Research and publication are central for academic staff and students in the Faculty of Law. Each of the three law departments (Commercial Law, Private Law and Public Law) are home to a number of specialised research units, providing a spotlight on research output and publication. Research in the Law Faculty is centrally administered by the Faculty's Research Office which serves to advance quality research and ensure conformity with ethical standards.

Research Groupings

The Faculty is home to 13 research initiatives, including the Refugee Rights Unit. The work undertaken in these research groups is focused on responsiveness to the context (local and global) in which the Faculty is based - and is reflected in the research agenda of each group, the research questions, the varied forms of research output (including accredited publication, reports, policy documents, workshops, lectures, seminars and conferences), and in our teaching.

These research units include (each with its own site, packed with news, information, the people behind the work, publications and related resources):

• Centre for Comparative Law in Africa
• Centre of Criminology
• Centre for Law & Society
• Centre for Rhetoric Studies
• Corporate Law and Governance Unit
• Democratic Governance and Rights Unit (with AfricanLII, JIFA, Judges Matter and Magistrates Matter as core projects within DGRU)
• Institute for Marine & Environmental Law
• iNtaka Centre for Law & Technology (and its LawTechLab)
• Intellectual Property Unit
• Labour, Development & Governance Research Unit
• Land Accountability Research Centre
• Mineral Law in Africa
• Refugee Rights Unit
• Shipping Law Unit
• UCT Tax Unit for Fiscal Research

Faculty of Law's Research Office

The Faculty's Research Office coordinates and advances research within the Faculty. The Faculty's Research Office objectives include ensuring the highest quality of research, identifying key research themes, and facilitating fundraising.

The Law Faculty's most recent Research Report can be accessed here.  The Faculty's Research Handbook is available upon request via email for the current year.

Further, the Faculty of Law has two research committees:

The Faculty Research Ethics Committee, and the Faculty Research and Social Responsiveness Committee, which meet quarterly and function to promote research in the Faculty, further the well-being of those engaged in research and socially responsive activities, and administer research-related matters in the Faculty of Law.

Research Office - Contact Us