Safura Abdool Karim is a practising advocate and public health researcher. She holds chambers at Bridge Group. Safura is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University and Research Associate at the Ethox Centre, Oxford University. She is also a commissioner on the Lancet Global Health Commission on artificial intelligence (AI) and HIV.
Safura has experience across a number of areas and disciplines with a particular strength in the intersection of law and public health. She has appeared in the Labour Court, High Court and Constitutional Court.
Prior to joining the Bar, Safura worked at a top 5 law firm in Sandton and was a clerk to Justice Leona Theron at the Constitutional Court. She has also worked at notable health law organizations such Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health and the University of the Western Cape, School of Public Health. Safura also did a joint post-doctoral fellowship at the Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University.
Safura’s preferred areas of practice are public law including health, administrative, constitutional, environmental, competition, labour and regulatory law but she also has experience in commercial law.
Notable Judgments:
- Mncwabe v President of the Republic of South Africa and others and a related matter 2023 (11) BCLR 1342 (CC)
- Van Wyk and Others v Minister of Employment and Labour [2023] ZAGPJHC 1213
- Intercape Ferreira Mainliner (Pty) Ltd v Minister of Police and Others [2024] ZAECMKHC 15
- Solidarity Trade Union and Others v Minister of Health and Others [2024] ZAGPPHC 677
- Innovative Staffing Solutions (Pty) Ltd v Minister of Employment and Labour and Others [2025] ZALCJHB 141
- Board of Healthcare Funders of Southern Africa NPC v President of the Republic of South Africa and Another [2025] ZAGPPHC 429
