The University of the Western Cape (UWC) has conferred an honorary Doctor Philosophiae degree on Advocate Adila Hassim SC in recognition of her longstanding contribution to constitutional rights, public-interest litigation and social justice in South Africa.
Hassim was among seven individuals honoured by UWC at a special ceremony on 28 August 2026. The university also recognised former International Relations Minister Dr Naledi Pandor, former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and Professor Emeritus Loyiso Nongxa. The late Charlotte Maxeke and anti-gender-based violence activist Mandisa Monakali were honoured posthumously.
For Hassim, the recognition follows a legal career spanning almost three decades and characterised by litigation concerning constitutional rights, access to healthcare and the protection of marginalised communities.
Hassim obtained her BA and LLB from the former University of Natal before completing an LLM at Saint Louis University School of Law in 1999. She subsequently obtained a Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD) from Notre Dame Law School in 2006. She was admitted to the Johannesburg Society of Advocates in 2003.
Her public-interest legal work includes her involvement with the AIDS Law Project, where she worked to advance the rights of people living with HIV, and the Treatment Action Campaign. In 2010, she co-founded SECTION27 and served as its Director of Litigation, where she led a number of significant constitutional and public-interest matters.
Among the matters associated with her career was the Life Esidimeni Arbitration in 2017, where she represented SECTION27 and families of victims. Her wider practice has included litigation concerning healthcare, education, occupational disease and mental healthcare.
Hassim has also become internationally recognised for her work in international law. In January 2024, she served as lead opening counsel for South Africa before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in proceedings brought by South Africa against Israel under the Genocide Convention.
She currently serves as an evidence leader at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating allegations concerning corruption, criminality and political interference in South Africa’s criminal justice system.
UWC said its decision to honour Hassim reflects the university’s longstanding commitment to recognising individuals whose work advances human dignity, equality and social transformation. Rector and Vice-Chancellor Professor Robert Balfour noted that the university confers honorary degrees sparingly and that its honorary graduates have historically included figures associated with South Africa’s struggle for democracy, including Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Albertina Sisulu and Albie Sachs.
Speaking about the honour, Hassim said she was overwhelmed and taken by surprise when the university contacted her. She described the recognition as particularly meaningful because of the values associated with UWC.
“It’s really very special coming from UWC,” Hassim said, adding that the university’s values resonate with her.
The university’s recognition places Hassim’s legal career within a broader tradition of public service. UWC described the 2026 honorary doctorate recipients as individuals whose work, across different disciplines and generations, reflects a common commitment to human dignity, equality and social transformation.
For the South African legal profession, Hassim’s honorary doctorate also represents recognition of a model of legal practice in which litigation extends beyond individual disputes and is used as a mechanism for advancing constitutional rights and accountability.
