Start main page content
Human Rights Advocacy and Litigation Reach a greater understanding of Human Rights and Advocacy Law by increasing your knowledge of the law and litigation practice.
Human Rights Advocacy and Litigation Reach a greater understanding of Human Rights and Advocacy Law by increasing your knowledge of the law and litigation practice.

Qualification: LLM

Faculty: Commerce, Law and Management

Duration: 1 - 2 years

School: Law

Study mode: Full-time; Part-time

Overview

Human Rights and Advocacy Law engages questions of legal practice and strategy in the broad social justice sector. It considers perennial and changing questions about the role and limits of law and constitutional rights in securing social justice. More broadly, it continually interrogates the place of the Constitution in effecting social change, as well as the changing debates on ‘transformative constitutionalism’. By inviting human rights practitioners to talk about current cases, the course aims to be at the cutting edge of contemporary South African human rights practice.

Human Rights and Advocacy Law is aimed at advocates, attorneys, academics and researchers who are interested in the relationship between law, litigation and social justice outcomes. It is beneficial both to those working within the broad social justice/human rights sector and to those working in other areas of law. Students are expected to have a basic doctrinal knowledge of human rights related law, and be prepared to learn to think ‘out of the box’ about the use of law to effect social change.

This course seeks to build students’ theoretical, conceptual, strategic and practical understandings of the law and litigation practice. Students are expected to have a basic doctrinal knowledge of human rights related law, and be prepared to learn to think ‘out of the box’ about the use of law to effect social change.

Human Rights and Advocacy Law directly engages the role of law in securing social and economic justice. This means that the course has considered the role of law in addressing a variety of societal problems, including an absence of socio-economic rights, inequality, poverty, racism, gender-based violence, xenophobia, environmental injustice and so on.

The following compulsory course, which must be completed at core level **:

  • Human Rights Advocacy and Litigation Law

Three of the following elective courses, one of which must be completed at core level 

and two at non-core level:

  • Access to Information and Privacy Law
  • Advanced Administrative Law
  • Advanced Bill of Rights Jurisprudence
  • Human Rights and the Marketplace
  • International Criminal Law
  • International Dispute Resolution
  • International Human Rights Law
  • International Law on Foreign Investment *
  • Law of Armed Conflict
  • Migration, Law and Society
  • Refugees Law
  • Regulation and Law
  • Urban and Local Government Law

* Course subject to prerequisite(s)        

**  Core courses

A core course covers the same content as a non-core course, but students must complete an additional research component, counting for 50% of the final mark for the core course.

* Prerequisite courses

Some courses are subject to prerequisites, as set out below.

Note: A candidate who has not completed the prerequisite(s) for a course prior to commencing the programme, will only be able to take the course(s) once they have completed the prerequisite(s). In some cases this may necessitate the candidate registering for the programme on a part-time basis and completing the prerequisite(s) in the first year of study, so that they can complete the course(s) subject to prerequisite(s) in the second year of study.

Course Description
Prerequisite(s)
International Law on Foreign Investment
  • It is recommended that candidates must have passed either Public International Law (LAWS3050A);
  • or an equivalent course at undergraduate or postgraduate level.
  • Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with an average mark of 70 percent. If you have an LLB with an average mark of between 65% and 70%, you may be considered for admission.
  • However, you may be requested to submit a sample of academic writing which, in the sole discretion of the School of Law, demonstrates your ability to perform legal research and produce writing of a high standard, including the ability to think conceptually, footnote and reference properly, and communicate effectively in writing.
  • Such evidence could, for instance, consist of a legal publication or a law essay written by you during your LLB that received a high mark. This sample should not be submitted together with your application – if needed, the School will request the sample from you once your application has been marked as complete.
  • We admit only law graduates and legal professionals who have the interest, ability and time to conduct research at an advanced academic level. Entry to the programme is limited.

Please note that the Entry Requirements are a guide. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee a place.

Faculty Closing Dates

2022 Entry

Opening dateClosing dateProgramme of Study
01/03/2021 30/11/2021 Master of Management (Governance)
01/03/2021  30/11/2021  Doctor of Philosophy (Governance)
01/03/2021 30/11/2021   Postgraduate Diploma in Management (Governance) 
     
01/05/2021 31/10/2021 Master of Management (Management)
01/05/2021 30/09/2021 Master of Business Administration
01/05/2021 30/09/2021 Master of Management Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation
01/05/2021 30/09/2021 Master of Management in Finance and Investment
01/05/2021 30/09/2021 Doctor of Philosophy (Management)
01/04/2021 31/10/2021 Postgraduate Diploma in Management (Management)
01/05/2021 30/09/2021 Postgraduate Diploma In Business Administration
     
01/04/2021 30/11/2021 Master of Commerce
01/04/2021 30/11/2021 Master of Economic Science
01/04/2021 30/11/2021 Doctor of Philosophy
01/04/2021 30/11/2021 Bachelor of Commerce Hons
01/04/2021 30/11/2021 Bachelor of Accounting Science with Honours
01/04/2021 30/11/2021 Bachelor of Economic Science with Honours
01/04/2021 30/11/2021 Master of Commerce (Research)
     
01/04/2021 30/11/2021 Postgraduate Diploma in Accountancy
01/04/2021 30/11/2021 Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Accountancy
01/04/2021 30/11/2021 Postgraduate Diploma in Taxation
     
01/04/2021 International Applicants: 30/08/2021
South African applicants: 30/10/2021 		 Master of Laws
01/04/2021 International Applicants: 30/09/2021
South African applicants: 31/10/2021		 Doctor of Philosophy Law
01/04/2021
International Applicants: 30/08/2021
South African applicants: 30/10/2021 
 LLM (Dissertation)
01/04/2021 International Applicants: 30/08/2021
South African applicants: 30/10/2021 		 Postgraduate Diploma in Law
  • Applications are handled centrally by the Student Enrolment Centre (SEnC). Once your application is complete in terms of requested documentation, your application will be referred to the relevant School for assessment. Click here to see an overview of the Wits applications process.
  • Please apply online. Upload your supporting documents at the time of application, or via the Self Service Portal.
  • Applicants can monitor the progress of their applications via the Self Service Portal.
  • Selections for programmes that have a limited intake but attract a large number of applications may only finalise the application at the end of the application cycle.

Please note that the Entry Requirements are a guide. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee a place. Final selection is made subject to the availability of places, academic results and other entry requirements where applicable.

International students, please check this section.

For more information, contact the Student Call Centre +27 (0)11 717 1888, or log a query at www.wits.ac.za/askwits.

Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.

For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here. Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities. NRF bursaries: The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.