As an academic department, we strive towards critical, creative, and independent thought, and we remind ourselves and our students to be aware of and to address the social context and the demands of poverty, violence, and unequal power relations.

Our vision is to be a center of excellence in advancing critical jurisprudence that is grounded in the exigencies of the post-1994 South African context, embraces transformation and fundamental change in social relationships and power structures, and deepens the struggle for a better world through knowledge production. This vision is tied to our support of higher education as an indispensable public good oriented to worldly causes and values.

Our academic and intellectual mission is centered on developing leading minds in the field of law and jurisprudence and cultivating among students and scholars a democratic, thoughtful, and critical attitude towards knowledge, ideas, and theory. Together with the Faculty of Law, we aim to contribute positively to the next generation of lawyers, citizens, and intellectuals.