).
UJ Faculty of Law LLM students 2012
UJ Faculty of Law concludes cooperation agreement with National Law University, Jodhpur
The Faculty of Law has concluded a cooperation agreement with the National Law University, Jodhpur, in India. The agreement makes provision for cooperation for the purposes of research and for the exchange of staff and students on the LLM and LLD level.
Annual Law Ball 2011
On 22 October 2011 the UJ Faculty of Law together with the UJ Law Students’ Council hosted the Annual Law Ball 2011 at the Killarney Country Club in Johannesburg. A wonderful time was had by all. The guest speaker for the evening was Adv. Cassim SC from the Johannesburg Bar, who spoke to the students about the responsibilities that come with being a legal professional and the opportunities and challenges that face them as young professionals.
Adv Cassim
SC from the Johannesburg Bar
Celebrating Diversity Day at the UJ Faculty of Law
The Faculty of Law held its Diversity Week celebration on Friday, 23 September 2011. This was a sequel to a successful diversity day festivity that was held during the University’s Diversity Week last year. Over 30 colleagues, dressed mostly in traditional regalia and national rugby team (Springbok) paraphernalia, attended the event. The Executive Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof Patrick O’Brien, welcomed the colleagues. The activities of the day included sampling a variety of traditional cuisines that colleagues brought to the celebration. These included curries, chicken biryani, mala le mogodu (tripe) served with samp, dombolo (steam bread), boerewors, biltong, droëwors, melktert and koeksisters. In addition, there were games such as the “egg-and-spoon race” that were played as well as several lucky draws, where colleagues walked away with a variety of UJ-branded prizes.
Ms P Sansunder and Mr SC Heleba
Constitutional Hill Debating Tournament Final Held at Constitution Hill on Weekend of 15-16 October 2011
The grand finale of the Constitution Hill Debating Tournament took place at the Womens’ Jail on Constitution Hill this past weekend. The competition, which brought together a total of 24 schools from Thembisa, Soweto and the Johannesburg CBD, was centered around topics based on the various rights in the Bill of Rights. The tournament sought in particular to train learners in the skills of debating where there had not previously been an existing tradition of debating. As Professor David Bilchitz, Director of SAIFAC ( a centre of the University of Johannesburg), one of the organizers, stated: “the team putting together this tournament believes that debating is a wonderful way to learn about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It does not involve simply passive learning off by heart; rather it requires learners to engage actively with the rights and to see what they mean in practice.”
The participants were also given debating workshops by experienced debaters from the Gauteng Debating League (who helped run the tournament) and a workshop on the Bill of Rights by the law clerks of the Constitutional Court (who were also partners in organizing the tournament. The learners were also given a historical tour of Constitution Hill, organised by the Constitution Hill Development Company and Blue IQ. The Claude Leon Foundation, University of Johannesburg and Constitution Hill Trust provided funding to enable the competition to take place. The winning school of the debating series was Bophelo Impilo High School from Mayfair and the runner up being Fons Luminis School in Soweto. These schools each received book vouchers to assist them in developing their libraries.
The winning team Bophelo Impilo High School together with the runners-up, Fons Luminis High School
First-Year Law Students Participate in Moot Court Competition
The 8th annual Kovsies (University of the Free State) First-Year Moot Court Competition was held at the Bloemfontein High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal on 7 and 8 October 2011. This competition is intended to challenge students in legal writing, legal research and oratory skills by creating a mock trial scenario. Students were provided with an eccentrically fabricated set of facts that were drafted by the organisers. Students prepared their legal research and court documents in advance and were provided the opportunity to argue their case against their peers in front of sitting judges and advocates from the Bloemfontein High Court who acted as presiding officers and scored the participants based on their oratory skills and the quality of their legal research and court documents. 19 teams from various universities from all over South Africa and even a team from Charlotte Law School in the USA competed in this year’s competition.
The Faculty of Law at the University of Johannesburg sent three teams to the competition: two English teams and one Afrikaans team. These teams were ably assisted and prepared in the finer details of oratory skills by lecturers and tutors from the Faculty of Law who also accompanied the students to Bloemfontein. Although the English teams were well prepared and gave a very good account of their capabilities during their oral arguments, they were unable to reach the final rounds of the competition. However, the Afrikaans team was exceptional and won all the prizes in their category: Best Afrikaans Team, Best Afrikaans Heads of Argument and Miss Sonnekus received the prize for Best Afrikaans Speaker.
Appointment of Judge JW Louw
Recently Adv JW Louw SC was appointed to the bench of the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria by the President of the Republic of South Africa. Judge Louw was involved for many years with the Faculty of Law at the former Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit (R.A.U.) and is currently still a valued alumni and friend of the UJ Faculty of Law. Judge Louw’s studies at, and involvement with, the former RAU began with the commencement of his LLB degree. He was the first student to complete this degree at our Faculty. Whilst reading for his LLB, Judge Louw was appointed as the first chairman of the Student Representative Council, and was re-elected by his peers the following year. He was appointed as a Senior Lecturer of the Faculty of Law in 1971, which position he held on a full-time basis until 1975, lecturing in company law, intellectual property law, private law and the law of insolvency. Whilst practising as an attorney and partner of a law firm in Roodepoort, Judge Louw continued to lecture to students of the Faculty on a part-time basis until 1977.
Judge Louw took silk in 1989, having joined the bar in 1978. During his time as an advocate at the Pretoria Bar, he served as a member of the Bar Council at various points between 1986 and 2000. He was also a representative of the Pretoria Bar on the General Council of the Bar. His areas of expertise include intellectual property, commercial and administrative law. Judge Louw is no stranger to the bench, having acted as a judge on numerous occasions in which he heard civil trials and motions, sat in urgent court and presided over criminal appeals.
The Faculty of Law wishes to congratulate Judge Louw with his appointment, which appointment will certainly benefit the judiciary and greater society.
Judge JW Louw
Opening of the UJ Soweto Law Clinic
Professor Patrick O’Brien, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Johannesburg, hosted the opening function of the Soweto Law Clinic on 12 May 2011. Speakers included the Vice Chancellor of UJ, Professor Ihron Rensburg and Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Judge Dikgang Moseneke. The latter honoured us by unveiling the official plaque. The formal proceedings took place at the new Law Clinic, UJ Soweto Campus.
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UJ Soweto Law Clinic