On the face of it, succulents are quiet, almost modest plants. But in South Africa, they have become the centre of a fast-growing illegal trade that is drawing global attention and demanding new legal responses.

It is not every day that legal research becomes the foundation for a work of speculative fiction. For Dr Annette Hübschle, the Faculty’s Global Risk Governance Project offered precisely that opportunity.

Working at the intersection of constitutional law, social justice and natural resources, Dr Hoitsimolimo Mutlokwa is the newest Postdoctoral Fellow working with Professor Hanri Mostert.

We chatted recently to Dr Sisanda Mguzulwa, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Faculty’s Centre for Criminology, about her work and her research focus for her Fellowship.

Simbarashe Gomwe, a UCT Class of 2020 LLB graduate (cum laude) and Klaus-Jürgen Bathe Scholar, is now a Structured Finance Associate at Linklaters in London and a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales.

The 2026 Public Law Conference takes place at UCT Law from 1 - 4 July, convened under the theme Public Law and the Future of Constitutional Democracy - marking a significant moment for public law scholarship locally and internationally.

The need to seek clarity about guiding principles for law reform, and to develop legal theory for its application, is what is needed to invigorate reform discussions of the international tax regime, said Professor Hattingh at his inaugural.

At just 19 years old, Jordan Klopper is already navigating a demanding dual path: pursuing a law degree at the University of Cape Town (UCT), while training relentlessly to represent South Africa in international canoe sprint competitions.

Cape Town will host a gathering of unusual urgency and significance, from 7 - 11 December. The 23rd Annual Colloquium of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Academy of Environmental Law (UCNAEL) takes place at UCT Law.

UCT Law Faculty was pleased to welcome Dr Mamadou Dian Balde on Thursday 12 March 2026 for a distinguished guest lecture hosted by the Faculty’s Refugee Rights Unit (RRU).

Some farewells close a chapter while reopening a book. A recent colloquium, co-organised by Professor Jaco Barnard-Naude (WP Schreiner Chair, UCT Law), was a clear example of such a form of farewell.

Professor Mohamed Paleker takes up office as the new Dean of Law at UCT. With a complete background in legal education at UCT Law, Paleker personifies the phrase “UCT Law through and through”.