Bid to interdict revoking of law degree dismissed

‘Network putting cart before horse by turning to court at this stage’

THE Higher Education Transformation Network has failed in its attempt to urgently interdict the Council for Higher Education from proceeding with its decision to revoke the accreditation of the Walter Sisulu University’s LLB degree qualification.

This law qualification was revoked in November last year after the council found it to be substandard.

However, it was made clear that this decision did not have any bearing on existing students or the new student intake into the university’s LLB programme for this year.

It only limited the enrolment of new students with effect from next year. The university also indicated that it was working on its LLB programme to get it up to standard.

The group nevertheless turned to the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to interdict the parties from revoking this degree from next year.

It said the decision to no longer go ahead with the degree programme next year was harsh and failed to consider the socio-economic educational implications of its decision.

According to the body, the council did not take the educational rights of the rural poor into account when it withdrew its accreditation for the programme.

The Council for Higher Education said it was definitely not in the best interests of prospective lawyers to undergo an inferior programme, as it would place them on the back foot once they wanted to enter the profession.

However, they said that the group was putting the cart before the horse by turning to court at this stage. The university’s LLB programme was first placed on notice of withdrawal and it was given several months last year to get it on par with the standard.

In October the university issued the Council for Higher Education with its milestones and improved programme, but still failed to meet the necessary standards.

The university was told that it was not permitted to enrol new students into the current LLB programme as from the 2019 academic year, and that it had to have a teachout plan in place for students currently enrolled.

The university accepted the advice that it had to develop a new LLB programme.

Yesterday, Acting Judge Tony Thobane struck off the application from the roll as he found it was not urgent. He said this year’s students were not affected and besides, the university was working at updating its standards.

The group said it would not give up its fight and vowed to be back in court at a later stage.