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All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source. |
| SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY |
| REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: |
| Bachelor of Laws |
| SAQA QUAL ID | QUALIFICATION TITLE | |||
| 87252 | Bachelor of Laws | |||
| ORIGINATOR | ||||
| Nelson Mandela University | ||||
| PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY | NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK | |||
| CHE - Council on Higher Education | HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework | |||
| QUALIFICATION TYPE | FIELD | SUBFIELD | ||
| National First Degree(Min 480) | Field 08 - Law, Military Science and Security | Justice in Society | ||
| ABET BAND | MINIMUM CREDITS | PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL | NQF LEVEL | QUAL CLASS |
| Undefined | 480 | Level 7 | NQF Level 08 | Regular-Provider-ELOAC |
| REGISTRATION STATUS | SAQA DECISION NUMBER | REGISTRATION START DATE | REGISTRATION END DATE | |
| Registered | EXCO 0733/25 | 2024-06-30 | 2027-06-30 | |
| LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT | LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT | |||
| 2027-06-30 | 2029-06-30 | |||
| In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise. |
This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification. |
| PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION |
| Purpose:
The Bachelor of Laws prepares learners for entry into legal practice, a wide range of other careers requiring application of the law and legal principles, and post-graduate studies in law. Learners will acquire an in-depth knowledge of the Constitution and the applicable laws in South Africa. Learners will gain the ability to identify legal problems and offer possible legal solutions. Learners passionate about righting the wrongs in society, and addressing injustice, who have a strong sense of account-ability and an interest in South African law and social justice must complete this qualification. Learners would want to complete this qualification to actively participate in solving legal problems and improve access to justice. Learners will develop an identity as legal practitioners with a critical understanding of theories, concepts, principles, ethics, perspectives, methodologies, and procedures of the law discipline. They will learn to apply these components appropriately across academic, professional, and other career contexts while developing the capacity for accountability and responsibility in these settings. In addition, the purpose of the qualification is to foster sufficient depth of knowledge and skills for continued lifelong intellectual growth, including postgraduate study, while emphasising criticality, reflective practice, and creative thinking. Learners will cultivate ethical practice and cultural awareness, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the country's legal framework. A qualified learner will be able to take initiative and responsibly and ethically participate in promoting the administration of justice and the development of legal institutions in South Africa. Upon completion of the qualification, the qualified learner will: In addition, the learner attributes integrated into the learning process include enabling law graduates to have a systematic and coherent body of knowledge and an understanding of relevant concepts and principles; a high level of cognitive and other generic skills including problem-solving and the practical application of principles; written and spoken communication, numeracy and computer literacy; and competence in applying knowledge through basic research methods and practice. The qualification further prepares graduates for the awareness of the impact of globalisation and evolving information technology in legal practice and research. Rationale: There is a crucial need in South Africa for capacity building in the sub-field of Justice in Society to promote the principles contained in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution with a view to ad-dressing past and current injustices and to ensure the sustained development of a just and democratic society based on the rule of law, but also imparting skill and values essential for lawyers living in a democratic society. The qualification will benefit the sector, society, and the economy through the provision of suitably qualified legal practitioners who are empowered to accept their responsibility toward the realisation of a just society based on constitutional democracy and the rule of law within an international legal order. This need was identified in consultation with representatives of the legal profession, academics, alumni, and current undergraduate and postgraduate learners. Learners who complete this qualification will be ready to enter and grow within the legal profession and pursue postgraduate studies in law. Typical professions will include but are not limited to legal practitioner (attorney or advocate), prosecutor, magistrate, judge, legal advisors, and legal researchers. Upon graduating with this qualification, the graduate will be able to enter the legal profession as a candidate legal practitioner. |
| LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING |
| Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
The institution has an approved Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy which is applicable with regards to equivalent qualifications for admission into the qualification. RPL will be applied to accommodate applicants who qualify. RPL thus provides alternative access and admission to qualifications, as well as advancement within qualifications. RPL may be applied for access, credits from modules and credits for or towards the qualification. RPL for access: Learners who do not meet the minimum entrance requirements or the required qualification that is at the same NQF level as the qualification required for admission may be considered for admission through RPL. To be considered for admission in the qualification based on RPL, applicants should provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that they have acquired the relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to cope with the qualification expectations should they be allowed entrance into the qualification. RPL for exemption of modules: Learners may apply for RPL to be exempted for modules that form part of the qualification. For a learner to be exempted from a module, the learner needs to provide sufficient evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that competency was achieved for the learning outcomes that are equivalent to the learning outcomes of the module. RPL for credit: Learners may also apply for RPL for credit for or towards the qualification, in which they must provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates prior learning through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to obtain credits towards the qualification. Credit shall be appropriate to the context in which it is awarded and accepted. Entry Requirements: Or Or |
| RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? |
| Y |
| QUALIFICATION RULES |
| This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 5, 6, 7 and 8, totalling 480 Credits.
Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 5, 84 Credits: Elective modules: Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 6, 36 Credits: Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 6, 126 Credits: Elective module: Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 7, 132 Credits: Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 8, 120 Credits: Elective Module: |
| EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES |
| 1. The learner will have acquired a coherent understanding of, and ability to analyse, fundamental legal and related concepts, principles, theories, and their relationship to values critically.
2. The learner will have acquired an understanding and application of the relevant methods, techniques, and strategies involved in legal research and problem solving in theoretical and applied situations. 3. The learner can collect, organise, analyse, and critically evaluate information and evidence from a legal perspective. 4. The learner will have acquired the ability to communicate effectively in a legal environment by means of written persuasive methods and sustained discourse. 5. The learner will be able to solve complex and diverse legal problems creatively, critically, ethically, and innovatively. 6. The learner will be able to work effectively with colleagues and other role players in the legal process as a team or group and contribute significantly to the group output. 7. The learner will, where practicable, have acquired computer literacy to effectively communicate, retrieve, and process relevant data in a legal environment. 8. The learner can manage and organise her/his professional activities in the legal field responsibly and effectively. 9. The learner has sufficient skills and knowledge to participate as a responsible citizen in the promotion of a just society and a democratic and constitutional state under the rule of law. 10. The learner has acquired legal skills and knowledge, which enable him/her to solve problems responsibly and creatively in each legal and social context. |
| ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA |
| Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 10: Integrated Assessment Integrated assessment in law combines theoretical and practical components to assess a student's understanding and ability to apply legal knowledge. All exit-level modules will be externally moderated. The method of assessments varies depending on the module purpose. Assessment methods include both formative and summative assessments. There are various modules where students are required to practically demonstrate their application of the theory of law. Various modules combine and integrate knowledge from different law modules. First-year learners register for a year-long course named Legal Skills. This is a continuous assessment module where learners are required to participate in moot courts, draft correspondence, do case studies, and presentations. The clinical legal education module, Legal Practice, involves integrated assessment methods where final year learners consult, under the supervision of supervising attorneys responsible for teaching the modules, with clients in a live-client setting. The students gain practical experience in a live-client setting. This is a continuous assessment module where the learners are required to compile a portfolio of evidence. The latter provides learners with the ability to take greater responsibility for their learning. In the final year, learners must register for the module Insolvency, Liquidations and Business Rescue Law. In this module learners must incorporate theoretical knowledge acquired in modules over the previous three years, like the law of persons, the law of succession, family law, property law, etc to and apply that knowledge in conjunction with the law related to insolvency, liquidation, and business rescue. This qualification requires students to complete legal drafting. Additionally, learners may elect to register for the Moot Court module in their final year of studies. This module is presented by advocates from the local bar where students must apply their theoretical knowledge to draft heads of arguments and participate in a moot court that is presided over by judges, magistrates, and practitioners. Formative Assessment: To support the learning and teaching process and to enable future learning the following assessment strategies are included: Learners will receive feedback on the formative assessment opportunities to gauge their progress and to ascertain their readiness for the summative assessments. Ratio: The formative assessment weighting is 50% of the final mark, while the summative assessment weighting is also 50% of the final mark. Some modules have a formative assessment weighting of 60% of the final mark, while the summative assessment weighting of 40% of the final mark. Summative Assessment: The following summative assessment opportunities will be implemented to determine whether the student has successfully met the learning outcomes of a module: |
| INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY |
| This qualification was compared to similar undergraduate law qualifications. Two qualifications are outlined below:
Country: United Kingdom Institution: University of Cambridge Qualification title: Bachelor of Arts with Honours Purpose/Rationale: At the University of Cambridge, all undergraduate learners receive a Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA) upon completing their qualification. This means that the undergraduate Law degree at Cambridge is a BA, while many other universities in the UK offer an LLB degree as their undergraduate law programme. The BA in Law at Cambridge, like most LLB programmes, is considered a qualifying law degree. The qualification is intended to give a thorough grounding in the principles of law viewed from an academic rather than a vocational perspective. Learners are encouraged to think beyond the black letter of the rules. This means that we challenge students to consider questions like: This qualification allows learners to explore the law beyond the fundamental subjects to consider its interdisciplinary relationship with philosophy, economics, ethics, criminology, social policy, and history. This is in line with the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) offered by Nelson Mandela University which is also a four-year qualification. The LLB degree prepares learners for entry into legal practice, a wide range of other careers requiring application of the law and legal principles, and postgraduate studies in law. Students will acquire an in-depth knowledge of the Constitution and the applicable laws in South Africa. Students will gain the ability to identify legal problems and offer possible legal solutions. Students passionate about righting the wrongs in society, and addressing injustice, who have a strong sense of accountability and an interest in South African law and human rights must complete this degree. Students would want to complete this qualification to actively participate in solving legal problems and improve access to justice. The qualification at Cambridge allows a student to spend a year studying abroad at one of the university's partner institutions in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, New Zealand, South Africa, and Singapore. The year abroad takes place after you complete the first 2 years of the course. In the Mandela University programme students are not required to spend any of their time outside South Africa as part of their studies. Learners who complete the Mandela University LLB will be ready to enter and grow within the legal profession and pursue postgraduate studies in law. Typical professions will include but are not limited to legal practitioner (attorney or advocate), prosecutor, magistrate, judge, legal advisors, and legal researchers. Upon graduating with this qualification, the graduate will be able to enter the legal profession as a candidate legal practitioner. Learners graduating Law at Cambridge in three years proceed to obtain professional qualification. That means that learners can become practising lawyers without needing to do the conversion course, because they would have already studied the seven foundation subjects as part of their Law course. A significant number of people who study Law at Cambridge do not become practising lawyers, and even some who do move on to other careers, including business, politics, the civil service, banking, journalism, in international organisations or the voluntary sector and academia. Also, if iinterested in studying a subject other than Law at Cambridge, can often change to Law at the end of first or second year and study Law at Cambridge for two years, during which you study 10 papers, seven of which are the foundation subjects. But most people who study Law at Cambridge take the three-year course and then proceed to become a practising lawyer. They find that the knowledge and skills they have acquired during their university legal studies are of real benefit to their future career. The BA Law at University of Cambridge and the LLB offered by Nelson Mandela University have a similar purpose and rationale but differ in the method of offering and exit points. Country: New Zealand Institution: Aukland Law School Purpose/Rationale: Studying law at Auckland law school will develop analytical, communication and research skills. Learners will build an understanding of legal ethics, professional responsibility and the role law plays in society. A law degree from Auckland law school prepares learners for a wide range of professions in the legal industry and beyond. This qualification arms learners with many transferable skills, including knowledge of the law and its implications, a sense of justice and public responsibility, analytical, research, and communication skills, and an ability to flourish under pressure. In any given year, about half of their law graduates are employed in New Zealand law firms, while the other half begin their careers in other professional organisations. These include accounting and consulting; business and industry; national and local government; teaching, research, and journalism; and international, environmental, and other non-governmental areas. Graduates from both Universities can practice law in their home countries and worldwide. At the University of Auckland Law School entry requirements are reviewed annually by the Law Selection Committee while at Nelson Mandela University that is not the case. Students studying law do a combination of compulsory and elective modules |
| ARTICULATION OPTIONS |
| This qualification allows possibilities for horizontal and vertical articulation
Horizontal Articulation: Vertical Articulation: Diagonal Articulation: There is no qualification possible for diagonal articulation. |
| MODERATION OPTIONS |
| N/A |
| CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS |
| N/A |
REREGISTRATION HISTORY |
| As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Recorded in 2015. |
| NOTES |
| N/A |
| LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: |
| NONE |
| PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: |
| This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here. |
| 1. | Nelson Mandela University |
| All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source. |