Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014

The Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014 aims:

• to provide a legislative framework for the transformation and restructuring of the legal profession in line with constitutional imperatives so as to facilitate and enhance an independent legal profession that broadly reflects the diversity and demographics of the Republic;
• to provide for the establishment, powers and functions of a single South African Legal Practice Council and Provincial Councils in order to regulate the affairs of legal practitioners and to set norms and standards;
• to provide for the admission and enrolment of legal practitioners;
• to regulate the professional conduct of legal practitioners so as to ensure accountable conduct;
• to provide for the establishment of an Office of a Legal Services Ombud and for the appointment, powers and functions of a Legal Services Ombud;
• to provide for a Legal Practitioners’ Fidelity Fund and a Board of Control for the Fidelity Fund;
• to provide for the establishment, powers and functions of a National Forum on the Legal Profession; and
• to provide for matters connected therewith.

Commencement

• 26 May 2023, Sections 37(5)(e)(ii), 40(1)(b)(ii), (7)(b) and 41 (Government Gazette 48659, 25 May 2023)
• 1 March 2022, Sections 14, 42, Chapter 5 and Sections 93(3) and(5) (Government Gazette 45988, 1 March 2022)
• 1 February 2015, Parts 1 and 2 of Chapter 10 (Government Gazette 38412, 23 January 2015)
• 31 October 2018, Chapter 1, Chapter 3 (excluding sections 35(1), (2), (3) and (7) up to and including (12), Chapter 4 (excluding sections 37(5)(e)(ii), 40(1)(b)(ii) and (7)(b), 41 and 42, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8 (excluding section 93(5); Chapter 9 (excluding section 95(2), and Parts 3 and 4 of Chapter 10 on   (Government Gazette 42003, 29 October 2018)
• Commencement to be proclaimed in a Government Gazette

Amendments

Amended by Legal Practice Amendment Act 16 of 2017