Staff Members
Home 禄
Associate Professor
Name: Werner Nicolaas Nel
Location: A-Ring 709 Auckland Park Kingsway Campus
Academic Law Staff, Law Senior Lecturers, Procedural Law Staff听 Staff Members
Contact Details:
Tel: +27(0)11 559 2121
Email:听wnnel@uj.ac.za
About Prof WN Nel
Prof. Dr Werner Nicolaas Nel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Procedural Law, Faculty of Law, at the 东京热 (UJ). He obtained his LLB (2008) and LLM in Public International Law (2009) from UJ and completed his LLD at the University of Pretoria in 2019. His doctoral research examined religious persecution and freedom of religion within international criminal law and international human rights law. He is a published scholar in the interdisciplinary field of law and religion, author of the monograph (2021), and has produced several accredited publications on related themes. His research highlights the societal importance of religious freedom, the value of pluralism, and the need to address impunity for severe religious persecution, work he has presented at leading international conferences.
Werner has more than 16 years of teaching experience across diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate programmes, specialising in criminal justice, public international law, and foundational legal studies. He frequently guest lectures on law and religion at various levels within UJ and beyond, bringing his research into the classroom and linking it to real-world legal and ethical questions.
Beyond teaching and research, he contributes to academic leadership and collaborative initiatives, including the innovative UJ VR Courtroom project, service on the Academic Board of the International Institute for Religious Freedom, and membership of the International Consortium for Law and Religion Studies. His approach to academia is grounded in principled values and a commitment to socially responsive scholarship, meaningful mentorship, and the advancement of justice and human rights.
Qualifications
LLB, LLM (UJ), LLD (UP)
Research interests: International Criminal Law and Human Rights Law, with a particular focus on the intersection of law and religion鈥攊n particular religious persecution and freedom of religion or belief.