Boezaart (davel) Trynie

Biography

Professor Trynie Boezaart (previously Davel) is a professor of private law, and holds the following degrees: BA (Law), LLB (cum laude) and LLD from the University of Pretoria. The title of her LLD thesis was “Die dood van ‘n broodwinner as skadevergoedingsoorsaak” (“The death of a breadwinner as a cause of damages”). She was a prosecutor in the Department of Justice and a lecturer at the University of South Africa, before joining the University of Pretoria in 1980. Professor Boezaart founded the Centre for Child Law in 1998. The Centre developed into a multi-disciplinary, internationally recognised Centre of Expertise. The main focus of the Centre is impact litigation as a strategy to enforce and promote children’s rights. Professor Boezaart stepped down as the Director of the Centre when she was appointed as the Head of the Department of Private Law in 2008. She also served as an acting judge in the GNP division of the High Court during 2008. Her term as Head of the Department expired at the end of September 2014. Professor Boezaart teaches the Law of Delict (DLR 320) and Child Law (KID 410) at undergraduate level. She initiated the Masters degree in Child Law, first as a single module for the coursework LLM degree in Private Law and since 2000 as a fully-fledged LLM degree consisting of three modules. She currently coordinates one of these modules. Several doctoral students have graduated under her supervision. She and one of her former LLD students, Prof Ann Skelton, received the coveted Mellon Foundation Award for research concerning the influence of the concept of restorative justice in the child justice system in South Africa. One of her former doctoral students Prof Rushiela Songca is currently the Executive Dean of the Colleage of Law at Unisa. A number of doctoral candidates are currently registered to complete their theses under her supervision.

Research Interest

Her main fields of interest are Child Law and the Law of Persons.