UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (UNISA)
College of Law — School of Law
⋄
LAW AND SOCIETY
First Semester Assignment 2 — 2026
⋄
Module Code: SSL2601
Module Name: Law and Society
Assignment No.: Assignment 2
Due Date: [Due Date]
Semester: First Semester, 2026
Unique Number: 365766
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for SSL2601:
Law and Society
at the University of South Africa.
, UNISA | SSL2601 The Constitutional Right to Healthcare
Introduction
Old John’s confusion is understandable. The right to healthcare in South Africa is one of the
most discussed, litigated and contested provisions in the entire Constitution of the Republic
of South Africa, 1996. It touches on the limits of government obligation, the allocation of pub-
lic resources, and the dignity of every person within the country’s borders. Section 27 of the
Constitution is the primary provision governing this right, and its text has been interpreted by
the Constitutional Court in a series of landmark decisions that continue to shape health policy
and hospital administration to this day. This discussion examines the full text of section 27,
its three sub-sections, the nature of the right it creates, the state’s corresponding obligations,
and the manner in which the Constitutional Court has applied these provisions in practice.
Page 1 of 14
College of Law — School of Law
⋄
LAW AND SOCIETY
First Semester Assignment 2 — 2026
⋄
Module Code: SSL2601
Module Name: Law and Society
Assignment No.: Assignment 2
Due Date: [Due Date]
Semester: First Semester, 2026
Unique Number: 365766
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for SSL2601:
Law and Society
at the University of South Africa.
, UNISA | SSL2601 The Constitutional Right to Healthcare
Introduction
Old John’s confusion is understandable. The right to healthcare in South Africa is one of the
most discussed, litigated and contested provisions in the entire Constitution of the Republic
of South Africa, 1996. It touches on the limits of government obligation, the allocation of pub-
lic resources, and the dignity of every person within the country’s borders. Section 27 of the
Constitution is the primary provision governing this right, and its text has been interpreted by
the Constitutional Court in a series of landmark decisions that continue to shape health policy
and hospital administration to this day. This discussion examines the full text of section 27,
its three sub-sections, the nature of the right it creates, the state’s corresponding obligations,
and the manner in which the Constitutional Court has applied these provisions in practice.
Page 1 of 14
