Sitting on a R49 billion environmental liability tied to 6 100 legacy mines, South Africa needs to consider a dedicated rehabilitation fund supported by mandatory levies on mining companies to meet its mine rehabilitation targets.

Speaking during a public lecture hosted by the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Law, Dr Fredua Agyemang pointed to Western Australia’s model, backed by industry levies and steady investment returns, as a possible solution to unlock consistent rehabilitation funding.

Is the Constitutional Court within its powers when it rules against decisions made in Parliament? Or is it stepping across the line between separate branches of government?

Setting out to answer these questions, the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Law is set to host a public lecture, “The functions of an apex court: Who empowered 11 unelected judges to strike down laws of a democratically elected parliament?” on Wednesday, 2 April 2025.

Companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) must navigate evolving sustainability reporting requirements to ensure compliance, credibility and investor confidence.

Prof Neels Kilian of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Law outlined the complexities of this shift in his inaugural lecture – titled “The legal background to integrated financial reporting” – on 5 March 2025 at the Potchefstroom Campus.

“The JSE has taken steps to standardise sustainability reporting,” Prof Kilian said. “But ensuring consistent compliance remains a challenge.”

“Will you be a benchwarmer, enforcing the status quo, or will you be part of the legal revolution?” This is North-West University (NWU) law professor Boitumelo Mmusinyane’s challenge to students as he advocates for their greater involvement in efforts to decolonise South Africa's legal system.

Prof Mmusinyane highlights the ongoing challenge of integrating indigenous knowledge into the country's Eurocentric legal framework, a legacy of colonisation and apartheid that continues to marginalise African governance traditions.

The goal of achieving land degradation neutrality is still achievable, especially with the recent appointment of Prof Klaus Kellner from the Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management (UESM) at the North-West University (NWU) to serve on the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) National Working Group.

On 31 July and 1 and 2 August 2024, the Faculty of Law at the North-West University (NWU) hosted its annual Undergraduate Prestige Awards across the three university campuses. These awards celebrate the academic excellence and outstanding leadership of students, recognising their dedication to both scholarly pursuits and community service. 

Showcasing her passion for legal education and human rights awareness across the continent, Dr Mahlatse Maake-Malatji, a senior lecturer in law at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus, served as a distinguished judge at the 33rd Christof Heyns African Moot Court Competition (CHAMCC).

This prestigious competition, co-hosted by the University of Pretoria and the University of Rwanda, was held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 22 to 28 July 2024.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Law will host a significant hybrid public lecture on 15 August 2024, featuring the Competition Commission.

The event – themed “25 Years of Competition Law Enforcement in South Africa” – will take place at the Mahikeng Campus and will focus on the commission’s role and achievements over the past 25 years.

University-based law clinics offer law students a unique opportunity to gain practical legal training through service learning and work-integrated learning. These clinics also provide free legal services to needy and marginalised members of the community who cannot afford the services of a private legal practitioner.

These law clinics engage with communities by informing them of their rights and enabling them to use the law to enforce their rights rather than taking the law into their own hands.

The North-West University (NWU) is excited to announce that plans are afoot for a groundbreaking partnership with the Public Protector South Africa (PPSA).

The move follows an undertaking by the Public Protector Adv Kholeka Gcaleka during the public lecture she delivered at the Mahikeng Campus on Thursday, 11 July 2024.