| Code | Faculty |
|---|---|
| 04252020 | Faculty of Law |
| Credits | Duration |
|---|---|
| Minimum duration of study: 1 year | Total credits: 200 |
| Prof UM Killander [email protected] | +27 (0)124205407 |
Closing date for applications: 31 July
A limited number of up to 30 students are selected per year. Depending on the availability of funding, scholarships covering at least tuition, accommodation and official programme activities are covered for as many of these students as possible. Students who do not receive scholarships may be admitted as self-funding students, provided they meet all the minimum criteria below, and provided they guarantee payment of all or at least a significant part of tuition, accommodation and official programme activities, to an amount set by the Centre annually.
Applicants must submit fully completed applications to the Centre for Human Rights by 31 July every year.
In addition to the general admission requirements, the following specific selection criteria are used in combination to select the eligible students:
All complete applications, received by 31 July of a particular year, are processed and considered by the LLM Programme Manager and Head of Research of the Centre, who identify a number of eligible candidates three times the available positions.
The Assistant Director of the Centre identifies a number of candidates twice the number of available positions.
Each of these applicants is then contacted and required to write an essay within a restricted time period (for example, 24 hours) of being given the topic. The Head of research and Director of the Centre assess these essays.
On the basis of all the assessments, including the essay, the Chair of the Council of Directors of the LLM Programme, who is a representative of one of the partner faculties, scrutinises the applications and makes a recommendation on the pre-selected students.
A final selection is made by the full Admissions Committee, consisting of the Chair of the Council of Directors of the LLM/MPhil Programme (if available), the Director of the Centre for Human Rights, the Assistant Director of the Centre for Human Rights, the LLM/MPhil Programme Manager and the Head of Research, Centre for Human Rights.
The curriculum will generally consist of:
Also refer to the Postgraduate Brochure for the complete study programme as well as the Postgraduate administrative processes after registration.
In addition to an LLB, BProc or equivalent qualification from a foreign university that allows the applicant entrance to the formal legal profession, the following requirements are set for admission of a prospective student to the LLM Coursework programme:
A minimum average mark of 65% with respect to the prescribed final-year modules of the undergraduate programme is required for admission to an LLM coursework programme.
Where an average of below 65% is achieved, the student may be admitted on recommendation of the relevant head of department after consultation with the programme coordinator and consideration of other merits (eg relevant professional experience; the applicant’s performance in undergraduate modules related to the particular LLM; the candidate’s performance in independent research essays or similar components) and/or an admission examination.
Linguistic competence, primarily in English; foreign applicants who did not complete undergraduate studies through the medium of English must show proof of competence in English at a minimum average level of 6 out of 10 for IELTS or a minimum total score of 83 in TOEFL calculated as follows: reading 21, listening 17, speaking 23 and writing 22. In any other instance where there is doubt as to the English linguistic competence of an applicant, the Dean may require the same proof as prescribed for foreign applicants.
Foreign qualifications are subject to SAQA evaluation. (Some LLM coursework programmes or modules as indicated in the yearbook may only be available to students who hold a relevant South African legal qualification.)
Even though a student may comply with the above requirements, the Dean may, on the recommendation of the head of department presenting a specific degree or module, refuse to accept a prospective student for any LLM programme if such a student's performance in the chosen modules or field of study during undergraduate study was not satisfactory. Alternatively, the Dean could set additional requirements with a view to admission.
An admission examination may also be required in respect of a particular programme or module.
The mini-dissertation must comprise 18 000 – 20 000 words – including footnotes but excluding the list of contents and the bibliography.
In the event of having failed all modules during a particular year of study, a student will only be allowed to continue with his/her studies with the consent of the Postgraduate Committee.
Although no supplementary examination will be granted with regard to LLM and MPhil modules, the General Regulations and rules apply with regard to special and ancillary examinations.
Contact the programme coordinator.
Language of tuition
The medium of instruction will be English.
Re-registration for modules
A student may not register more than twice for the same module. In order to pass a module the student must obtain a final mark of 50%.
The duration of the programme will be completed within two semesters (1 year). This study programmes is structured to allow for only one year of study.
Module content:
During the second semester of the programme, students follow prescribed academic modules at the universities to which they are allocated and undertake internships with human rights organisations if so required.
Module content:
In this module, the principles and practice of international criminal law are discussed; students also undertake a visit to and report on the situation in a selected African state where they are exposed to the practical application of human rights, democratisation or international criminal law.
Module content:
This module examines the nature of the state and problems associated with state-building and constitutional change in Africa; provides an introduction to constitutionnal concepts such as the separation of powers, federalism and decentralisation, and their application to Africa; and examines the causes of and remedies for conflict in Africa.
Module content:
This module provides an overview of the human rights norms, institutions and processes of the African Union, with a focus on the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Module content:
In this module, introductory human rights concepts are examined; the human rights systems under the United Nations, Council of Europe and the Organisation of American States and some selected national law systems are also analysed.
Module content:
(a) The student must submit a research proposal during his/her first year of registration for the LLM degree to the supervisor prior to commencing with the writing of the mini-dissertation.
(b) A mini-dissertation (MND 802) of 18 000 to 20 000 words inclusive of footnotes but excluding the list of contents and the bibliography, is required. The mini-dissertation must be submitted to the study leader not later than August of the second year of registration for the LLM programme. The mini-dissertation must deal with the subject content of one of the modules or a combination of the modules registered for by the student for his/her LLM degree. Any request for an extension of the period for submission of the mini-dissertation may only be granted by the Dean on recommendation of the LLM Committee.
Module content:
In this module, the focus is on aspects of human rights research, fact finding, advocacy and education.
Module content:
Development and presentation of a research proposal. (A research proposal must be submitted to the supervisor and accepted in the first semester of the second year of study before the student will be allowed to register for the mini-dissertation.)
Module content:
This module provides an introductory overview of the South African Bill of Rights and constitutional litigation and analyses some selected rights in more depth within a comparative African constitutional context.
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