On Monday 9 November 2020, the Department of Private Law in the Faculty of Law at UWC launched its first research centre, the Centre for Legal Integration in Africa (CLIA). The event, which was chaired by the Head of the Private Law Department, Professor Francois du Toit, occurred online via Google Meet.

Werner Scholtz, professor of law at UWC, has called for a paradigm shift in international environmental law, which he says ‘is concerned with the conservation, inter alia, of sentient species, but generally ignores the welfare of individual animals. It therefore does not reflect a recognition of the moral worth of animals and perpetuates the dichotomy between conservation and welfare’.

Safeguarding in the context of development and humanitarian assistance has been increasingly in the spotlight since 2018, but the literature has not yet investigated the extent to which it is in line with the best interests of the child. In a recent co-authored work, the renowned child-rights expert Julia Sloth-Nielsen assessed the situation.

The drowning of domestic worker Badanile Maria Mahlangu in her employer’s swimming pool in 2012 resulted in drawn out legal battles that ended with a court ruling that is a victory for all domestic workers.