We are delighted to bring Professor Thuli Madonsela, South Africa’s best known constitutional lawyer and former Public Protector, to lecture in Scotland for the first time.
Professor Thuli Madonsela has been a lifelong activist on social justice, constitutionalism, human rights, good governance and the rule of law. Named one of TIME 100’s most influential people in the world in 2014, and Forbes Africa Person of the Year 2016, Professor Madonsela is one of the drafters of South Africa’s Constitution and co-architect of several laws that have sought to anchor South Africa’s democracy.
Professor Madonsela recently completed a 7-year term as South Africa’s Public Protector, a quasi-judicial administrative oversight body responsible for investigating and redressing maladministration, corruption, executive ethic violations and related improprieties in state affairs. Before she became the Public Protector, Professor Madonsela served in various leadership capacities in civil society and government, including Commissioner in the South African Law Reform Commission.
Professor Madonsela is the Law Faculty Trust Chair for Social Justice and Law Professor at the University of Stellenbosch, where she conducts and coordinates social justice research and she teaches constitutional and administrative law. She is also the founder of the Thuma Foundation, an independent democracy leadership and literacy social enterprise.
Professor Madonsela is Founding Chairperson of the African Ombudsman Research Centre. She is also one of the inaugural leaders of the South African Women Lawyers Association (SAWLA). She has a global reputation for integrity and fearlessness in enforcing accountability and justice in the exercise of public power and use of public resources. She has a history of highlighting the importance of social justice and general inclusive enjoyment of the fruits of democracy in the pursuit of peace.
Her work has received national and global recognition, including several lifetime achievement awards, among them an award by the Premier of Gauteng in 2018. She has five honorary doctor of law degrees, from Wits University, Stellenbosch University, University of Cape Town, University of Fort Hare and Rhodes University. Peer recognition includes the South African Law Society’s Truth and Justice Award, The General Council of the Bar’s Sydney and Felicia Kentridge Award, Botswana Lawyers Association Honorary Membership of the Botswana Bar and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association’s Truth and Justice Award.
Professor Madonsela is a Paul Harris Fellow, recipient of Transparency International’s Integrity Award, the German Africa Prize and Africa Anticorruption Crusader Award, among her innumerable accolades. A Tallberg Global Leader, among others, she spent a year at Harvard in 2017 as an Advanced Leadership Fellow.
Professor Madonsela will be accompanied by Professor Nicola Smit, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Stellenbosch University since 2017. Professor Smit is widely published and is a top-rated researcher in South Africa. Her fields of specialisation are social security law and labour law.
Please save the date to join us for a unique evening in the company of Professor Madonsela and Smit, as part of the WS Society’s special lecture series.
This is a free ticketed event. Tickets will be released 8 weeks in advance.
All enquiries/press please contact Anna Bennett WS at abennett@wssociety.co.uk.
