SJD1501/101/3//2022

Tutorial Letter 101/3/2022

Social Dimensions of Justice

SJD1501

Semester 1 and 2

College of Law
This is the Signature Module for the College of
Law

This tutorial letter contains important information about your module.

Please register on myUnisa, activate your myLife e-mail addresses and make sure
that you have regular access to the myUnisa module website, SJD1501-2022-S1
or SJD1501-2022-S2, as well as your group website.

BARCODE
 CONTENTS

Page

1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 3
2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES ...................................................................................................... 4
2.1 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................ 4
2.2 Outcomes ..................................................................................................................................... 4
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION ........................................................................................... 6
4 CONTACTING THE UNIVERSITY VIA EMAIL ............................................................................. 6
5 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS................................................................................... 5
5.1 Lecturer(s) .................................................................................................................................... 5
5.2 Department ................................................................................................................................... 7
5.3 College of Law Information Centre ................................................................................................ 7
5.4 University ...................................................................................................................................... 7
6 RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................... 8
7 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES .............................................................................................. 11
7.1 Module-specific support initiatives............................................................................................... 11
7.2 First-Year Experience Programme @ Unisa (only compulsory for NQF level 5 and 6 modules) .. 11
7.3 Companies falsely advertising Unisa services............................................................................. 11
8 ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................................... 11
9 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY ........................................................................................................ 13
9.1 Plagiarism ................................................................................................................................... 13
9.2 Cheating ..................................................................................................................................... 13
9.3 More information about plagiarism can be downloaded on the link below ................................... 13
10 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES .............................................................................................. 13
11 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ........................................................................................ 13
12 IN CLOSING ............................................................................................................................... 14

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Dear Student

1 INTRODUCTION

Unisa is a comprehensive ODeL higher education institution. The comprehensiveness of our

curricula encapsulates a range of offerings, from strictly vocational to strictly academic
certificates, diplomas and degrees. Unisa's "openness" and its distance eLearning character
result in many students registering at Unisa who may not have had an opportunity to enrol in
higher education. Our ODeL character implies that our programmes are carefully planned and
structured to ensure success for students ranging from the under-prepared but with potential to
the sufficiently prepared.

Teaching and learning in an ODeL context involves multiple modes of delivery ranging from
blended learning to fully online. As a default position, all post graduate programmes are offered
fully online with no printed study materials, while undergraduate programmes are offered in a
blended mode of delivery where printed study materials are augmented with online teaching and
learning via the learner management system – myUnisa. In some instances, undergraduate
programmes are offered fully online as well.

Furthermore, our programmes are aligned with the vision, mission and values of the University.
Unisa's commitment to serve humanity and shape futures combined with a clear appreciation of
our location on the African continent, Unisa's graduates have distinctive graduate qualities which
include

• independent, resilient, responsible and caring citizens who are able to fulfil and serve in
multiple roles in their immediate and future local, national and global communities
• having a critical understanding of their location on the African continent with its histories,
challenges and potential in relation to globally diverse contexts
• the ability to critically analyse and evaluate the credibility and usefulness of information
and data from multiple sources in a globalised world with its ever-increasing information
and data flows and competing worldviews
• how to apply their discipline-specific knowledges competently, ethically and creatively to
solve real-life problems
• an awareness of their own learning and developmental needs and future potential

This is a fully online module and all information is available via the internet, we use myUnisa as
our virtual campus. This is an online system that is used to administer, document and deliver
educational material to you and support engagement with you. Look out for information from your
lecturer as well as other Unisa platforms to determine how to access the virtual myUnisa module
site. Information on the tools that will be available to engage with the lecturer and fellow students
to support your learning will also be communicated via various platforms.

You are encouraged to log into the module site on myUnisa regularly.

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2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES
2.1 Purpose

Dear Student
Welcome to SJD1501
This module will introduce you to the South African context in which you will have to perform as
future legal and criminal justice functionaries. You will develop a basic understanding of what
shapes our legal system, the nature of South African law and the criminal justice system and
how the law and justice is applied and administered. You will also develop an awareness of how
you, as legal and criminal justice functionaries, can contribute towards building a safer and
more just society in conformity with the South African Constitution.

Because this is a fully online module, you will need to use myUnisa to study and complete the
learning activities for this course. Visit the website for SJD1501 on myUnisa frequently. The
website for your module is SJD1501-22-S1 or SJD1501-22-S2.

Owing to the nature of this module, you can read about the module and find your study material
online. Go to the website at https://my.unisa.ac.za and log in using your student number and
password. You will see SJD1501-22-S1 or SJD1501-22-S2 in the row of modules displayed in
the orange blocks at the top of the webpage. Select the More tab if you cannot find the module
you require in the orange blocks. Then click on the module you want to open.

We wish you much success in your studies!

2.2 Outcomes

Law and justice are an intrinsic part of our lives and in this module, we explore law and justice by
asking you to engage with newspapers, your own experience, and that of others. We hope you
find this encounter with the Social Dimensions of the South African Justice System as insightful.
This module is delivered using myUnisa and the internet as well as peer group interaction;
community engagement is also included in some of the activities. Your lecturers will interact with
you on myUnisa and via e-mail.

After the completion of this module we hope that you will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the South African legal and criminal justice systems.
• Demonstrate an understanding that South Africa’s constitutional, legal and criminal justice
systems function within a global community.
• Articulate a personal philosophy of justice with specific reference to the principles of
restorative justice, on which a legal or criminal justice professional’s service to humanity
is based.

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3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION
Unisa has implemented a transformation charter based on five pillars and eight dimensions. In
response to this charter, we have placed curriculum transformation high on the teaching and
learning agenda. Curriculum transformation includes the following pillars: student-centred
scholarship, the pedagogical renewal of teaching and assessment practices, the scholarship of
teaching and learning, and the infusion of African epistemologies and philosophies. These pillars
and their principles will be integrated at both programme and module levels as a phased-in
approach. You will notice a marked change in the teaching and learning strategy implemented by
Unisa, together with how the content is conceptualised in your modules. We encourage you to
embrace these changes during your studies at Unisa in a responsive way within the framework
of transformation.

4 CONTACTING THE UNIVERSITY VIA EMAIL

To assist Unisa to safeguard your personal information, please ensure that you only use your
myLife e-mail account when communicating with the university. We will not be responding to
any emails sent from private email addresses.
By using your myLife e-mail account, the university has a reasonable assurance that we are
communicating with you, as your e-mail address contains your student number and you use your
login credentials to access the account.
Unisa may only communicate with a student using a private e-mail address under the following
circumstances:

• New applicants who are enquiring about information for the purpose of applying for
admission.
• New applicants who do not yet have a myLife e-mail account, because they have been
admitted but not yet registered.
• Where a student requires assistance in resolving myLife e-mail account access
problems.

Please be aware that any personal information you publish on public platforms, such as social
media platforms and WhatsApp groups, is not covered by the provisions of Protection of Personal
Information Act 4 of 2013. Any personal information published in the public domain is not
considered private and can, therefore be accessed by external parties with access to such
platforms.

5 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS

5.1 Lecturer(s)

You can contact any of the lecturers listed below for assistance:
Prof P. Muthaphuli
Email: muthap@unisa.ac.za

Mrs DC Jonker
Email: jonkedc@unisa.ac.za
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Prof TD Matshaba
Email: dmatshab@unisa.ac.za

Mr J Masina
Email: masinj@unisa.ac.za

Mr A Labane
Email: lebana@unisa.ac.za

We encourage you to use emails. When emailing us please include your student number
and your group number to avoid unnecessary delays!

5.2 Department

You can contact the secretary of the department as follows:

E-mail: tngobeit@unisa.ac.za

5.3 College of Law Information Centre

For college-specific queries, please email lawdeanery@unisa.ac.za or

CLAWinquiries@unisa.ac.za. The college can also be contacted by phoning 012 429
4718/4860/6166/3253/4428.
Please send all emails from your mylife email account. If you send an e-mail directly to a
Unisa e-mail address, insert your student number in the subject line to effect the correct routing
to an advisor for processing.
5.4 University

To contact the university, please dial 080 000 1870. Remember to keep your student number at
hand when contacting the university. The Unisa Student Communication Service Centre will be
open weekdays from 08:00 – 16:00 (South African Standard Time).

Please send all emails from your mylife email account. If you send an e-mail directly to a
Unisa e-mail address, insert your student number in the subject line to effect the correct routing
to an advisor for processing. Please check the list carefully and send an enquiry to one e-
mail address only. This will ensure that there is no confusion as to who must respond, thereby
preventing unnecessary delays in the response or the email portrayed as spam. Students should
only forward enquiries to the Registrar and Deputy Registrar in instances where those enquiries
could not be resolved at other levels.

TYPE OF QUERY EMAIL ADDRESS TELEPHONE NUMBER

ICT
myUnisa myUnisaHelp@unisa.ac.za 012 429 3111 (Option 2)

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myLife myLifeHelp@unisa.ac.za 012 429 3111 (Option 2)

STUDENT ADMISSIONS AND REGISTRATIONS
General applications and registration
study-info@unisa.ac.za
queries
College of Law jus@unisa.ac.za
International students international@unisa.ac.za
Exemptions adhoccredits@unisa.ac.za
Access and matriculation exemption ame@unisa.ac.za
Re-admissions study-info@unisa.ac.za
STUDENT ASSESSMENT ADMINISTRATION
General assignment enquiries assign@unisa.ac.za
General exam queries exams@unisa.ac.za 012 429 8641
Aegrotat exams aegrotats@unisa.ac.za 012 429 8641
Exam arrangements for students with examdisabled@unisa.ac.za
012 429 8641
disabilities
Exam admission examadmission@unisa.ac.za 012 429 8641
International students examinternational@unisa.ac.za + 27 12 429 2268
Remarks remark@unisa.ac.za 012 429 8641
Purchase of an exam script purchasescript@unisa.ac.za 012 429 8641
FINANCE
Student account enquiries finan@unisa.ac.za 012 429 2441/4299
STUDENT FUNDING
General student funding enquiries letsomp@unisa.ac.za 012 441 5600
STUDY MATERIAL
Despatch enquiries despatch@unisa.ac.za

6 RESOURCES
6.1 Joining myUnisa
If you have access to a computer that is linked to the internet, you can quickly access resources
and information at the University. The myUnisa learning management system is the University's
online campus that will help you communicate with your lecturers, with other students and with
the administrative departments at Unisa – all through the computer and the internet.
You can start at the main Unisa website at http://www.unisa.ac.za and then click on the myUnisa
orange block. This will take you to the myUnisa website. To go to the myUnisa website directly,
go to https://my.unisa.ac.za. Click on the Claim UNISA Login on the right-hand side of the screen
on the myUnisa website. You will then be prompted to give your student number in order to claim
your initial myUnisa details as well as your myLife e-mail login details.
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For more information on myUnisa, consult the brochure Study @myUnisa, which you received
with your study material.
6.2 Other resources – printed support material
Because we want you to be successful in this online module, we DO NOT provide you with study
material in printed format.
It is very important that you log in to myUnisa regularly. We recommend that you log in at least
once a week or every 10 days to do the following:

• Check for new announcements. You MUST activate your myLife e-mail account to receive
the announcement e-mails on your cellphone.
• Do the Discussion Forum activities. When you do the activities for each unit, we want you
to share your answers with the other people in your group. You can read the instructions and
even prepare your answers offline, but you will need to go online to post your messages.
• Do other online activities. For some of the unit activities you will need to post something on
the Blog, take a quiz or complete a survey under the Self-Assessment tool. Do not skip
these activities because they will help you complete the assignments and the activities for the
module.
To get the most out of the online course you MUST go online regularly to complete the activities
and assignments on time.
6.3 Library services and resource information
The Unisa Library offers a range of information services and resources:

• For brief information, go to https://www.unisa.ac.za/library/libatglance

• For more detailed Library information, go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library
• For research support and services (eg Personal Librarians and literature search
services), go to http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-
services/Research-support

The Library has created numerous Library guides: http://libguides.unisa.ac.za

Recommended guides:

• Request and find library material/download recommended material:

http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request
• Postgraduate information services: http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/postgrad
• Finding and using library resources and tools:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_skills
• Frequently asked questions about the library:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
• Services to students living with disabilities:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/disability

Important contact information:

• Ask a Librarian: https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
• Technical problems accessing library online services: Lib-help@unisa.ac.za
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• General library related queries: Library-enquiries@unisa.ac.za

For queries related to library fines and payments: Library-fines@unisa.ac.za

Free computer and internet access

Unisa has entered into partnerships with establishments (referred to as Telecentres) in various
locations across South Africa to enable you (as a Unisa student) free access to computers and
the Internet. This access enables you to conduct the following academic related activities:
registration; online submission of assignments; engaging in e-tutoring activities and signature
courses; etc. Please note that any other activity outside of these are for your own costing e.g.
printing, photocopying, etc. For more information on the Telecentre nearest to you, please visit
www.unisa.ac.za/telecentres.

6.4 What does it mean to study fully online?

Studying fully online modules differs completely from studying some of your other modules at
Unisa.

• All your study material and learning activities for online modules are designed to be
delivered online on myUnisa.
• All of your assignments must be submitted online. This means that you do all your
activities and submit all your assignments on myUnisa. In other words, you may NOT post
your assignments to Unisa using the South African Post Office.
• All of the communication between you and the University happens online. Lecturers will
communicate to you by e-mail, and using the Announcements, the Discussion Forums and
the Questions and Answers tools. You can also use all of these ways to ask questions and
contact your lecturers.
6.5 The myUnisa tools you will use
All of the information about myUnisa tools is located under Unit 0 on the myUnisa website for this
module. However, we thought it was important to highlight the tools that will be used for your
formal assignments.
In this module, there are three different types of assessment using different myUnisa tools:

• Discussions: This is the place where the online discussion forums take place and where you
can share your ideas and insights with other students in your group. For many activities, the
discussion forums are also used, and there are five activities that will count as assignments
for this module. For these assignments to be submitted the teaching assistant (TA) for the
site needs to create a forum with a topic, for example Assignment 01 under Discussions.
When you click on Discussions, you should find the topic Assignment 01. Here you click
on Reply and a message box is displayed in which you will do your assignment. Scroll down
to Publish to finalise/submit the assignment. Never create a new topic by yourself unless the
TA requests you to do so. For the activities that need to be done under Discussions, the TA
will create a forum called Unit 1 and then a topic for the activity. Again, do the activity as a
reply under the topic created by the TA and not as a separate topic.
• Assignments: The assignments that are not done under Discussions are called written
assignments. You have to type these assignments in a Word document and submit them
online in the same way as you will submit all the other assignments online. The assignments
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 will be routed to your TA who will mark them. Depending on the assignment, you may be
asked to fill in a form or type a document. These typed assignments must be submitted as
Word documents or pdf format using the online Assignments tool on myUnisa. The
instructions for submitting these assignments are given under Unit 0.
Under Discussions, several other discussion forums are available where you can share ideas
and post your opinions online. We have also provided the Social Indaba where you can socialise
with the other students in the course. (In several African languages, an indaba is a place where
people gather to interact socially.)
You may also ask questions using the Questions and Answers tool. If your question is of general
importance, your TA may publish it for the whole group to see.
Remember, you will have two online spaces for the module, Social Dimensions of Justice:

• Your main site: SJD1501-22-S1 or SJD1501-22-S2, this is where you will hear from your
teaching team through Announcements. We also give you some of the study materials so
that you can get started, but you cannot complete the activities here. For that, you need to
go to your group site.

• Your group site: This group site will be assigned to you later, with your Teaching Assistant.
Your group site will look almost the same as the main site, but it will have a group number
at the end. For example, a group site for first semester looks like this: SJD1501-22-S1-10T
or SJD-22-S2-10T. This is where you will interact with the students in your group and your
Teaching Assistant. This is also the place where you will find the following:
o All of the study materials for the module, including reading materials, links and
activities
o All of the information about your assignments and activities.
o This is where you must submit your formal Assignments to the university.

7 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

7.1 Module-specific support initiatives

All information relating to module-specific support initiatives will be made available to you via
myUnisa on the module site.
7.2 First-Year Experience Programme @ Unisa (only compulsory for NQF level 5 and 6
modules)

For many students, the transition from school education to tertiary education is beset with anxiety.
This is also true for first-time students to Unisa. Unisa is a dedicated open distance and e-learning
institution. Unlike face-to-face/contact institutions, Unisa is somewhat different. It is a mega
university, and all our programmes are offered through a blended learning mode or fully online
learning mode. It is for this reason that we thought it necessary to offer first-time students
additional/extended support so that you can seamlessly navigate the Unisa teaching and learning
journey with little difficulty and few barriers. In this regard we offer a specialised student support
programme to students entering Unisa for the first time. We refer to this programme as Unisa’s
First-Year Experience (FYE) Programme. The FYE is designed to provide you with prompt and

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helpful information about services that the institution offers and how you can access information.
The following FYE programmes are currently offered:

• FYE website: All the guides and resources you need to navigate through your first year at
Unisa can be accessed using the following link: www.unisa.ac.za/FYE

• FYE e-mails: You will receive regular e-mails to help you stay focused and motivated.

• FYE broadcasts: You will receive e-mails with links to broadcasts on various topics related to
your first-year studies (eg videos on how to submit assignments online).

• FYE mailbox: For assistance with queries related to your first year of study, send an e-mail to
fye@unisa.ac.za

7.3 Companies falsely advertising Unisa services

Some companies and social media pages have been falsely advertising Unisa online information
and various services to assist Unisa students. In the process, companies either solicit money
fraudulently from students or make money through online advertising with no benefit to students.
These companies are in no way associated or related to Unisa.
We request that students only use official Unisa sites and platforms as any other platforms will
provide you with incorrect information and/or act illegally which will be harmful to your studies.
Unisa will always use official communication channels (eg Unisa website, myUnisa, Unisa social
media platforms, myLife e-mail) to communicate with students.
Please use the following Unisa platforms for official Unisa information:

• www.unisa.ac.za
• https://my.unisa.ac.za
• https://www.facebook.com/UniversityOfSouthAfrica
• https://twitter.com/unisa
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/unisa

8 ASSESSMENT
8.1 Assessment plan
The due dates for all the assignments and activities will be made available on your group site
when the learning commences.
Because this is an online module, the assignments are not provided in this tutorial letter. Instead,
the assignments are available on your group site and you can view them online.
NB: Learning can only commence when you have been assigned to an only study group
as indicated under section 6.5 of this document.

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10.2 Year marks and final examination/portfolio
There is no examination or a portfolio for this module. Your Year Mark for this module
which is your final mark will be calculated as follows:

o Weighting in the course: Year Mark = 100%

o Assignment 01: 5%
o Assignment 02: 5%
o Assignment 03: 20%
o Assignment 04: 10%
o Assignment 05: 20%
o Assignment 06:10%
o Assignment 07: 30%

8.2 Assessment plan

You must log into the module site on myUnisa in order to access the following:

• the due dates for assignments

• the actual assignments that must be completed

• how to submit your assignments

• the weighting of the different assessments

• admission to the exam

• the examination.

8.3 Unique numbers

Assignments are no longer given unique numbers.

8.4 Assignment due dates

• There are no assignment due dates included in this tutorial letter.

• Assignment due dates will be made available to you on the landing page of myUnisa for this
module. We envisage that the due dates will be available to you upon registration.

• Please start working on your assignments as soon as you register for the module.

• Log on to the myUnisa site for this module to obtain more information on the due dates for the
submission of the assignments.

8.5 Submission of assignments

All information on when and where to submit your assignments will be made available to you via
the myUnisa site for your module.

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8.6 The examination

Examination information and details on the format of the examination will be made available to
you online via the myUnisa site. Look out for information that will be shared with you by your
lecturer and e-tutors (where relevant) and for communication from the University.

9 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
9.1 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others and presenting them as
your own. It is a form of theft which involves several dishonest academic activities, such as the
following:

• Cutting and pasting from any source without acknowledging the source.
• Not including or using incorrect references.
• Paraphrasing without acknowledging the original source of the information.
9.2 Cheating
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Completing assessments on behalf of another student, copying from another student

during an assessment or allowing a student to copy from you.
• Using social media (eg WhatsApp, Telegram) or other platforms to disseminate
assessment information.
Submitting corrupt or irrelevant files.
• Buying completed answers from “tutors” or internet sites (contract cheating).
9.3 More information about plagiarism can be downloaded on the link below
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Study-@-Unisa/Student-values-and-rules

10 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Student with Disabilities (ARCSWiD) provides an
opportunity for staff to interact with new and returning students with disabilities.
If you are a student with a disability and would like additional support or need additional time for
assessments, you are invited to contact the university by sending an email to
examdisabled@unisa.ac.za, so that you can be assisted. In your email include the name of the
module(s) that you are currently registered for.
For content-related queries, please send an email to Prof P Muthaphuli
muthap@unisa.ac.za

11 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

This section is included on your module site on Myunisa.

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12 IN CLOSING
Do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail if you are experiencing problems with the content of this
tutorial letter or with any academic aspect of the module.

We wish you a fascinating and satisfying journey through the learning material and trust that you
will complete the module successfully.

Enjoy the journey!

Prof P Muthaphuli, Mrs DC Jonker, Prof TD Matshaba, Mr A Labane and Mr J Masina.

COLLEGE OF LAW

Unisa 2022

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