Bio

Dr Fatima Osman (Associate Professor in Private Law) is an NRF-rated researcher who teaches African Customary Law and Advanced Studies in African Customary Law.

Research & Teaching

Her research interests include customary law, succession and legal pluralism.

Publications

 

For an updated list of publications see Fatima Osman

 

F Osman ‘The Proprietary Consequences of Customary Marriages: Challenges in the New Regime (s)?’ 2024 Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal 1-29. 

 F Osman ‘Custom Versus Customary Law: Does South African Jurisprudence Draw the Distinction?’ 2024 Journal of African Law 1-17. 

 F Osman and S de Souza ‘Custom (Customary law)’ 2023 Max Planck Encyclopedia of Comparative Constitutional Law 1-19. 

 F Osman ‘The Reform of customary law of succession in contemporary South Africa’ 2023 Acta Juridica 186-213.

F Osman ‘Mshengu v Estate Late Mshengu 9223/2016P: Considering the ownership of house property in customary law’ 56(1) 2023 De Jure 13-24.

F Osman and M Baase ‘The recognition of same-sex customary marriages under South African customary law’ (38) 2022 South African Journal of Human Rights 1-23.

F Osman and G Effendi "King v De Jager: Implications for Religion Based Discrimination in Wills" PER / PELJ 2022 (25)

F Osman ‘Splitting hairs: Bwanya v the Master’ 2021 138(3) SALJ 521-534.

F Osman ‘Comment on the Single Marriage Statute: Implications for Customary Marriages, Polygynous Marriages and Life Partnerships’ 2021(24) PELJ.

F Osman ‘The omission of the opt out clause: The revised and improved Traditional Courts Bill 2017’ 2020 (2) South African Crime Quarterly 69-79.

F Osman ‘Family Formations in Contemporary South Africa: Does South African Marriage Law Protect Lived Realities?’ 2020 (34) International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family 272-288.

F Osman ‘The Recognition of Customary Marriages Amendment Bill: Much ado about nothing’ 2020 137(3) South African Law Journal 389-407.

F Osman ‘Precedent, waiver and the constitutional analysis of handing over the bride [discussion of Sengadi v Tsambo 2018 JDR 2151 (GJ)]’ 2020 31(1) Stellenbosch Law Review 80-90.

F Osman ‘The consequences of the statutory regulation of customary law: An examination of the South African customary law of succession and marriage’ 2019 (22) PELJ 1-24.

F Osman ‘The million rand question: Does a civil marriage automatically dissolve the parties’ customary marriage?’ 2019 (22) PELJ 1-25.

Fatima Osman ‘The ascertainment of living customary law: an analysis of the South African Constitutional Court’s jurisprudence’ 2019 Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unofficial Law 1-16.

F Osman and J Wilke ‘Dress Codes in Schools: A Tale of Headscarves and Hairstyles’ 2018 39(3) Obiter 585-601.

F Osman, ‘Third time a charm? The Traditional Courts Bill 2017’ South African Crime Quarterly June 2018 (64) 45-53.

F Osman and C Himonga ‘The constitutionality of s 7(1) of the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act: Ramhovhi v President of the Republic of South Africa’ 2017 49 (2) The Journal of Legal Pluralism 166-182.

F Osman ‘Ascertainment of customary law: case note on MM v MN’ (2017) 31/1 SAPL 240-246.

F Osman ‘Legislative prohibitions on wearing a headscarf: Are they justified?’ 2014 (17)4 Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal 1323.

 

Book Chapters

Behari-Leak, K., Buchanan, H., Flieringa, H., Osman, F., Peters, L., Sonday, A., & Uys, W. F. (2024). Un-disciplining ourselves through an academic professional learning curriculum innovation: Towards social activism in scholarly writing and teaching. In D. de Klerk, G. Krull, T. Maleswena, & F. MacAlister (Eds.), Reimagining South African Higher Education: Towards a Student-Centred Learning and Teaching Future. (pp. 212-228). African Sun Media. https://doi.org/10.52779/9781991260468/12. 

F Osman “The communal nature of the South African customary law of succession: Developments in the 21st century” in A. Diala and C. Rautenbach (eds.) Reimagining Legal Pluralism in Africa: Balancing Indigenous, State, and Religious Laws 

F Osman ‘Negotiation of inheritance rights by widows: A case study in rural South Africa’ in E Moore Generation, Power and Custom in Families (2022, Routledge). 

F Osman and C Himonga ‘The nature and concept of customary law’ in C Himonga and T Nhlapo in African customary law in South Africa: post apartheid and living law perspectives (2023, OUP) 49-65. 

F Osman and IP Maithufi ‘The customary law of succession’ in C Himonga and T Nhlapo in African customary law in South Africa: post apartheid and living law perspectives (2023, OUP) 245-277. 

F Osman and R Denson ‘Religious marriages’ in A Barratt (ed) Law of Persons and the Family 3ed (2023, Maskew Miller Learning).

F Osman and A Barratt ‘Customary marriages’ in A Barratt (ed) Law of Persons and the Family 3ed (2023, Maskew Miller Learning).

C Rautenbach and F Osman ‘Law of succession and inheritance’ in C Rautenbach Introduction to Legal Pluralism in South Africa (3rd ed) (2022, LexisNexis South Africa).

F Osman ‘Negotiation of inheritance rights by widows: A case study in rural South Africa’ in E Moore Generation, Power and Custom in Families (2022, Routledge).

D Chirwa and F Osman ‘Taming the "Uncivilized" ?: Constitutional and Other Complexities of Banning the Burkini and Other Muslim Dress in Africa’ in Regueiro et al Cultural Anthropology of Clothing: Perspectives on the Burkini (2018, Dykinson).

F Osman and A Barratt ‘Customary marriages’ in A Barratt (ed) Law of Persons and the Family 2ed (2017, Pearson South Africa).

Book notices

F Osman Book review Law of Succession by MJ de Waal and MC Schoeman-Malan (2015) SALJ 2016 133(4) 933.

F Osman Book review Deceased Estates by W Abrie and B de Clercq et al (2015) SALJ 2016 133(4) 931.