Teaching & Academia
LLB Elective
(KID 410) CHILD LAW 410
KID 410 is presented by the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria
In 2009 a final year elective in Child Law was introduced. The Centre co-ordinates this course which falls under Private Law, although it includes lectures on a wide range of topics and – as is always the case with child law – it does not fit neatly into any of the divisions of law. The course attracted about 40 students in its first year. In 2009 the Centre, partnered by CE@UP, offered several certificate courses in Child Law.
Amount of lectures per week: 2 (10 credits)
Course: LLB
Topics covered:
- The status of children in South African law
- The constitutional protection of children
- General principles of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005
- Parental responsibilities and rights
- Children courts
- Adoption and alternative care
- International instruments pertaining to children’s rights
- Inter-country adoption and international abduction
- Children and the criminal justice system
View all the undergraduate modules at the Department of Private Law, University of Pretoria
LLM
LLM in Child Law (04250099)
The LLM in Child Law is presented by the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria
The LLM programme co-ordinated by the Centre was restructured in 2009 and is now largely focused on practical outputs, current case law and recent developments in all aspects of child law in
South Africa. There are three modules that examine child law in the context of private law, criminal law and constitutional and international law. Practical exams for each of the modules are conducted in the form of a moot court.
Lectures for the course-work masters are presented after hours over a two year period and in addition to the modules, a mini-dissertation is completed. The new and improved approach to postgraduate learning has been met with great approval.
Modules as part of the LLM Child Law
- Aspects of Criminal and Criminal Procedural Law pertaining to Children (SSK 802)
- Aspects of Private Law pertaining to Children (PLC 801)
- Constitutional and International Law pertaining to Children (GIK 801)
The following coursework LLM degrees are offered by the Department of Private law:
- LLM Child Law (04250099)
- LLM Law of Contract (04250100)
- LLM Private Law: General (04250085)
- LLM Private Law: Estate Law (04250086)
- LLM Private Law: Family Law (04250087)
View all the postgraduate modules at the Department of Private Law, University of Pretoria
Children’s Rights in African Context Short Course
The Centre for Child Law, together with the Centre for Human Rights (University of Pretoria) and the Dullah Omar Institute (University of the Western Cape), host the annual short course on Children’s Rights in Africa to build the technical capacity of diverse professionals working for and with children across the African continent. The course equipped participants with the necessary knowledge and practical skills to enable them to meaningfully contribute to the realisation of children’s rights in Africa. The primary goal of the course is to provide participants with theoretical and practical knowledge in the area of children’s rights, and to equip them with skills for promoting and monitoring the implementation of the rights and welfare of children. The course shines a spotlight on the African context and contextualises the universal children’s rights discourse to the region.
Social Welfare Law (WRG)110 & 120
This module is designed to introduce social work students to some legal aspects of particular importance to social workers. The module includes the following components:
- An introduction to law in general, including an overview of the sources of law;
- The South African court system, the legal profession, legal aid and the procedural law;
- The law of persons, with specific reference to the commencement and termination of legal subjectivity and the legal status of a person;
- An introduction to the criminal law and punishment and the social worker’s role in the criminal process.