Legal Practice Act, 2014 (Act No. 28 of 2014)Chapter 3 : Regulation of Legal Practitioners and Candidate Legal Practitioners25. Right of appearance of legal practitioners and candidate legal practitioners |
| (1) | Any person who has been admitted and enrolled to practise as a legal practitioner in terms of this Act, is entitled to practise throughout the Republic, unless his or her name has been ordered to be struck off the Roll or he or she is subject to an order suspending him or her from practising. |
| (2) | A legal practitioner, whether practising as an advocate or an attorney, has the right to appear on behalf of any person in any court in the Republic or before any board, tribunal or similar institution, subject to subsections (3) and (4) or any other law. |
| (3) | An attorney who wishes to appear in the High Court, the Supreme Court of Appeal or the Constitutional Court must apply to the registrar of the Division of the High Court in which he or she was admitted and enrolled as an attorney for a prescribed certificate to the effect that the applicant has the right to appear in the High Court, the Supreme Court of Appeal or the Constitutional Court and which the registrar must issue if he or she is satisfied that the attorney— |
| (a) |
| (i) | has been practising as an attorney for a continuous period of not less than three years: Provided that this period may be reduced in accordance with rules made by the Council if the attorney has undergone a trial advocacy training programme approved by the Council as set out in the Rules; |
| (ii) | is in possession of an LLB degree; and |
| (iii) | has not had his or her name struck off the Roll or has not been suspended from practice or that there are no proceedings pending to strike the applicant’s name from the Roll or to suspend him or her; or |
| (b) | has gained appropriate relevant experience, as may be prescribed by the Minister in consultation with the Council, if the attorney complies with paragraph (a)(iii). |
| (4) |
| (a) | An attorney wishing to apply for a certificate contemplated in subsection (3) must serve a copy of the application on the Council, containing the information as determined in the rules within the time period determined in the rules. |
| (b) | A registrar of a Division of the High Court who issues a certificate referred to in subsection (3) must immediately submit a certified copy thereof to the Council. |
(5)
| (a) | A candidate attorney is, subject to paragraph (b), entitled to appear— |
| (i) | in any court, other than the High Court, the Supreme Court of Appeal or the Constitutional Court; and |
| (ii) | before any board, tribunal or similar institution on behalf of any person, instead of and on behalf of the person under whose supervision he or she is undergoing his or her practical vocational training. |
| (b) | A candidate attorney may only appear in a regional division established under section 2 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act, 1944 (Act No.32 of 1944), as contemplated in paragraph (a) if he or she has previously practised as an advocate for at least one year or has undergone at least one year of practical vocational training. |