International honour recognises Unisa Law Clinic head’s work to expand access to justice

For Adv Kgagudi Morota, access to justice should not depend on where a person lives or whether they can afford a lawyer. It is a principle that has shaped his leadership of the Unisa Law Clinic and has now earned him international recognition. 

Morota, who has headed the University of South Africa (Unisa) Law Clinic since 2020, received the Clevenard Global Honorary Award during the Clevenard Open Project 2026 and Clevenard Global Awards in Alicante, Spain. 

The international recognition acknowledges his contribution to access to justice, human dignity, equality, legal empowerment and community service. 

It also comes after a period of significant expansion for the Unisa Law Clinic. Under Morota’s leadership, the clinic has grown beyond its original base at Unisa’s main campus in Pretoria, establishing additional branches in Polokwane, Middelburg in Mpumalanga and Parow in the Western Cape. 

The expansion has taken legal assistance closer to communities that may otherwise struggle to obtain professional representation because of financial or geographical barriers. 

For the university, the work also demonstrates how legal education can extend beyond the lecture hall. While providing legal services to indigent and vulnerable people, the clinic gives aspiring legal professionals practical exposure to the realities confronting the communities they may one day serve. 

In this way, the clinic sits at the intersection of education and social justice, advancing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, which promotes equal access to justice and accountable institutions, as well as SDG 4: Quality Education, through the practical training and development of future legal professionals. 

Morota’s approach has reinforced the role university law clinics can play in connecting legal education with the everyday experiences of people who need the justice system most. 

Through its growing footprint, the Unisa Law Clinic has assisted thousands of indigent people while continuing to provide practical legal training to aspiring practitioners. 

That combination of scholarship, professional training and service to communities reflects Unisa’s emphasis on engaged scholarship, particularly through its Catalytic Niche Area (CNA) 9: Sustainable Development and Inclusive Innovation. By taking legal expertise beyond the university and applying it to barriers experienced by communities, the clinic demonstrates how academic institutions can contribute directly to more inclusive and equitable societies. 

The work also complements SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, particularly where economic circumstances can determine whether an individual is able to understand, exercise or defend their legal rights. 

For Morota, however, expanding access to justice is about more than opening additional offices. It is about ensuring that people who might otherwise be excluded from the legal system can exercise their rights with dignity and confidence. 

The international recognition coincided with Morota’s participation in the Clevenard Open Project 2026, where he delivered a keynote address titled, “Access to Justice, Ethical Leadership and Inclusive Development in a Changing World.” 

His address examined the relationship between constitutionalism, ethical governance, human rights, legal education and inclusive development in building fairer societies. 

Morota argued that the law cannot be confined to resolving disputes. It must also protect fundamental rights, advance substantive equality, strengthen democratic institutions and contribute to sustainable socioeconomic development. 

Turning to Africa’s development and its relationship with the rest of the world, he called for greater African agency in determining the continent’s future. 

“Other continents and countries have a plan for Africa. It is about time that Africa has a plan for herself,” he said. 

His remarks placed responsibility on African institutions and professionals to help shape development strategies grounded in the continent’s own priorities, aspirations and constitutional values. 

They also reflected the philosophy underpinning his leadership at the Unisa Law Clinic: justice should be accessible, institutions should be accountable and transformation should ultimately improve the lives of the communities they serve. 

This focus on stronger, accountable institutions and meaningful public access to justice brings the clinic’s work back to the objectives of SDG 16, while its emphasis on African-led responses to social challenges reflects Unisa’s broader commitment to producing knowledge and solutions rooted in the realities of the continent. 

The significance of Morota’s work also lies in what happens before Unisa’s law students and candidate legal practitioners enter the profession. 

Working through the clinic exposes emerging legal professionals to clients for whom a legal dispute can have profound consequences for their livelihoods, families and dignity. 

They encounter the law not simply through textbooks and judgments, but through people trying to navigate the justice system. 

This practical dimension strengthens the link between SDG 4’s focus on quality education and SDG 16’s commitment to access to justice. It develops legal professionals while simultaneously providing a public service to communities that might otherwise struggle to obtain legal assistance. 

It is also why Morota’s award extends beyond an individual achievement. The recognition reflects the collective contribution of the Unisa Law Clinic’s legal practitioners, candidate legal practitioners, students and support staff who deliver its services. 

For the clinic, the international honour provides an opportunity to build on that work as it expands its reach and strengthens the relationship between legal education and community empowerment. 

More than the award itself, Morota’s journey points to a larger measure of success for a university law clinic: whether the law taught in classrooms can ultimately make a difference in the lives of people outside them. 

And as the Unisa Law Clinic continues to extend its footprint, that principle remains at the heart of its work: bringing the law closer to the people who need it most while preparing a new generation of legal professionals to understand that justice begins with service. 

* By Kgopotjo Lebepe, Communication and Marketing Officer, Unisa Law Clinic