Choosing Your Topic 

When choosing your topic keep the following important key considerations in mind:

  • Does the substantive area you wish to research relate to the content covered in one/more of your courses and your chosen specialisation (if relevant)?
  • Is the proposed area of research contemporary and novel?
  • Is there sufficient and relevant academic resources on which you can draw to found your analysis?
  • Is the scope and ambit of you proposed topic viable within the allotted word count - 25 000 words in the case of LLM/MPhil students doing a mini-dissertation along with coursework.

Choosing your Supervisor

Students are encouraged to approach a member of staff or programme convenor and propose an outline for their minor dissertation. The proposal should ideally contain the following aspects: the title; an abstract (of 400 words); the main research question and sub-questions to be addressed in the dissertation; the structure of the dissertation (with a brief description of the type of content to be included under each heading and subheading); and a provisional reading list. If the proposal is acceptable to the prospective supervisor, the student must arrange with that member of the Faculty staff to act as their supervisor.

When choosing a prospective supervisor keep the following important considerations in mind:

  • Is the prospective supervisor academically competent in your anticipated area of research?
  • Do you feel that the prospective supervisor will represent your interests and meet your expectations?
  • Do you feel freely able to communicate with your prospective supervisor?

Registering your Topic and Supervisor

The formal appointment of your supervisor and registration of your topic is done by way of completing a Memorandum of Understanding and lodging it with the SALS Administrator (Law Faculty Office, Rm 4.48, Kramer Law Building). This Memorandum of Understanding should set out: the respective responsibilities and expectations of both supervisor and student; and the deadline for submission of the dissertation/or parts of it for comment and examination. An example of such a Memorandum, which must be signed by both you and your prospective supervisor, is attached to the Guidelines For Minor Dissertation/Research Papers. This process must be completed at the point of registration. Any subsequent change of supervisor must be similarly registered.The list of supervisors available for 2022, along with their areas of specialisation is below:

 

Title

Name

Contact details

Areas of Supervision

 

Ms

Ally, N

nurina.ally@uct.ac.za

Public interest litigation, right to education, children’s rights, administrative law

 

Prof

Amien, W

Waheeda.Amien@uct.ac.za

Rm 5.41, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 5885

Family Law and Human Rights, Religion, Gender and Women’s Rights, Muslim Family Law, Legal Pluralism, International Human Rights Law.

 

Prof

Barnard-Naude, J

Aj.barnard-naude@uct.ac.za

Transitional Justice, Critical Legal Theory, Jurisprudence, Fairness in Contract Law, Queer Legal Theory, Law and Sexuality, Spatial Justice, Law & Literature

 

A/Prof

Barratt, A

amanda.barratt@uct.ac.za

Rm 4.30, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 3083

Women and Law, and Feminist Jurisprudence Family Law Children's Law International Human Rights Law, particularly that based on the ICESCR (economic, social, and cultural rights) or the Women's Convention.

 

Ms

Baase, M

mathabo.baase@uct.ac.za

Rm 4.15, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 7039

Child Law; Customary Law; South African Legal History 

 

Dr

Boonzaier, L

leo.boonzaier@uct.ac.za

Rm 4.31, Kramer Law Building

Delict; Private Law Theory; General Jurisprudence; Constitutional Theory

 

A/Prof

Bradfield, G

graham.bradfield@uct.ac.za

Rm 5.01, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 2676

Admiralty jurisdiction; Shipping law; International Law of the Sea; Contract law, including specific or applied contracts; International payments and guarantees; Insolvency; Secured Transactions, and Insurance law.

 

 

Ms

Carels, M

Monique.Carels@uct.ac.za 

Rm 5.06, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 3066

Alternative Dispute Resolution, Mediation and Negotiation

 

Prof

Chirwa, D

Danwood.Chirwa@uct.ac.za

International Human Rights; the Rights of the Child; Domestic implementation of Human Rights; Administrative Law; Social and Economic Rights

 

Emeritus Prof

Corder, H

Hugh.Corder@uct.ac.za

Rm 5.42, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 3085

Administrative Law; the Judicial Process

tbc

Ms

Cupido, R

robin.cupido@uct.ac.za

Rm 4.19, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 1750

Contract Law, Private International Law

 

Prof

De Vos, P

Claude Leon Foundation Chair in Constitutional Governance

Pierre.Devos@uct.ac.za

Rm 5.37, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 3079

Constitutional Law; Current issues in Constitutional Law; Governing under the Constitution; Human Rights Law

 

 

Prof

Khan, F

Fatima.Khan@uct.ac.za

Rm3.07, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 5632

Refugee Rights

 

Ms

Kohn, L

Lm.Kohn@uct.ac.za

Rm 5.39, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 5692

Constitutional Law; Administrative Law

 

Prof

Le Roux, R

rochelle.leroux@uct.ac.za

Rm 6.22, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 5661

Labour law

 

Ms

Lutchman, S

Salona.Lutchman@uct.ac.za

Rm 5.38, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 5654

International Law; Human Rights; Evidence; Children’s rights

 

A/Prof

Moult, K

Kelley.Moult@uct.ac.za

Rm 6.35.1, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 2185

Law and society, criminal justice policy implementation, women and the law, violence against women, empirical research methods

 

Dr

Mosaka, T

Tshepo.mosaka@uct.ac.za

Evidence, Criminal Jurisprudence, Decolonial studies, Criminal Law, Legal theory, Procedural law, Criminal Justice.

 

Dr

Maphiri, MC

mikovhe.maphiri@uct.ac.za

Rm 5.23, Kramer Law Building

Corporate governance, CSR, Business and Human Right, Shareholder Activism, Company law

 

Prof

Naude, T

Tjakie.naude@uct.ac.za

Rm 4.26, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 3084

Contract Law, Consumer Law

 

Prof

Ncube, C

caroline.ncube@uct.ac.za

Rm 5.22, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 3776

Intellectual property law and policy; Electronic law.

 

A/Prof

Omar, J

Jameelah.Omar@uct.ac.za

Rm 6.04, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 2672

Criminal law; Criminal Procedure

 

Prof

Ordor, A

ada.ordor@uct.ac.za

Rm 4.42, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 5687

Law and Development, Law and Regional Integration, Civil Society and the Law of Nonprofit Institutions.

 

A/ Prof

Osman, F

Fatima.Osman@uct.ac.za

RM 4.21 Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 5654

Customary Law, Family lLw, Succession and Legal Pluralism.

 

Prof

Paterson, A

Alexander.Paterson@uct.ac.za

Rm 6.27, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 5644

Environmental Law with a specific focus on biodiversity, protected areas, land use planning and incentive-based regulation

 

 

A/Prof

Powell, C

Cathleen.Powell@uct.ac.za

Rm 6.17, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 5103

Public International Law, International Organisations, The Theory of International law, Separation of Powers, Terrorism

 

Dr

Ramalekana, N

nomfundo.ramalekana@uct.ac.za

Equality, non-discrimination, Human rRghts, Feminist Legal Theory, Critical Race Theory and Law, Constitutional Theory

 

Dist Prof 

Salazar, P

philippe.salazar@uct.ac.za

Rm 4.24, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 5610

Rhetoric

 

 

A/Prof

Schonwetter, T

Tobias.schonwetter@uct.ac.za

Rm 6.21, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 2064

Intellectual Property Law and Policy; IT Law

 

Prof

Schwikkard, P

Pamela.Schwikkard@uct.ac.za

Rm 6.02, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 2087

Evidence, Criminal Law, Criminal  Justice and Human Rights

 

 

Dr

Thabane, T

tebello.thabane@uct.ac.za

+27 21 650 5299

Company Law, Corporate governance, CRS, Business and Human Rights

 

A/Prof

Tong, L-A

Lee-ann.Tong@uct.ac.za

Rm 5.11, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 650 5686

Intellectual Property Law

 

A/Prof

Woolaver, H

Hannah.Woolaver@uct.ac.za

Rm 5.40, Kramer Law Building

+27 21 560 2493

Public international law generally, including international criminal law