Leslie Downie

University of Cape Town: MPhil (Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment: Geomatics Division), 2015 – with distinction

Stellenbosch University: Centre for International and Comparative Labour and Social Security Law, 2000

University of South Africa: Hons in English Literature, 1991

University of Pretoria: BA LLB, 1981

• Land tenure and land information systems (LIS) 
• Informal and religious land tenure
• Record keeping for disadvantaged consumers
• Mediation and alternative dispute resolution
• Simple language/audio recordings for low-literate right holders
• Training of paralegals and land information record keepers
• Notarial verification and authentication processes
• Researcher, author, speaker and publisher

• Research: MPhil (Geomatics Division, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment) awarded with distinction, 2015.  Title Developing and Initial Testing of Pro-Poor Prenuptial Agreements as a New Land Tenure Tool to Secure Rights in Urban State-Subsidized Housing – 
• Mediation panels: Mediation in Motion (Current) | DRDLR Land Rights Management Facility (Previous)
• Publications:
  Pro-Poor Legal Practice:  Household Rights and State Subsidised Housing in South Africa, Juta 2016 Review by Sicelo Kula
  Annual Banking Law Update: How to Rob a Bank: Land Tenure Information Systems, 2016 Ed C Hugo Juta
  FIG Working Week (New Zealand), 2016 – Cadastre and Land Management Commission: Social Tenure Based on Intimacy – Avoiding Family Disasters: South African Marital Contracts as an Innovative Pro-poor Land Tool  This article has been nominated ‘article of the month’ in July 2016 by FIG the International Federation of Surveyors
  AfricaGEO Conference – Land Tenure: Mapping Marital Rights and Obligations, 2014
  English/Xhosa audio books: How to Buy and Sell a Low Cost Property BLISS 2012
  PER Law Journal: Urban Pro Poor Registrations: Complex-Simple, the Overstrand Project, 2011
• Addresses: |  ​Hometruths Conference London Clergy Land Tenure: Mapping Marital Rights 2018 / SA Institute for Advanced Constitutional, Public, Human Rights and International Law (SAIFAC), WITS, NWU, UNISA Pro-Poor Legal Practice 2017/ SA Geomatics Institute AGM 2017 / VPUU Individual Social Tenure 2015 /UCT Property Law Teacher’s Colloquium: Sur-Real Rights: Urban Immovable Property Law for the Informal Sector, 2012 | Premier of the Western Cape and Provisional officials: Conflicts in Urban Poor-to-Poor Alienations of Previously State-subsidized Land, 2012 | Stellenbosch University Sustainability Institute: Sustainable Publishing, 2008

Leslie loves playing with creative ideas and new concepts. She is fascinated by abstract and conceptual art and has written a collaborative murder mystery with friends (Dead Letter).  She enjoys editing writing that interests her; social hiking, open water swimming, and growing things you can eat – even though she is a useless cook.  Most of all she loves quality family time. Volunteer activities include: Christian Lawyer’s Association board member 2007 – 2008 | Learn to Earn board chairperson Hermanus (NPO) 2001 – 2003 | Harare Inner City Partnership social welfare committee 1997 – 1998 | American Field Service (AFS) exchange student Dallas, Texas.