The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development hosted a National Conference on Human Rights in South Africa in Gauteng under the theme ‘Three Decades of Respect for and Promotion of Human Rights,’ which reflected on South Africa’s journey towards equality and justice. The three-day event was attended by President Cyril Ramaphosa, various minsters, government departments, the legal profession as well as civil society. In his speech, Minister Ronald Lamola said that the year 2024 marks a significant milestone in our country’s constitutional democracy and 30 years of progress and growt ..read more

Mentors and mentees of the Vance Center mentorship programme gathered for an evening of celebration as mentees were awarded with plaques for their contribution in the Advancing Women in the Workplace (AWW) programme. The event that was held in collaboration with the United States (US) Mission to South Africa, was not just to celebrate these women, but it also offered an opportunity to celebrate and showcase the bonds formed between and among mentors and mentees over the course of the AWW programme. The evening had no shortage of exciting speakers, made up of guest speakers such as the US Amba ..read more

Daven Dass was recently appointed President of the South African University Law Clinics Association.   On 7 February 2024, practising legal practitioner and academic, Daven Dass, was appointed as President of the South African University Law Clinics Association (SAULCA). He is a senior lecturer in the School of Law at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) and primarily lectures on commercial and corporate subjects. Mr Dass told De Rebus that at the end of 2022, in the pursuit of his PhD, he stepped down after an eight-year term as director of the Wits Law Clinic – one of the largest l ..read more

The passing of Legal Education and Development (LEAD)  lecturer and legal practitioner, Dr James Clark, sent a shockwave through the legal profession.   The Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) is mourning the passing of one of its long time Legal Education and Development (LEAD) lecturer and legal practitioner, Dr James Clark. News of his passing sent a shockwave through the legal profession. Dr Clark was described as a legend, a legal practitioner passionate about his craft, a wonderful lecturer, and a lecturer steadfast in instilling in his students the dignity and excellence of ..read more

By Professor Mzukisi Njotini The South African Law Deans’ Association (SALDA) has learnt with shock and sadness of the untimely passing of one of the finest academic giants and scholars of our time, Prof Duard Kleyn. Details of Prof Kleyn’s death emerged on 5 April 2024. Prof Duard Kleyn’s contribution to academic scholarship and leadership is significant. He was a former Executive Dean of the Faculty Law at the University of Pretoria, a position he held from 1998 to 2006. He was also appointed as the first Visiting South African Fellow of the Department of Private Law at the University of Edi ..read more

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development hosted a three-day National Conference on the Integrated Criminal Justice System and the Review of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 (the CPA). The Conference, which was held in Boksburg, consisted of the various institutions of law enforcement, chapter 9 institutions, the legal profession, the judiciary, as well as civil society. Robust discussions were held on how South Africa’s (SA’s) CPA can be improved to address the challenges the country is grappling with regarding crime and the laws that address crime. One of the key issues ..read more

President Cyril Ramaphosa has nominated Justice Mandisa Maya for the position of Chief Justice of South Africa (SA) and Justice Dumisani Zondi, as the Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA). This was announced by the presidency in a media statement. The statement noted that in terms of s 174(3) of the Constitution, President Ramaphosa has embarked on a process of consultation with the leaders of political parties represented in Parliament and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to convey his nomination of Judge Maya as Chief Justice. Justice Maya currently serves as Deputy Ch ..read more

Section 9(2) of the Constitution of South Africa states that: ‘Equality includes the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms. To promote the achievement of equality, legislative and other measures designed to protect or advance persons, or categories, disadvantaged by unfair discrimination may be taken.’ One of the aims of the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014 (LPA), as amended by Legal Practice Amendment Act 16 of 2017, is to – ‘provide a legislative framework for the transformation and restructuring of the legal profession … which is broadly representative of the Republic’s demograp ..read more

The Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) hosted its first charity golf day on 16 February 2024 in Pretoria. The purpose of the golf day was to raise funds for charity, as part of the mandate of the LSSA to empower candidate legal practitioners and the community. The LSSA, which is a voluntary association for practising legal practitioners, has adopted Child Welfare Tshwane’s Bramley Children’s Home, to assist them in making sure some of the needs of the children are met. The golf day was well attended by legal practitioners, as well as stakeholders of the LSSA. Eighty-eight players braved the i ..read more

Candidates attending the Competition Commission’s Cadet Training Programme. By Selaelo Maraka and Candice Slump The Competition Commission of South Africa (the Commission) is committed to nurturing talent and fostering inclusivity in the highly specialised field of competition law and economics. Central to this endeavour is its Cadet Training Programme, a biennial initiative designed to provide practical training and experience to graduates. The Commission recognises the strategic significance of this programme in replenishing its talent pool with practitioners possessing applied experience ..read more