Services

Services provided by the Legal Services unit include:

• managing litigation and disputes involving the university (except employment-related matters)
• providing legal assistance and advice to university management
• drafting contracts and advising on contracts (except those pertaining to human resources and research matters – with the latter handled by the Research Contracts & Innovation Department)
• circulating information on legislative changes
• management, administration and prosecution of student disciplinary matters in the University Student Discipline Tribunal and the University Tribunal of Appeal
• appointment of university Commissioners of Oaths.

Complaints against students in terms of the General Rules and Policies

The complaints portal can be accessed online: UCT Legal Office Complaints Portal.

Process guidelines for the submission and review of a complaint:

• Please ensure that all necessary information is provided, and evidence is attached to support the submission (ie. documents, photos, videos, and any other documentary material that illustrates that an offence has been committed).
• Kindly note that if your complaint relates to academic dishonesty, you must submit an individual complaint about each student. If, however, the students involved in the academic dishonesty colluded together then you only need to submit one complaint.
• Once the complaint is lodged, a legal counsellor from the Legal Services Unit will review the complaint submission and will determine whether the alleged conduct constitutes a disciplinary offence and whether there is sufficient evidence to prosecute.
• Once the legal counsellor has determined that the report constitutes a disciplinary offence and that there is sufficient evidence to prosecute, disciplinary action will commence in terms of the process set out in the University Student Discipline Procedures and Guidelines.
• During the process of review of the complaint, you may be called upon to provide further or substantive evidence to support the report complaint and if the matter leads to a prosecution, you may be called to provide testimony before the Tribunal.