The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has postponed the re-examination of several LLB modules by three days following a KwaZulu-Natal High Court order.

According to The Witness re-examinations, which were scheduled to begin tomorrow (July 20), will now commence on Thursday (July 23).

Details of the revised examination and supplementary examination timetable will be communicated to students as soon as possible.

In compliance with the order, an emergency Senate meeting was convened in terms of the University Statute to determine and approve new examination dates.

High Court orders stay on re-examinations

The meeting followed an interim order granted by the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban on Friday (July 17)  after two urgent applications concerning the re-examination of the affected LLB modules were heard.

The court ordered that the examinations be stayed pending a decision by the Senate on new examination dates. However, the university stressed that the court had not cancelled the re-examinations.

“The court did not order that the re-examination of the affected modules be cancelled. The requirement that the affected modules be rewritten remains in place,” UKZN said.

The university said the court had emphasised that the Senate should act without delay to ensure affected students were not left in prolonged uncertainty.

Senate balances academic calendar concerns

According to an email sent to students, the Senate resolved that the re-examinations would commence on July 23.

It said the decision was guided by the need to achieve the best possible outcome for affected students while balancing the academic calendar and the university’s obligation to conclude the process promptly.

“Senate had regard to the current sessional and academic calendar dates, the need to allow students a fair and reasonable opportunity to prepare while drawing on their existing preparation and the prejudice that students have already endured as a consequence of the leak,” the university said.

“The dates that have been approved seek to balance these considerations with the university’s obligation, recognised by the court, to conclude this process promptly.”

UKZN said it remained committed to supporting students through the process and resolving the matter fairly while preserving the integrity and standing of the LLB qualification.

Students have been urged to monitor their university email accounts and relevant Learn module pages for updates on examination dates, times and venues.

The university also encouraged affected students to continue preparing for the re-examinations while making use of counselling and support services where necessary.

Leaked papers prompt forensic investigation

The latest development follows widespread outrage after UKZN announced earlier this month that several first-semester LLB examinations would have to be rewritten after examination papers were leaked.

The university said it had commissioned an independent external forensic investigation after discovering that the integrity of several examination papers had been compromised.

Affected modules include administrative law, bioethics, constitutional law, income tax, international law and maritime law at the Howard College campus, while maritime law and succession are affected at the Pietermaritzburg campus.

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