Ms. Charmika Samaradiwakera-Wijesundara, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg School of Law, South Africa.
Ms. Charmika Samaradiwakera-Wijesundara 🎓 is a PhD candidate, legal scholar, and human rights advocate with expertise in corporate law, feminist legal theory, and social justice. She teaches and supervises at postgraduate level 📚, contributes to global research forums, and actively engages in anti-racism and ethical governance initiatives 🌍. A member of several academic networks, Charmika is committed to interdisciplinary research and driving impactful legal reform across Africa and beyond ⚖️💡.
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🎓 Early Academic Pursuits
Ms. Charmika Samaradiwakera‑Wijesundara consistently excelled from her school days, matriculating with distinction at Sol Plaatje Secondary School (2007). At the University of the Witwatersrand, she earned her LLB (with distinction) in 2011, followed by an LLM by dissertation in 2018. Since 2019, she has been pursuing a joint‑PhD at Wits and the International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague. Along the way, she strengthened her pedagogical approach with didactic and training certificates from RISBO (2021) and the Centre for Human Rights (2021), and undertook advanced isiZulu language courses in 2018. 📚
💼 Professional Endeavors
Admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa in 2014, Charmika began her academic career in February 2015 as a lecturer at Wits School of Law. She advanced to Senior Lecturer in June 2022, assuming leadership roles in teaching Jurisprudence, Company Law, Ethics, Mooting, Human Rights, and the Law of Delict. She also plays key institutional roles as Senate representative (since 2022), co‑chair of the Sexual Harassment Advisory Committee (since 2018), and chair at Gender Equity Office hearings. 🏛️
🔬 Contributions and Research Focus On Law
Charmika’s scholarly interests lie at the intersection of business, human rights, gender, race, and law. Her research critically examines corporate subjectivity, systemic inequality, and the public–private distinction in juristic persons’ human rights obligations. She has presented papers at global forums—including Law and Society (2023), GAJE (2022), and conferences in Rotterdam, Lisbon, Puerto Rico, and Ghana—exploring feminist legal approaches, coloniality in corporate education, and root causes of business-related human rights issues. 📑
🌍 Impact and Influence
Charmika’s voice resonates across academia, policy, and public discourse. She moderated high‑level panels, adjudicated legal hackathons, and contributed to UNGPs10+ gender consultations. She was invited by the South African Human Rights Commission’s Section 11 Committee to address national questions and anti‑racism since March 2024. She’s a sought-after expert in human rights, judicial independence, and feminist legal education. Her media presence includes appearances on SABC News and SA FM, engaging on constitutional and international human rights matters. 🎙️
🧠 Research Skills
Charmika’s analytical toolbox includes empirical and doctrinal research, legal pedagogy, public policy analysis, ethnographic and feminist methodologies, human rights frameworks, corporate accountability studies, advanced didactics, debate formats (World Schools, Karl Popper, British Parliamentary), and computing—MS Office proficiency, and basic Delphi programming.
🏅 Awards and Honors
Charmika’s accomplishments have been recognized by academic and legal communities alike: a Law School Endowment Appeal Award (2012), multiple merit scholarships (2008–2011), competitive debating accolades, and memberships in Golden Key. Invited panels and adjudication roles at high-profile events (HiiL Legal Hackathons, Brunswick Next Generation) further attest to her respected status.
🏛️ Legacy and Future Contributions
Charmika leaves a formidable legacy as a trailblazer—shaping legal education in Africa through reformist research, ethical pedagogy, and advocacy for marginalized voices. Her ongoing PhD research promises to contribute cutting-edge analysis on corporate personhood’s intersection with structural inequality. Going forward, her cross-sectoral leadership—in academia, gender justice, and business responsibility—will continue to shape policy, scholarship, and the next generation of socially engaged lawyers.
Publications Top Notes
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🌀 Consciousness breathing resistance in higher education: not separate but equal
Journal: Globalizations
Year: 2023
DOI: 10.1080/14747731.2022.2035059
Emoji: 🌀 (Symbolizing deep reflection and resistance within global systems of higher education)
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🔍 Intersectionality and/or multiple consciousness: Re-thinking the analytical tools used to conceptualise and navigate personhood
Journal: Agenda
Year: 2022
DOI: 10.1080/10130950.2022.2184933
Emoji: 🔍 (For nuanced exploration of identity and personhood)
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🏛️ Reframing Corporate Subjectivity: Systemic Inequality and the Company at the Intersection of Race, Gender and Poverty
Journal: Business and Human Rights Journal
Year: 2022
DOI: 10.1017/bhj.2021.63
Emoji: 🏛️ (For structural critique of corporate power and inequality)
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⚖️ Complementarity and Criminal Liability of Companies in Africa: Missing the Mark?
Book Chapter in: Springer International Publishing
Year: 2022
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-88044-6
Emoji: ⚖️ (Examining justice and corporate accountability in Africa)
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👥 The fiction of the juristic person: reassessing personhood in relation to people
Book Chapter in: Decolonising the Human: Reflections from Africa on Difference and Oppression
Year: 2021
DOI: 10.18772/22021036512
Emoji: 👥 (Reassessing artificial personhood and the human legal subject)
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🔗 Delictual Interference with a Contractual Relationship: Country Cloud Trading CC v MEC, Department of Infrastructure Development (CC)
Journal: Stellenbosch Law Review
Year: 2019
Emoji: 🔗 (Delving into the links between contract law and tort principles)
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🎭 The fiction of transformation: An analysis of the relationship between law, society and the legal profession in South Africa
Journal: South African Journal of Human Rights
Year: 2015
Emoji: 🎭 (Highlighting contradictions in the legal profession’s role in transformation)
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📜 Business and human rights: To what extent has the constitution transformed the obligations of business?
Conference Paper: New York Law School Law Review Conference on Twenty Years of South African Constitutionalism
Year: 2014
Emoji: 📜 (Reviewing constitutional evolution and corporate duties)