South African Journal on Human Rights (SAJHR)

About the SAJHR

The South African Journal on Human Rights (SAJHR) is a leading public law journal. The Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS) founded it in 1985 at the School of Law at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. It appears four times a year and reaches readers around the world.

The journal publishes scholarship on constitutional law, human rights and justice. Since January 2016 it has been published jointly by CALS and Taylor and Francis, which handles distribution and subscriptions. Its editors are legal academics, and they take a close interest in how the next generation of researchers is trained.

How the SAJHR supports students

The journal runs a postgraduate top-up bursary for students who hold an LLB and want to complete an LLM. Each year it awards one or more bursaries, and the maximum value is R50 000 each. The editors decide the exact amount case by case. The money is a once-off payment that helps with study costs.

The research topic matters. Candidates should be working on constitutional, human rights or justice-related issues, in any field of law. The LLM can be at any South African public university. Because it is a top-up, the award adds to other funding and does not cover full fees on its own.

What to know before applying

Recent calls have set specific eligibility rules. Applicants needed to be Black South African or African candidates with permanent South African residency who had recently graduated with an LLB from a South African university. In addition, the editors gave particular preference to candidates from several historically under-resourced universities. These include Fort Hare, Venda, Limpopo, Zululand, the Western Cape and Walter Sisulu.

Strong academic results and financial need count in your favour. The journal also profiles its recent bursary holders on its website, which shows the kind of research it supports. Each call sets its own closing date, and a recent one fell in April. Therefore, read the current call on the SAJHR website for the exact criteria, documents and deadline. For questions, use the contact details the journal publishes there.

Candidates often ask what a strong application looks like. The editors want to see a clear research topic with real links to constitutional or human rights questions, together with solid marks from your LLB. A short, honest explanation of your financial position also helps. Use your supervisor or your faculty office for advice on the proposal. Because the awards are small in number, submit a complete application well before the closing date, with every requested document attached. Finally, never pay anyone to help you apply, because the call is free.