Legal Practice Council saddened by death of Legal Practitioner in a court accident
The Legal Practice Council (“LPC”) as the regulatory body for all legal practitioners and candidate legal practitioners in South Africa is saddened by the passing of Advocate Addelaid Ann Ferreira -Watt who died after
a gun, displayed in court as an exhibit, accidentally discharged in the Ixopo regional court on 18 November 2019.
“We are all shocked by this tragic incident, the courtroom should be a place of safety for all Legal Practitioners. As the regulator of the profession, the safety of all legal practitioners is not negotiable. We will await the
outcome of the investigation currently underway, to ascertain if there was any negligence on the part of those who handle evidence” says Kathleen Matolo-Dlepu, Chairperson of the Legal Practice Council.
The Council requests the judiciary to take strong measures to ensure that such incidents will never happen in any courtroom in the South Africa.