The CIL, established originally in 1982, is a Centre housed within the Department of Public, Constitutional and International Law of the College of Law.

AIMS OF CENTRE
The primary aims of the Centre are

• to organise and carry out community engagement projects related to the fields of South African indigenous law and custom and comparative African indigenous law and custom;
• to initiate coordinate and promote, community related research projects in accordance with the Unisa Community Engagement and Outreach Policy;
• to offer short learning programmes in the fields of South African indigenous law and custom, and comparative African indigenous law and custom;

In light of the historical background of the Centre, the further aims of the CIL are

• to disseminate ideas and promote the aims of the Centre through the hosting of lectures, seminars, workshops, and conferences in the relevant fields of law served by the Centre;
• to encourage and promote contact between South African and foreign experts on South African indigenous law and custom, and comparative African indigenous law and custom
• to establish contact and cooperate with similar Centres throughout the world;
• to organize commissioned research for government departments public bodies, communities and legal institutions or members of the legal professions on South African indigenous law and custom, and comparative African indigenous law and custom;
• to endeavour publishing and obtaining accreditation for a journal or yearbook on South African indigenous law and custom, and comparative African indigenous law and custom;
• to acquire funds from any source and to utilise such funds to carry on the activities and further the interests of the Centre;

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT
The Centre Is under the management of the Advisory Committee Executive Committee and the Chair.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Composition

The Advisory Committee consists of

a) the Chair;
b) the Vice-Principal Academic: Teaching and Learning or his/her representative;
c) the Executive Dean or his/her representative;
d) the Deputy Executive Dean or his/her representative;
e) the Director of the School of Law or his/her representative;
f) the professors and associate-professors in the Department;
g) the Executive Dean of each College in the University or his/her representative;
e) a maximum of ten additional members identified by the Advisory Committee on the basis of their expertise, experience and repute, as persons who can contribute to the realisation of the aims of the Centre. These additional members may be employees of the University or external persons.