Legal Practice Council: 21-Day Lockdown Notice

Practitioners are referred to the Council’s Advisory of 17 March 2020.

The President has announced a full national lockdown of the country from 26 March 2020 to 16 April 2020 to stem the spread of the virus, and all practitioners are urged to follow the advice given by the Government and health experts.

The Legal Practice Council’s offices will be closed but we will be implementing the necessary processes to enable some of the staff members to work from home. The “info” e-mail addresses of the national and provincial offices (available on the LPC website) will be monitored on a regular basis.

You are urged to remain vigilant in regard to directives that have been published from the Judges President and officials of other courts regarding attendance at courts, and to do everything reasonably possible to ensure that clients are kept informed and suffer as little prejudice as possible as a result of this lockdown.

The Office of the Chief Justice has indicated broadly that the courts, as an essential service, remain open for the hearing of urgent applications, bail applications and appeals or matters relating to violation of liberty, domestic violence, maintenance and matters involving children.

All the directives from the Heads of Courts are available on the LPC website for ease of reference

Please click in the link below to access the Remarks by Minister Lamola, in relation to COVID-19

https://www.justice.gov.za/m_speeches/2020/20200325-COVID-19.html

Issued by the Legal Practice Council