CONSTITUTION WEEK 4-7 APRIL 2011

“Is the Constitution working? How do new developments both in law and society impact on the Constitution? What challenges lie ahead? How can the Constitution play a guiding role in areas of national importance?”

DAY ONE: 4 APRIL
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: CHIEF JUSTICE SANDILE NGCOBO
17h30- 19h00 Lecture Theatre 1 / DAY TWO: 5 APRIL
DISCUSSION: THE BILL
OF RIGHTS: TOP DOWN, OR
BOTTOM UP?
13h00-14h00 Lecture Theatre 3 / DAY TWO: 5 APRIL
DISCUSSION: WHAT LIMITS THE POWER OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT?
17h30-19h00 Lecture Theatre 2 / DAY THREE: 6 APRIL
DISCUSSION : THE ROLE OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS IN A CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY
17h30-19h00 Moot court / DAY FOUR :7 APRIL
A VERBAL FOOTBALL MATCH:
What builds a nation?
17h30 -19h00 “ART SQUARE” in front of the new building on the 3rd level.
The Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, HONOURABLE SANDILE NGCOBO, will talk about the “constitutional dialogue” between the branches of government
PJ SCHWIKKARD will open the event and RICHARD CALLAND will chair / Concourt Judge, BESS NKABINDE, and former Concourt Judge ALBIE SACHS and a panel of students will discuss the applicationof Section 39 (2) which provides that every court…must promote the spirit, purport and objects of the Bill of Rights. The SCA seems to have stifled the use of this section in lower courts with its interpretation of the rules of precedent. How then do we infuse the legal system as awhole with the values of the Bill of Rights?
GWEN DEREYMAEKERwill chair. / JUDGE BESS NKABINDE, JUDGE ALBIE SACHS, PIERRE DE VOS, RAENETTETALJAARD andJUDITH FEBRUARY discuss the question “what limits the power of a Constitutional Court? Does public opinion play a role in what the court can do? Should it? And what about the views of academics? The political elites?
RICHARD CALLAND will chair / Some 17 million South Africans continue to be under the authority of traditional leaders, However their role remains controversial, as their powers are seen by some to be inimical to the equal freedom and dignity for all promised by the Constitution.
MWELO NONKONYANA, MAZIBUKO JARA and NOMFUNDOGOBODO willdiscuss this.
KRISTINA BENTLEY will chair / A grand finale to the week. Bring your vuvus and join us for a debate with a difference.
Players on the pitch are RICHARD CALLAND, LAWSON NAIDOO, IAN GLENN and DREW WHALEY
This event has been organised in partnership with the Collective - an interest group started in 2011 by 3 students. They share a passion for open learning and aim to stimulate conversations exploring concepts of identity and legitimacy, deinstitutionalised learning and leadership.