On 19 November 2024, the VR Courtroom team at the Johannesburg Business School (JBS) was honoured with the prestigious Africa Tech Innovation of the Year 2024 award by Business Tech Africa. This recognition celebrates the groundbreaking VR Courtroom, Africa’s first virtual reality-based legal education platform, launched on 19 July 2024.
A collaboration between the Faculty of Law and JBS, spearheaded by Professors Michelle van Eck and Abejide Ade-Ibijola, the VR Courtroom combines virtual reality with gamification to offer students an immersive, interactive way to engage with legal concepts. By simulating real-world courtroom scenarios, the platform transforms traditional legal education into an engaging, practical experience, redefining how future legal professionals are trained.
A collaborative effort driving innovation
Developed by a multidisciplinary team of academics, legal practitioners, and students, the VR Courtroom exemplifies the power of collaboration. Academics and attorneys from the Faculty of Law ensured the scenarios were realistic and aligned with professional standards, while JBS Innovation Lab students contributed to the design, programming, and testing of the platform. This partnership blended academic rigour with cutting-edge technology, resulting in a tool that integrates gamification with the depth of legal education.
Revolutionising legal training across the continent
Following its pilot rollout in October 2024, nearly 20 third-year and final-year law students experienced the VR Courtroom using VR goggles at the JBS Innovation Lab. The game, also available at the APB Library, provides students an engaging opportunity to learn legal processes in a virtual setting. With plans to introduce the platform to over 400 first-year law students in 2025, the VR Courtroom is set to become a cornerstone of legal education at UJ.
This award-winning innovation reflects JBS and the Faculty of Law’s commitment to advancing educational technologies, positioning them as leaders in the African tech and education sectors.
