The future is certain to be tougher than the past. We must deliver to more people and across a wider range of issues than ever before. The declared mission of the Ministry and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is to ensure access to justice for all. This is an ambitious goal in a country where the majority of the population has little or no access to legal services. It is a goal that cannot be achieved without the assistance of the private practicing legal profession.
Attorneys play an important role in providing access to justice.
Legal practitioners are generally the first port of call for people who require any form of legal assistance. We all know that most South Africans cannot afford to pay the fees of private practitioners. Access to Justice, cost of legal services - what a conundrum. This vexing question has become my problem because, in terms of the Constitution and the Legal Aid Act of 1969, the State is obliged to provide legal aid for indigent people. Since taking office I have spent a great deal of time investigating the problems that have beset the provision of legal aid in South Africa.