Faculty of Law

Excellence

We attract excellent students from diverse backgrounds, ensuring a rich learning environment. As the smallest Faculty at UCT, with close to 1,200 undergraduate and postgraduate students annually, the rigour of our degree programmes leads to UCT Law graduates being highly sought after, not only in South Africa but also internationally. In addition, the Faculty hosts at least 11 world-class research units, focused on various aspects of legal practice and implementation.

Democracy and Social Justice

At the UCT Faculty of Law we are committed to furthering the goals of the Constitution, and our aim is to develop the next generation of skilled legal professionals who will ensure the maintenance and strengthening of an open, free and democratic South Africa. In line with UCT's Vision2030 and it's foundation concept of #UnleashingHumanPotential, the Faculty’s mission is to ensure knowledgeable, articulate, skilled and critically-minded graduates able to play an influential role in ensuring social justice here and further afield. Our core objective remains teaching and research, but we are committed to maintaining a clear awareness of the social and global context in which our graduates will find their place.

Theory and Practice

The Faculty’s Law graduates are known for their capacity not only in legal theory, and its application, but also in their achievement of practical experience in law. This is a result of our unique requirement that to graduate, all students must have completed a set number of hours of probono community service. It is also a result of the Faculty’s superb moot court facility – where students learn to present legal argument in a court-like setting. It is further a result of the Faculty’s local and international academic and professional networks which ensure that we are able to secure the best opportunities for students to gain experience elsewhere during their student years.

For information on Curriculum, Courses, Scholarships and Prizes see the Law Faculty Handbook.