The Legal Practice Act regulations on community service for candidates and legal practitioners in South Africa: Are they adequate in promoting access to justice for the indigent?

• Citation: 2024 TSAR 272
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.47348/TSAR/2024/i2a5
• Published date: 03 April 2024
• Pages: 272-291
• Author: Holness, D.R.
• Date: 03 April 2024

TSAR 2024 . 2 [ISSN 0257 – 7747]

272

https://doi.org /10.47348/ TSAR /2024/i2 a5

272

The Legal Practice Act regulations on

community service for candidates and legal

practitioners in South Africa: are they

adequate in promoting access to justice for the

indigent?

DR HOLNESS*

SAMEVATTING

DIE REGULASIES VAN DIE WET OP REGSPRAKTYK OOR GEMEENSKAPSDIENS

VIR KANDIDATE EN REGSPRAKTISYNS IN SUID-AFRIKA: IS DIT VOLDOENDE OM

TOEGANG TOT GEREGTIGHEID VIR HULPBEHOEWENDES TE BEVORDER?

Die Wet op Regsprakt yk 28 van 2014 reguleer alle aspekte va n regspraktisy ns en kandidaatreg sprakti-

syns se optre de, insluitend die t oelatingsverei stes vir kand idate en die vereist es om voort te gaan

om te prakti seer vir toegelat e praktisy ns. Arti kel 29 van die Wet op Regsprakt yk maak voorsien ing

vir gemeensk apsdiens deur (a) kandid aatregspr aktisyn s en (b) praktiser ende regsprak tisyns. Op

11 Augustus 2023 is gemee nskapsdiens ge ïmplementeer met d ie publikasie van die r egulasies met

betrekk ing tot die uitvoe ring van gemeen skapsdiens. Ge meenskapsdie ns deur regspra ktisyns e n

kandidate word a s deurslaggewend be skou as deel van die pros es om die tekort aa n regshulp vir

behoeftiges i n Suid-Afrika aan t e spreek.

Hierdie regul asies bestaan uit t wee afsonderlike dele. Die eer ste hou verband met gemeen skapsdiens

as ’n klein deel van die pr aktiese beroepsopleidi ng van kandidaatregs praktisyns. Beroe psopleiding is

die vereiste pra ktiese opleiding tussen voltooi ing van ’n regsgraad en toelating a s regspraktisyn. Die

tweede deel dek voortgesette gemeenskapsdiens deur praktiserende regsprak tisyns.

Ingevolge die regula sies word van kandid ate – wat reeds in die ns is – vereis om agt uu r

gemeenskaps diens onder toesig p er jaar van hul een of t wee jaar se beroe psopleiding te doen . Dit

word as ’n jammerlik onvoldoe nde aantal geme enskapsdien sure beskou vir k andidate, beide om dat

baie beperkt e toegang tot regswer k in so ’n tydperk gebied kan word , en omdat kandid ate minima le

blootstelling s al kry aan d ie sake van behoeft iges. Dit sal ook nie toeg ang tot die reg bevorder n ie.

Verder word geen nuwe indiens neming geskep om gemeenska psdiens te verrig vir geg radueerdes wat

steeds op so ek is na praktiese beroepsopleidingskont rakte om te kan kwaliseer nie, wa t problematies

is in die konteks va n die hoë werkloosheidsyfer va n regsgegradueerdes i n Suid-Afrika.

Wat toegelate regsprak tisyns bet ref, word daar inge volge die regulasies van hu lle verwag om 40

uur gemeensk apsdiens per jaar op ’n deurlopende ba sis te verrig. Hierdie 40 uur is ’n verhogi ng van

die grootli ks onafdwingbare 20 en 24 uu r per jaar vir verskil lende vertakki ngs van die regsberoep wat

voorheen voor die inwer kingtred ing van hierdie b epalings van d ié wet in plek was. Die outeur vo er

aan dat gemee nskapsdiens vir ka ndidate (soos uiteengesit i n die regulasies) onvoldoende is, hoewel d ie

voorsiening vi r toegelate praktisy ns belowend is.

Bogenoemde gevolgtr ekkings is gem aak teen die ag tergrond van ’n ontled ing van die regspo sisie

in Nederland en Belg ië, eersgenoemde wat ’n gebre k aan gemeenska psdiensvereist es vir toegelate

praktisy ns het en laasgen oemde wat slegs beperk te diensvereist es vir kandid ate toon. Daar teenoor

word aangedui d at in ander jurisdiksie s in Afrika soos in Malaw i en Uganda, wat weliswaar nie deel

van die Suid-Afr ikaanse geme nereg vorm nie, wel vir ver pligte gemeensk apsdiens voorsieni ng gemaak

word.

* Director, Law Clinic, University of KwaZulu-Natal.

2024 TSAR 272

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https://doi.org /10.47348/ TSAR /2024/i2 a5

THE LEGAL PRACTICE ACT REGULATIONS ON COMMUNITY SERVICE 273

[ISSN 0257 – 7747] TSAR 2024 . 2

1 Introduction

“The legal community needs to commit itself to making sure that the most marginalised, vulnerable

and indigent members of our society will have some redress through representation within the justice

system.”1

Among the purpo ses of the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014 (the act) is broadening access

to justice by practising and candidate legal practitioner s performing com munity

service.2 Section 29 provides for undertak ing community service by ca ndidate legal

practitioners (candidates) and practising legal practitioners (pr actitioners). There

are t wo dist inct parts to these reg ulations. The  rst relates to community service

as a minor aspect of the vocational training of candidate legal practitioners, and

the second covers communit y service by practising legal practitioner s. Community

service by practit ioners and candidates is see n as a crucial par t of addressing the

shortage of legal assistance for the i ndigent in South Africa.3 An unmet dem and for

legal assistance remain s, despite gains made in promoting access to just ice.4

Section 29 of the act is an enabling provision. The i mplementation of community

service depended on t he promulgation of regulations by the min ister of justice and

constitutional development, aft er consultations between government and the South

African Legal Practice Council. Following consultation with the Legal Practice

Council, the act requi red the minister to prescribe the r equirements for community

service,5 which is done in the regulations. T his article speak s largely to these

regulations. Commu nity service by legal practitioners ha s received extensive recent

attention by the media, con rming its importa nce in the justice system.6

The provision of free services by at torneys in South Af rica was the subject of

academic study a decade ago,7 as was commun ity service by law graduates i n 2020.8

With the regulations on community service for both candidates and pract itioners

now introduced, they ar e again worthy of consideration, focusing on changes which

have taken place, especially as cont ained in the regulations.

Of note is that the act (and regulations) is not applicable to other person s, in

particular LLB st udents. Many universities have community service programmes,

but if these are to be regulated this would have to be done through other legislation

or curriculu m requirements of universit y degrees.9 Community service for law

students requires a separate study a nd has been the subject of some analysis.10 The

paper also considers the fact t hat compulsory community serv ice is not required in

1 Holness “Recent developments in the provision of pro bono legal services by attorneys in South

Africa” 2013 PELJ 130.

2 s 29 of Act 28 of 2014.

3 Certain empirical studies over the years have demonstrated the limited provision of free legal services in

civil matters that are available in South Africa. Eg Vawda “Access to justice: from legal representation

to promotion of equality and social justice – addressing the legal isolation of the poor” 2005 Obiter

237; Van As “Taking legal aid to the people: unleashing local potential in South Africa” 2005 Obiter

187; Holness Coordinating Free Legal Services in Civil Matters for Indigent People in eThekwini A

Model for Improved Access to Justice (2015 thesis NMMU).

4 Greenbaum “Access to justice for all: a reality or unfullled expectations?” 2020 De Jure 266.

5 s 29 of Act 28 of 2014.

6 Oliphant “Comment on community service for legal practitioners” 2022:6 De Rebus 3.

7 Holness (n 1).

8 Holness “Improving access to justice through law graduate post-study community service in South

Africa” 2020 PELJ 1.

9 Emdon “The Legal Practice Act and community service”. https://probono.org.za/the-legal-practice-

act-and-community-service/ (20-06-2023).

10 Holness “Improving access to justice through compulsory student work at university law clinics” 2013

PELJ 328-349.

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