Appointment of Dean: Faculty of Law

Dear colleagues and students

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Mohamed Paleker as the new dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Cape Town (UCT), with effect from Monday, 16 February 2026. Professor Paleker is a distinguished scholar, an accomplished teacher and an attorney of the High Court of South Africa. He brings to the deanship deep institutional knowledge, national standing in legal reform and a sustained commitment to advancing access to justice.

Professor Paleker holds a BA, LLB, LLM and PhD in Law from UCT. He joined UCT as a contract lecturer in 2000, was appointed permanently in 2002 and was promoted to full professor in 2018. His academic career spans more than two decades of teaching, research and institutional contribution.

Before entering academia full-time, Professor Paleker served as a researcher in the Constitutional Assembly of South Africa and practised as an attorney at Lionel Murray Schwormstedt and Louw. This experience continues to inform his work at the intersection of legal theory, practice and reform.

His scholarship focuses on civil procedure, access to justice, succession law, family law, mediation and legal reform. He has authored and edited leading texts in South African civil procedure and succession law and has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes. As a scholar at the Max Planck Institute, he worked on a project mapping global Civil Procedure. His work contributes not only to academic debate but to the practical development of the justice system.

Professor Paleker has played a significant role in shaping aspects of South Africa’s civil justice framework. As a member of the Rules Board for Courts of Law, he chaired the Alternative Dispute Resolution and Small Claims Committees. He served as an advisory member of the South African Law Reform Commission, contributing to work on family law mediation, child relocation and statutory reform. Through his involvement with the National Small Claims Committee, he helped establish more than 200 small claims courts nationwide and currently chairs the National Ministerial Task Team on Small Claims Courts.

He was also the lead drafter in developing South Africa’s court-annexed mediation framework and has trained mediators nationally. His public engagement reflects a sustained commitment to improving access to justice and strengthening institutional fairness.

Within the faculty, Professor Paleker is recognised for his commitment to teaching and mentorship. He taught Civil Procedure for 25 years and has taught across the undergraduate curriculum, including Law of Succession, Civil Justice Reform and a range of other courses. He has supervised more than 20 postgraduate dissertations and currently supervises LLM and PhD candidates. Several of his students have secured international scholarships and pursued distinguished academic and advocacy careers.

His contribution to teaching has been recognised through the UCT Distinguished Teacher Award, the Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Merit Award and the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa Award. These honours reflect his dedication to intellectual rigour and student development.

Professor Paleker has also served the university in numerous leadership capacities. He chaired the Law Faculty Library Committee and the UCT Library Working Group and serves on the Jagger Library restoration project. He has served as head of department, chair of the School for Legal Practice and LLB coordinator across year levels. He has actively contributed to curriculum review, academic planning and the work of the UCT Law Clinic.

This breadth of experience positions him well to lead the faculty at a time when legal education must respond to evolving social, economic and constitutional realities. The Faculty of Law plays a critical role within UCT and in South Africa’s broader legal landscape. It shapes scholarship, trains future practitioners and leaders and contributes to policy and reform.

In his career, Professor Paleker has combined scholarship with public engagement, institutional leadership with mentorship, and academic depth with practical reform. I am confident that he will guide the faculty with clarity, purpose and a strong commitment to excellence.

On behalf of UCT, I congratulate Professor Paleker on his appointment and extend my best wishes as he takes up this role. 

I also extend my gratitude to Associate Professors Jameelah Omar and Kelley Moult, who served as acting deans during the period preceding this appointment. Their leadership ensured continuity and stability during the transition, and the university is grateful for their service.

It is also opportune to once again thank Professor Danwood Chirwa, who served as dean from 1 January 2019 until the end of 2025. He led the faculty with distinction for seven years, guiding it through a complex and demanding period. Under his leadership, the faculty strengthened its academic profile and maintained its commitment to social justice and constitutional values. We are grateful for his dedication and contribution.

I am sure you will join me in welcoming Professor Paleker as dean of the Faculty of Law and in wishing him every success in the years ahead.

• View Professor Paleker’s abbreviated CV.

Sincerely

Professor Mosa Moshabela
Vice-Chancellor

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