# Legal Practice Act

- Link: https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/legal-practice-act/
- Published: 2022-05-10T15:22:10+02:00
- Author: dearSA

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### **263**** **comments individually delivered, (closed 20 June 2022)

### The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development called for public comment on mandatory community service for legal professionals in the country.

    - One of the purposes of the Legal Practice Act (LPA) is to broaden access to
      justice by putting in place measures to provide for the rendering of community
      service by candidate legal practitioners and practising legal practitioners(
      details below).

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[click to view campaign report, comments, statements and documents ](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/legal-practice-act/summary)

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### SUMMARY

**Candidate legal practitioners**

 * A candidate legal practitioner must, as a component of their vocational training,
   render eight hours per annum of community service.
 * A person who commences service as a candidate legal practitioner during the course
   of a calendar year must perform community service equal to not less than one 
   hour per month, or part thereof, in the first calendar year of vocational training.
 * The community service rendered by a candidate attorney must be supervised by 
   their principal and the community service rendered by a pupil must be supervised
   by their engaging advocate.
 * The period of service referred may be intermittent or continuous.
 * Any extra hours of community service rendered in a calendar year may be carried
   forward as credits for the next calendar year.
 * A candidate legal practitioner must, after completion of the period of practical
   vocational training, submit to the council one or more certificates signed by
   their principal or engaging advocate, as the case may be, confirming that such
   community service has been rendered.
 * Certain exemptions may apply.

**Practising legal practitioners**

 * A practising legal practitioner must render 40 hours per annum of community service.
 * A legal practitioner may be exempted from the rendering of community service 
   as set out in the rules.
 * A legal practitioner who starts practising during the course of a calendar year
   must perform community service equal to not less than three hours per month, 
   or part thereof, in the first calendar year of practice.
 * A legal practitioner need not be supervised during the rendering of community
   service.
 * Any pro bono services rendered by a practising legal practitioner will be recognised
   as community service.
 * The period of service referred may be intermittent or continuous.
 * Any extra hours of community service rendered in a calendar year may be carried
   forward as credits for the next calendar year.

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