The Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) takes serious issue with statements made by the Higher Education Transformation Network (HETN) that the LSSA has pressurised the Council for Higher Education (CHE) to withdraw the accreditation of the law faculty at Walter Sisulu University to present the LLB degree. ‘Nothing could be further from the truth,’ say LSSA Co-Chairpersons Walid Brown and David Bekker. ‘In fact, the LSSA approached the CHE earlier this year with a request to participate in the process and understand the accreditation system since the attorneys’ profession receives 60% of the LLB graduates into its ranks. We, therefore, have a very legitimate interest in developments relating to the LLB degree,’ they add.

The LSSA is also extremely concerned that a university law faculty can be disaccredited without conscious attempts being made to support the law faculty and assist it to achieve satisfactory standards. ‘This disempowers many potential graduates from embarking on the profession of their choice at a law faculty that is accessible to them. Invariably these will be the poorest and most disadvantaged students who are generally not in a position to attend another university. We need to strengthen opportunities for education, not reduce them,’ say Mr Brown and Mr Bekker. They added that the LSSA will renew its attempts to engage with the CHE in this regard.

Through the Attorneys Fidelity Fund (AFF), the attorneys’ profession provides bursaries mainly to previously disadvantaged LLB students and also provides grants to university law clinics, which are generally linked to the law faculties. Between 2014 and this year the AFF has paid R21.2 million in bursaries and R4.4 million in grants to university law clinics. For 2018 it has earmarked R1 373 880 for university law clinics and R6 479 920 for LLB bursaries.

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE CO-CHAIRPERSONS OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA, WALID BROWN AND DAVID BEKKER
by the Law Society of South Africa Communication Department  LSSA@LSSA.org.za    Tel: (012) 366 8800

LSSA seeks to engage Council for Higher Education on disaccreditation of law faculties. Read press release.

The Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) adds its voice to the outcry condemning the arrest of 13 people, including three lawyers, in Tanzania on Tuesday 17 October.

Thirteen people were arrested by Tanzanian police during a legal consultation convened by the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) and Community Health Services and Advocacy (CHESA). The consultation was in preparation for a case ISLA and CHESA plan to file before a court challenging the Tanzanian government’s decision to limit the provision of certain health services that it had previously provided.

‘We join our colleagues at ISLA and Lawyers for Human Rights in calling on Tanzanian authorities to release those arrested immediately. We understand there to be no legal basis for the arrests. We agree with the many institutions that have voiced their outrage that these proceedings appear to be an attempt to intimidate citizens from approaching judicial institutions when their rights have been violated, and also an attempt to instill fear among lawyers who wish to assist them. As our colleagues have said, this ultimately creates an atmosphere where it is impossible to hold the state accountable for human rights violations’, say LSSA Co-Chairpersons Walid Brown and David Bekker.

The thirteen detained include a Ugandan citizen and two South Africans, including ISLA’s executive director, Sibongile Ndashe.

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE CO-CHAIRPERSONS OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA, WALID BROWN AND DAVID BEKKER
by the Law Society of South Africa Communication Department
Contact: Barbara Whittle, Communication Manager, barbara@LSSA.org.za (012) 366 8800 or 083 380 1307
Nomfundo Manyathi-Jele, Communications Officer, nomfundom@LSSA.org.za Tel: (012) 366 8800 or 072 402 6344.