Course date: 18 - 22 May 2020
Venue: Zoom

COVID-19 Update on this course

The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, would like to inform applicants and prospective applicants of the Advanced Human Rights Course on the Judicial Enforcement of Socio-Economic Rights in Africa (18 – 22 May 2020) that due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of borders as well as academic institutions in South Africa, the course will be presented in a modified format — a format different from the conventional contact sessions.

The course will this year be presented virtually during the above period of one week, on Zoom. A limited number of applicants will be admitted to take part in the course. Lectures will be virtual, and participants will be required to do reading, submit assignments, and engage in exercises. There will be between 3 and 4 hours of interactive lectures a day. These lectures will be complemented by other activities.

Participants should therefore have access to reliable and consistent internet and must have the Zoom application on their laptops, desktop, cellphones or tablets.

An electronic certificate of participation will be awarded to all participants who successfully complete the course. Full participation is required for the award of the certificate.

About the Course

The aim of the course on the judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights in Africa is to provide participants with a critical understanding of the possibilities of and problems associated with judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights in Africa. During the one-week intensive course, training is provided to practitioners, policy-makers, scholars and students on national and international litigation of socio-economic rights.

Course content

Topics may include the following:

• Conceptual issues on judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights
• Judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights in South Africa
• International adjudication of socio-economic rights
• African courts and the enforcement of socio-economic rights
• Equality and socio-economic rights
• Litigation strategy and policy impact
• Litigation in a broader context: Legitimacy and effectiveness
• Latin American courts and the enforcement of socio-economic rights
• India and other comparative case law
• Non-state actors and international accountability
• Practical exercises/assignments

Participants

As this is a high-level course, in particular practitioners working in the field of socio-economic rights in Africa, judicial officers, postgraduate students researching in this area, government officials responsible for relevant issues and members of civil society groups experienced in and engaged with the issues should apply. Applicants from all around the world are invited. However, the course will have a particular African focus. Applicants from African countries are, therefore, in particular, encouraged to apply.

Lecturers

Lecturers on the course have included in the past experts in the field, such as:

• Malcolm Langford, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights;
• Prof Danie Brand, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria;
• Dr Gustav Miller, Rhodes University, South Africa;
• Justice Zak Yacoob, retired Judge, Constitutional Court of South Africa
• Prof Jackie Dugard, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa;
• Prof Ann Skelton, Director, Centre for Child Law, University of Pretoria;
• Dr Nicholas Orago, University of Nairobi Law School, Kenya;
• Amar Mahadew, University of Mauritius;
• Prof Christopher Mbazira, Makerere University and
• Prof Frans Viljoen, Director, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria

For more information, please contact: