Official Launch of the UKZN Student Law Review
The first edition of the UKZN Student Law Review Journal - the first of its kind in KwaZulu-Natal - was celebrated at the Ellie Newman Memorial Moot Final Competition held at Howard College recently.
The Journal was launched during the Moot Court which saw finalists Ms Tamylnn Avis, Ms Andrea Mellon, Ms Sisi Nxumalo and Mr Ezra Pillay impress the Bench consisting of the Deputy Judge President of the High Court of KwaZulu-Natal, the Honourable Mr Justice Jappie Achmat ; the Honourable Mr Justice Jerome Nguni and the Honourable Madam Justice Mohini Moodley with thought provoking and outstanding advocacy skills.
The Journal which features articles, case notes and book reviews written by undergraduate and postgraduate law students from both the Pietermaritzburg and Howard College campuses is driven by an innovative team of students who identified a need for a forum where law students can sharpen their writing skills through publishing research that responds to the issues facing the country.
The Dean and Head of the School of Law, Professor Managay Reddi, congratulated the students on their achievement as the Journal would be a vehicle for the School to contribute to the University’s research output. The journal contains articles focusing on various aspects of the law including developments in law and analyses of landmark decisions which substantially impact on the implementation and enforcement of the Constitution, adherence to the rule of law and the promotion of social change through amendments to the law.
Fourth year LLB law student and the Journal’s Editor-In-Chief, Mr Ntokozo Qwabe, said the forum was an essential platform needed to address the shortfalls of the LLB degree which had been widely criticised for being inadequate in equipping graduates with the skills and experience needed in the legal profession.
‘The idea for the Journal started with conversation on a lack of an outlet for students to air their independent views outside of the classroom. As the LLB does not equip students with the skills to write for accredited journals we find ourselves excluded from the mainstream. As future leaders we need to identify the challenges in our societies and advocate for the change we want to see through our research,’ said Qwabe.
Managing Editor and Law Academic Ms Lee Stone noted that the Journal would have not been possible without the support and guidance of law academics whose links with the judiciary enhanced the student’s potential.
‘The law school has a strong tradition of breaking new ground in research and the law review journal epitomises this.’ The article: Application of the Constitutional Value of Ubuntu in Private Relationships: The Private Law of a Contract as a Test Case, written by former student Mr Siboniso Cibane, has received approval from South Africa’s Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.
‘We could not have achieved this without the support of the advisory committee and the lecturers from the School who were always available to help the students,’ said Stone.
To view the official UKZN Student Law Review Launch Booklet, click here.