Rules for the Attorney's Profession > Part II : Members > Meetings of members

2.30	The Council shall convene a general meeting to take place on a date not later than six months after the end of the financial year. Notice of every general meeting shall be sent to every member by the secretary at least 49 clear days before the date of the meeting and shall:

2.30.1

state the date, the time of commencement and place thereof;

2.30.2

state the business to be transacted thereat as set forth in rule 2.31;

2.30.3

call for notices of special business in terms of rule 2.31.6.

2.31	The business to be transacted at a general meeting shall be:

2.31.1

the confirmation of minutes of the previous meeting of members;

2.31.2

the consideration of the president's report, together with the annual financial statements of the society for the preceding year and such other reports as are required by these rules to be placed before the annual general meeting. The president's report shall include the number of ordinary monthly meetings held by the Council during the preceding year; how many of those meetings each member of the Council in office at the time attended; and such comment, if any, as the president may consider appropriate as to the reasons for the absence of any member from any such meeting;

2.31.3

at a general meeting first following an election, to receive the result of that election;

2.31.4

the appointment of the auditor or auditors;

2.31.5

the consideration and transaction of any business which the Council may deem expedient to submit to the meeting;

2.31.6

the consideration and transaction of any special business of which due notice as provided in rule 2.30.4 shall have been given by any member.

2.32	The procedure at a general meeting shall, unless varied by the chairperson, be as follows:

2.32.1

the chair shall be taken as directed by rule 2.68;

2.32.2

the minutes of the preceding general meeting and of all intervening special meetings shall be read, or taken as read if the meeting so decides, and confirmed;

2.32.3

the president's report shall then be considered together with the annual financial statements of the society for the preceding year signed by the auditor and all matters arising therefrom shall be open for discussion;

2.32.4

in a year in which an election has been held, the chairperson shall then announce the names of the candidates elected as members of the Council for the ensuing period of office;

2.32.5

the appointment of an auditor or firm of auditors shall take place in the manner determined by the meeting;

2.32.6

any business or matter which the Council may have deemed it expedient to introduce shall then be discussed and dealt with or the opinion of the meeting taken thereon;

2.32.7

after all the business submitted by the Council has been dealt with, any special business, of which notice has been duly given and which may be lawfully dealt with at the meeting, shall be considered and dealt with.

2.33	Notice of any special business to be raised by any member at a general meeting shall be given to the secretary in writing at least 32 clear days before the date of the meeting. In respect of such special business:

2.33.1

notice shall be sent to each member by the secretary at least 21 clear days before the date of the meeting;

2.33.2

whenever a notice of special business has been given by a member and included as business to be transacted at a general meeting, and the member who gave the notice is not present at that meeting and has not withdrawn it, any member there present may, with the consent of the chairperson, adopt it as his or her own, and move it as if the notice had been given by him or her, failing which that business shall be removed from the agenda.

Attorneys Act, 1979 (Act No. 53 of 1979)

Rules for the Attorneys' Profession

Part II : Members

Meetings of members

General meetings