School of Law

Biography:

Professor Anne Strode is Academic Leader of Socio-Legal Studies at the School of Law, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She teaches constitutional and human rights law to second year LLB and Legal Studies (non LLB) students. Before joining the University Ann worked as a human rights lawyer for a number of NGOs working on social justice issues.

During this time she worked extensively on programmes addressing HIV as a human rights issue. She also spend a number of years in the HIV/AIDS Directorate at the Department of Health in Pretoria developing HIV policy for the new democratic government.

Achievements included; being a member of the South African Law Reform’s Commission’s Project Committee on AIDS which made five legal and policy recommendations to various government departments, assisting with drafting of the sections on HIV in the Employment Equity Act and assisting in the development of the first para-legal manual on AIDS and the law. Since joining the University in 2001, Ann has re-focused her work around research and teaching. However, she retains her interest in social justice issues by undertaking research projects on critical human rights issues and through continuing to provide support.

Academic Qualifications:

• BA
• LLB
• LLM (Natal)
• PhD (UKZN)

Research Interests:

Ann is a well-established author having produced more than 40 peer reviewed publications. She has a keen research interest in HIV as a human rights issue. She has undertaken amongst others; a qualitative study into issues such as the forced or coerced sterilization of women living with HIV and critiquing legal approaches to HIV in the sub-Saharan region. She also writes in the area of research participants’ rights. Her PhD dealt with the legal complexities of the participation of children in health research. She has published widely on the ethical-legal complexities of adolescent HIV prevention research.

Professional Qualifications:

• Admitted Advocate

Publications

• S Bhamjee, Z Essack and A Strode (2016) ‘Amendments to the Sexual Offences Act dealing with consensual, under-age sex: Implications for doctors and researchers’ (2016) Vol 106(3) South African Medical Journal 256 – 259.
• C Slack and A Strode (2016) ‘But is this really the parent or guardian? Practical strategies for consent to child research in South Africa’ South African Journal of Bioethics and Law, 9 (1), 35-38.
• H Van Rooyen, A Strode and C Slack (2016). ‘HIV testing of children is not simple for health providers and researchers: Legal and policy frameworks guidance in South Africa’ South African Medical Journal, 106 (5), 451-453.
• J Busa, A Strode, E Dauya and R Ferrand (2016) ‘Falling through the gaps: how should HIV programmes respond to families that persistently deny treatment to children?’ Vol 19 Journal of the International AIDS Society 20789.
• Z Essack, J Toohey and A Strode (2016) ‘Reflecting on adolescents’ evolving sexual and reproductive health rights: canvassing the opinion of social workers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa’ Reproductuve Health Matters (available on line from 16 July 2016).

Membership of Professional & Other Organisations:

• 1996 – 2001: Member of the South African Law Reform Commission’s Project Committee on aspects of the law relating to HIV/AIDS.
• 2000 – to date: Member of the HIV/AIDS Vaccines Ethics Group, University of KwaZulu Natal Executive Committee.
• 2008 – to date: Member of the AIDS Care (University of London) Editorial Board
• 2008 – 2012: Chairperson of the Joint HIV/AIDS Programme, a collaborative Oxfam programme.
• 2008 – to date: Member of the Human Sciences Research Council’s Ethics Committee.
• 2013 – to date: Member of the Suyafuna Board.
• 2014 – to date: Member of the Social Sciences and Health Research Ethics Committee, University of KwaZulu Natal.