Faculty of Law
Summary of the Faculty
The Faculty of Law is still in its infancy having been established on the 1st of September 2021. Before this development, the Faculty was a department in the Faculty of Commerce and Law. It was born out of the realisation that the current legal education system in Zimbabwe acts as a barrier to inclusive legal education and access to justice as it only offers legal training through conventional campus systems. It is dominated by law schools that cannot accommodate students who for various reasons are unable to attend classes on a full-time basis. Access to justice requires that those who wish to acquire legal education in a flexible, accessible and cost-effective way should not be prevented from doing so by the simple reason that law is offered through conventional on-campus means.
The current socio-economic and political developments have accelerated the need for innovative, flexible and cost-effective means of offering legal education. Zimbabwe is a country poised for economic growth under the new dispensation. Its population is growing and in December 2017 it was estimated at 16 million. The adoption of the 2013 Constitution has also spurred interest litigation by citizens who are now aware of their rights. There is a need to increase the pool of legal practitioners through the establishment of more law schools in Zimbabwe. It is against this background that the Faculty of Law was established. It intends to be an alternative route for expanding access to legal education and training by offering legal education through ODeL. This is critical in improving legal education and access to justice. It acts as an essential ingredient of national development and plays a significant role in the realisation of Vision 2030 which seeks to create an upper-middle-income economy.
- Our vision is to become a leading Centre of Excellence in delivering quality legal education and training through Open and Distance Electronic Learning.
- In pursuit of its vision, the Faculty’s missionis to produce high-quality graduates who are capable of becoming leaders in legal practice, commerce, industry, politics or academia.
- Its aim is to conduct sound teaching and research and to promote community engagement.
- The Faculty is committed to the values entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe and aims to promote justice, inclusivity and equity in our staff and students, so enabling them to become responsible, productive and ethical members of society.
Our mission and vision are underpinned by the following core values;
- Social justice
- Impartiality
- Inclusivity
- Diversity
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Fairness
- Objectivity
- Respect
- Compassion and collegiality
- The minimum duration for the LLB Programme shall be five years.
- Entry Requirements
- Normal Entry
- Five (5) Ordinary Level passes or equivalent including a good pass in English Language with a grade B or better. Also, the candidate must have at least three good ‘A’ Level passes.
- Special Entry
- Five (5) Ordinary Level passes or equivalent, including English Language with a grade B or better and any relevant Diploma or Degree from a recognised institution.
- Mature entry
The candidate must have five (5) Ordinary Level passes or equivalent, including English Language with a grade B or better and suitable or relevant post-school experience of ten years. In addition, candidates should satisfy the Faculty of their ability to complete the degree by writing and passing an entry test.
Currently, the Faculty does not have a running program. However, the flagship programme of the Faculty of Law will be the Bachelor of Laws Honours Degree programme.