Wits School of Law

31/08/2026

Today is the final day to apply to run the delict and labour law units at the Wits Law Clinic.

Find the full requirements and guide to applications here: https://www.wits.ac.za/vacancies/

The School of Law is recruiting!

We are currently looking for two attorneys to lead the delict and labour law units at the Wits Law Clinic.

Find the full requirements and apply here: https://www.wits.ac.za/vacancies/

Applications close 31 August 2026

31/08/2026

The annual Public Interest Law Gathering brings together representatives from public interest organisations along with academics and students to discuss pressing issues in human rights in South Africa. Save the date for this year's edition on 26 and 27 October at Wits University.

SAVE THE DATE: Join public interest organisations, lawyers, and activists from across South Africa at Wits University in Johannesburg on 26 and 27 October 2026 for two days of reflection, debate, and collaboration on the issues shaping our democracy.

Expect bold conversations, challenging perspectives, and an exciting line-up of topics that interrogate the state of justice in South Africa and beyond.

31/08/2026

Prof Bonita Meyersfeld is appearing today in the Constitutional Court for a matter on extraterritoriality.

Prof Meyersfeld teaches, researches and practices in international law and business and human rights.

Watch live: https://www.youtube.com/live/DOPjMN7Sn3s?si=8yG9CQlizt0mVK1I

30/08/2026

💡 DID YOU KNOW?

Wits University is ranked the No. 1 university in Africa in the 2026 Center for World University Rankings (CWUR). 💙🏛️

Read more: https://ow.ly/XFKT50Z60uC

30/08/2026

🎓 Wits University PhD & LLM Bursaries 2027 – Up to R200,000 for African Law Researchers

The SARChI Chair in Equality, Law and Social Justice at the University of the Witwatersrand is inviting applications for PhD and LLM by Research bursaries beginning in 2027.

💰 Funding: Up to approximately R200,000 for PhD candidates and R190,000 for LLM candidates under the applicable NRF funding criteria.

📚 Research: Explore equality, women’s land rights, housing, economic and social rights, vulnerable groups or the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

🌍 Eligibility: Open to eligible South African candidates and applicants from other African countries.

🎓 Study: Full-time postgraduate research at Wits School of Law under the Chair or associated supervisors.

📅 Deadline: 30 September 2026.

🔗 Learn More: https://wp.me/p23f03-nzc

💡 Pro Tip: Use your one-to-two-page proposal to identify one very specific legal research problem and show exactly how it fits one of the Chair’s five priority research areas.

📌 Save this post | Share | Tag an African law researcher who should apply

28/08/2026

OPINION: Should governments rely on AI and automated systems to decide who qualifies for a social grant?

Wits Visiting Research Fellow Mark Richard Gaffley examines a South African court case that raises important questions about digital decision-making, constitutional rights and the risk of excluding vulnerable people from essential public services.

Read More: https://ow.ly/XOez50ZFXUF

26/08/2026

Reminder: The Mandela Institute is hosting a masterclass on procurement litigation led by experienced practitioners. This is an interactive course that provides a unique platform for participants to engage directly with leading procurement law experts and explore the practical challenges that arise in procurement disputes.

Register now: https://bit.ly/4558Gwc

The Mandela Institute presents an upcoming masterclass bringing together legal practitioners to explore the challenges shaping procurement disputes in South Africa

📅 16 September 2026
🕔 9:00 – 16:00
📍 Wits West Campus

Register: https://bit.ly/4558Gwc

24/08/2026

🎓 Wits University Fully Funded PhD & LLM Research Bursaries 2027 🇿🇦

The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) in Johannesburg, South Africa, is inviting applications for NRF-funded LLM by Research and PhD bursaries under the South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Equality, Law and Social Justice.

🔹 Study Level: LLM by Research & PhD
🔹 Field: Law, Equality, Human Rights & Social Justice
🔹 Funding: NRF-funded bursary
🔹 Study Mode: Full-time
🔹 Eligibility: South African & other African nationals
🔹 Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
🔹 Start Year: 2027
📅 Deadline: 30 September 2026

This is an excellent opportunity for African researchers passionate about human rights, equality, social justice and law to pursue advanced research at one of South Africa’s leading universities.

,🔗Apply: https://www.globalsouthopportunities.com/2026/08/22/wits-3/

👉 Apply before 30 September 2026 and take the next step toward an advanced research career in law and social justice.

24/08/2026

Reminder: We are looking for two attorneys to run the delict and labour law units at the Wits Law Clinic.

Find the full requirements and how to apply: https://www.wits.ac.za/vacancies/

The School of Law is recruiting!

We are currently looking for two attorneys to lead the delict and labour law units at the Wits Law Clinic.

Find the full requirements and apply here: https://www.wits.ac.za/vacancies/

Applications close 31 August 2026

24/08/2026

Yesterday marked the 90th birthday of Prof John Dugard, one of South Africa’s most distinguished legal scholars and a towering figure in the fields of human rights and international law. Prof Dugard served as founding director of the Centre for Applied Legal Studies and professor in the School of Law until the 1990s.

For decades, Prof Dugard has demonstrated the extraordinary potential of law to confront injustice. During apartheid, his scholarship provided a powerful critique of the legal architecture of racial oppression, while his work and teaching helped shape generations of lawyers committed to using the law in pursuit of justice and equality.

His contribution has extended far beyond South Africa. As a scholar, advocate and international jurist, Prof Dugard has made an indelible contribution to international law and human rights. His work with the United Nations, the International Law Commission and the International Court of Justice has helped shape the development and application of international law around the world.

Prof Dugard also holds a special place in the history of CALS and Wits University. His commitment to combining rigorous legal scholarship with advocacy for social justice helped establish a tradition of engaged legal practice at Wits – a tradition that continues to inform our work today.

At 90, his career remains a powerful reminder that the law is never simply an academic exercise. It can be a means of challenging power, defending human dignity and imagining a more just world.

We wish Prof John Dugard a very happy 90th birthday and thank him for an extraordinary lifetime of scholarship, courage and commitment to justice.