5 March 2007
The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development, Mrs B S Mabandla
(MP) invites members of the media to the Provincial Legal Service Charter
Workshop which facilitates the process of developing a legal services charter
for the legal service sector. This is one of the Government's initiatives to
transform the legal services sector for creation of equal opportunities and
access to justice for all.
The workshop will take place as follows:
Date: 9 March 2007
Time: 07h00-14h00
Venue: Emperors Palace, 64 Jones Road, Kempton Park
The Minister announced in December 2004 the commencement of the process of
developing the Legal Services Charter for the legal profession and the legal
services sector. In July 2005 a Cabinet Lekgotla approved the principle for the
development of the Legal Services. The Minister's role is just to facilitate
the development of the charter for the legal services sector and legal
profession.
The workshop attempts to solicit from participants and the public on other
pressing transformation challenges regarding the legal profession and the
judiciary and their role to facilitate access to justice for all the citizens
of the Republic. This may include the re-design and re-engineering of measures
aimed at accelerating the achievement of race, gender and racial balance in the
composition of the judiciary; access to legal services; enhanced community
participation and the strengthening of synergies with justice role players such
as the broader legal profession and the legal industry. The following are keys
issues which the draft charter seeks to address:
* access to justice by the poor, uneducated communities
* quality and affordable delivery of legal services to the public
* accessibility of legal services to the communities
* entry requirements to the legal profession
* equal opportunities of legal services amongst legal practitioners
* access to legal work including state and parasitical contracts by black legal
practitioners
* the role of the legal profession in promoting equality in the judiciary
* transformation of governance structures of the legal profession
* a unified regulatory framework for the legal profession
* empowerment of historically disadvantaged black legal practitioners
* skills development, employment equity, ownership and management within the
legal profession.
Similar consultative processes have been undertaken in KwaZulu-Natal,
Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, Western Cape, North-West, Free State, Limpopo and
Eastern Cape thereby giving an opportunity to members of the legal services
sector, the public, and the legal profession to provide their inputs. This will
be the last workshop of consultative process whereby the adoption of the
charter by the relevant stakeholders and the profession will take place.
Enquiries:
Lazarus Mothupi
Tel: (012) 315 1807
Fax: (086) 688 2676
Cell: 082 447 2550
E-mail: Lmothupi@justice.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
5 March 2007
