The University of the Western Cape (UWC) will honour prominent South African human-rights lawyer and Madlanga Commission evidence leader Advocate Adila Hassim SC with an honorary doctorate in recognition of her contribution to constitutional rights, healthcare and social justice.
Hassim will receive a Doctor Philosophiae (honoris causa) during UWC’s 2026 Honorary Doctorate Celebration on Friday, 28 August 2026.
The recognition adds another significant milestone to the career of one of South Africa’s leading public-interest advocates, whose legal work has stretched from some of the country’s most important constitutional and healthcare-rights cases to proceedings on the international stage.
From Life Esidimeni to the Madlanga Commission
Hassim currently serves as an evidence leader at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, where she has become a familiar figure through her questioning of witnesses appearing before the commission.
Her involvement in major public-interest cases, however, stretches back many years.
Hassim was lead counsel in the Life Esidimeni Arbitration, which examined the deaths of at least 144 mental healthcare users after vulnerable patients were moved from Life Esidimeni facilities to inadequately equipped NGOs.
UWC itself previously highlighted Hassim’s role in the arbitration when she delivered the university’s David Sanders Lecture on Public Health and Social Justice in 2019. During that address, she reflected on accountability, human dignity and what the tragedy revealed about failures within the state.
A career built around public-interest law
Hassim also co-founded SECTION27 and previously served as its Director of Litigation.
Her work there formed part of a broader career devoted to socio-economic and constitutional rights, including healthcare and education. She has also been involved in major litigation including the Limpopo textbooks case and the silicosis class action against mining companies.
Her academic credentials include a BA and LLB from the former University of Natal, an LLM from Saint Louis University and a doctorate in law from the University of Notre Dame. She was admitted to the Johannesburg Bar in 2003.
Representing South Africa before the ICJ
Hassim gained international prominence as a member of South Africa’s legal team before the International Court of Justice in the country’s case against Israel.
During proceedings at The Hague, Hassim presented part of South Africa’s case before the world court, further raising her profile internationally as a human-rights and constitutional lawyer.
UWC says its 2026 honorary doctorate recipients represent leadership and work spanning human rights, social justice, education, diplomacy and public service, reflecting the university’s commitment to transformation and human dignity.
For Hassim, the honorary doctorate represents recognition of a legal career that has consistently placed constitutional rights, healthcare, accountability and human dignity at its centre.
