Biography

 

Michael Dafel

Michael Dafel

  • Alumni
  • South Africa
  • 2014 PhD Law
  • Corpus Christi College

Originating from Pretoria, South Africa, I entered a career in human rights law with the hope that I contribute to rebuilding my country following the rights violations that characterised apartheid. My education from the University of Pretoria and New York University led me to clerk at the Constitutional Court of South Africa, work on litigation before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and provide assistance to members of constitutional drafting assemblies in the Middle East following the Arab Spring. It is however academia that is my main interest. My research to date has focused on the extent to which human rights impose obligations on non-state actors, and whether doing so can create a more equitable and just society. At Cambridge, I will further my understanding on this topic by focusing on one particular type of non-state actor, political parties. I am humbled at the opportunity to join a global network of leading minds committed to creating a better society.