The Department of Justice and Correctional Development has gazetted an amendment to regulations within the Legal Practice Act, outlining new rules for community service for lawyers in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the new amendments, candidate legal practitioners and practising legal practitioners will now have to perform compulsory community service every year, with immediate effect (effective 11 August 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Candidate practitioners will have to perform 8 hours of community service a year, while practising lawyers will be subject to 40 hours a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Generally, the following conditions apply:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The community service hours are slightly different for candidate and practising lawyers, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For candidate practitioners, the community service must be supervised by their principal or a person directed by their principal, and a pupil who renders community service must be supervised by their engaging advocate or a person directed by said advocate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Candidate practitioners, once they have completed their practical vocational training, also need to submit a certificate confirming that the community service has been completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For practising lawyers, acting as a principal that supervises candidate practitioners also counts towards their own community service hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other aspects of the field – such as “In forma pauperis” instructions from the High Court, lecturing or training – can also be considered community service hours, the department said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Practicing lawyers also have to submit a signed certificate confirming the hours have been done to council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In all aspects, however, all professional standards and codes of conduct need to be adhered by candidate and practicing lawyers when doing their community service hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n