Progress on the drafting of the legal sector code

The Legal Practice Council (the “LPC”), an industry professional statutory council established in terms of the Legal Practice Act, 28 of 2014,as amended (the “Act”), has commenced with the process for the drafting and development of the Legal Sector Code (the “LSC”) that will become an industry transformation and empowerment framework and be ultimately gazetted in terms of Section 9(1) of the B-BBEE Act, of 2003, as amended (the “B-BBEE Act”).

Following the issuing of a public notice in terms of the provisions of paragraphs 5.2.1.1 – 5.2.2.6 of Statement 003 (Development and Gazette of Sector Charters) Notice 876 issued and published by the Minister of Trade and Industry in accordance with Section 9 of the B-BBEE Act in June 2020, the LPC would like to inform members of the profession that it will be facilitating stakeholder consultations in all 9 provinces from 10 November to 8 December 2020.

“The process of drafting the Legal Sector Code is currently under way, facilitated by Council in conjunction with a steering committee made up key stakeholders in the profession in order to ensure that substantive inputs are made in the drafting process” said Kathleen Matolo-Dlepu, Chairperson of the Legal Practice Council.

She added that the Council will be sending out an invitation to all stakeholders, including practitioners and users of legal services, to participate in the provincial consultations. “We want to encourage all legal practitioners, government departments and entities, private sector corporate legal practitioners, academia and Law Clinics to accept our invitation and participate in the consultations”.

The gazetting of the LSC will effectively mean that it becomes binding on the public (including the government departments and all its arms) and private sectors. This means that non-compliance with the LSC shall be illegal. To know more about the LPC process, please check the following link https://lpc.org.za/final-legal-sector-notice/ .

For more information please contact: Sthembiso Mnisi: [email protected] or Melissa Murray [email protected]

Issued by the Legal Practice Council