Skip to main content

Prof Loretta Feris

Prof Feris is currently the Vice-Principal: Academic, at the University of Pretoria.  Prior to working as a  Law Professor at the UP Law Faculty, having re-joined UP in February 2022. She was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) Transformation, Student Affairs and Social Responsiveness at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She held numerous leadership roles at UCT, including the Director of the Institute of Marine and Environmental Law as well a Director of Research, both roles at the Faculty of Law.  Prof Feris has 28 years of experience as an established scholar with international standing and commendable scholarly work with eight years of her experience at a senior management level. She has experience in teaching and learning through her participation in multiple academic committees, including the UCT teaching and learning, language and social responsiveness committees.  From 2004 to 2009, Prof Feris was Associate Prof of Law and Programme Manager of the International Trade and Investment Law in Africa programme at the University of Pretoria. Prior to that, she was involved in several roles at the Washington College of Law, American University, Washington DC in the United States of America (USA).

In 1988, she obtained a BA degree in Law at the University of Stellenbosch as well as an LLB in 1990. In 1994, she completed her LLM at Georgetown University Law Centre, USA. She holds a doctoral degree in Environmental Law, an interdisciplinary field from the University of Stellenbosch. Prof Feris is a member of the IUCN Academy for Environmental Law where she has also served as a committee member in the Teaching and Training Committee and was requested to serve in a task team that was exploring innovative teaching methodologies for Environmental Law. She has served as an expert in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Montevideo process, focusing on the development of environmental law at a global level. She was one of two lead academics for the development of a global Curriculum on Compliance with and Enforcement of Multilateral Environmental Agreements, commissioned by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and UNEP. Professor Feris serves on the board of Biowatch and chairs the Board of Natural Justice, both civil society organisations with a strong focus on environmental justice.