Position, academic and professional qualifications

Professor Anne Louw is an associate professor in Private Law. She obtained a BA degree from the University of Stellenbosch in 1979, followed by a BIuris degree from the University of South Africa in 1983 and an LLB degree from the University of Pretoria in 1992. She obtained an LLD degree in 2009, also at the University of Pretoria, for her thesis titled “Acquisition of Parental Responsibilities and Rights”.

Academic & professional experience

After a brief stint at the Department of Foreign Affairs upon completion of her BA degree, she requested a transfer to the Department of Justice where she worked as a Section Head in the Master’s Office while completing her BIuris degree. She was a liquidator at Kaap-Vaal Trust from 1986 to 1989 before being appointed as junior lecturer at the University of Pretoria in 1990. Prof Louw was promoted to the position of associate professor in January 2016.

Teaching activities

Prof Louw has taught various subjects in the Department of Private Law including Social Welfare Law (WRG 110 en 120), a compulsory subject for B.Social Work students, Trust Law and the Law of Persons. The teaching of Family Law (FMR 121) has, however, become her primary focus over the past decade. Prof Louw is also involved in the presentation of Child Law (KID 410), an elective that was created on her recommendation.

On a postgraduate level she is involved in the coursework LLM of both Child Law (PLC 801) and Family Law (EAL 802, DLA 802 and MPL 801). Prof Louw instigated the Faculty’s participation in the Kovsie First Year Family Law Moot Court Competition held in Bloemfontein from its inception in 2005.   She has presented papers at various national workshops and colloquia and  international conferences of the International Society of Family Law.

Representative publications

• “The acquisition of shared parental responsibility by same-sex civil union partners” 2007 2 Obiter 324
• “Surrogate Motherhood” in Davel CJ & Skelton AM (eds) Commentary on Children’s Act Juta, Cape Town (2007)
• “Adoption of Children” in Boezaart T (ed) Child Law in South Africa Juta, Cape Town (2009)
• “The constitutionality of a biological father’s recognition as a parent” PER 2010 (13) 3 
• “Rescission of adoption orders” De Jure 2010 (2) 328
• “Surrogacy in South Africa: Should we reconsider the current approach?” 2013 (76) THRHR 564
• “Children and Grandparents: An overrated attachment?” 2013 (24) Stell LR 618  
• “Ex parte MS 2014 JDR 0102 Case No 48856/2010 (GNP): surrogate motherhood agreements, condonation of non-compliance with confirmation requirements and the best interests of the child” 2014 (47) De Jure 110
• “Domestic partners and ‘the choice argument’: Quo vadis?” 2015 18(1) PER (co-author with BC Bester)
• “Lesbian parentage and known donors: Where in the world are we?” 2016 SALJ
• “Revisiting the limping parental condition of unmarried fathers” 2016 De Jure 193.

Areas of specialisation

Prof Louw’s areas of interest lie within the fields of Child Law and Family Law.

Academic and professional memberships

Prof Louw is a member of SAPSAC (South African Professional Society on the Abuse of Children) and the International Society of Family Law.

Telephone: +27 12 420 3923
Fax: +27 12 420 3961
E-mail: [email protected]

[June 2017]