Our Team
Nurina Ally, Director
Nurina Ally is the Director of Centre for Law and Society and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Public Law. She is a specialist in constitutional and administrative law, and her research interests include movement lawyering, public interest litigation, socio-economic rights and children's rights. Prior to joining the Faculty's Department of Public Law, Nurina served as the Executive Director of the Equal Education Law Centre, a public interest law organisation based in Cape Town. Before this, Nurina practised as an associate and senior associate in the public law department of Webber Wentzel Attorneys. She has also served as a research clerk to Justice Cameron and Acting Justice Mhlantla of the Constitutional Court.
Nurina obtained her BA and LLB undergraduate degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand, where she graduated as the most distinguished scholar in law. She also holds a Masters degree in African Studies from the University of Edinburgh as well as a Masters of Studies degree in International Human Rights Law from Oxford University.
Diane Jefthas, Research Officer
Diane Jefthas is a Research Officer at the Centre for Law and Society. Diane holds Honours and Master’s degrees in Social Sciences (Criminology) from the University of Cape Town. At UCT, she has previously worked at the Centre for Criminology, and the Gender, Health and Justice Research Unit in the Faculty of Health Sciences, participating in a number of research projects, including empirical studies centred on sexual and gender-based violence. She has also consulted for the Western Cape Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. During her time at CLS, Diane has worked on projects investigating the "pathways" that rural citizens utilise to access justice; and student perceptions and experiences of law school. Her recent work includes book projects centred around the themes of insecurity, navigating violence, marginalisation, and alienation in higher education spaces. Diane has a particular interest in monitoring and learning, transformative pedagogies, and the use of non-traditional methodologies to generate new knowledge.
Jemima Thomas, Administrative Officer
CLS Administrative and Finance Officer. Jemima joined CLS in July 2013 responsible for the management of the Centre's budgets and timely reporting of financials to our funders.
Student Assistants
Jenna Maujean
Jenna completed her BComm in 2019 and an LLB in 2021, and is, in 2023, working towards completion of a Masters of Law, in Public Law, at UCT. After recently finishing her coursework, which included a semester exchange in the Netherlands, Jenna is currently finalising her dissertation based in Constitutional Law. Jenna’s research interests include international law, constitutional law, and environmental law, and she has a special interest in exploring how issues of law and society interact.
Anesu Musabayana
Anesu is currently a teaching assistant in the Department of Private Law at the University of Cape Town, where she tutors the Law of Succession, the Law of Persons and Family, and Systems and Context of South African Law. She holds an LLB from the University of Cape Town and is, in 2023, working towards completing her LLM by dissertation and coursework in Criminology, Law and Society, at UCT. Anesu has previous experience in archival and qualitative research methods, and is particularly interested in accessibility of information, and the interplay between law and society.
Selma Aytan
Educational background in Development Studies and Culture Change from Macquarie University and Human Rights Law from the University of Cape Town. Currently working as an asylum case officer for the Swedish Migration Agency and previously as Senior Resettlement and Integration Officer at UNHCR's Regional Representation for Northern Europe. I am passionate about refugee and asylum law and assisting people in need.
Kyla Damonse
Kyla Damonse is currently pursing an LLB at the University of Cape Town. She recently completed postgraduate degrees in economics. Her research interests included policy for agricultural development and deployment of renewable energy technologies. Her current interests include children’s rights and socio-economic policy.
Kyla recently completed postgraduate degrees in economics and is currently pursuing an LLB at the University of Cape Town. Kyla’s research interests include policy for agricultural development and deployment of renewable energy technologies, and her current areas of focus include children’s rights and socio-economic policy.