Justice Minister Michael Masutha has announced the start of the process to elect members to the legal practice council.
Masutha made the announcement in Pretoria on Tuesday and follows the adoption of the Legal Practice Act of 2014.
The minister says that the council must be established by 1 November.
“The provincial structures will be established after the national body has been finalised. The legal practice council replaces the four statutory provincial law societies which have, to date, fulfilled the dual purpose of regulating and representing attorneys.”
He says that advocates and attorneys will now be regulated by the legal practice council.
“Our association will no longer have the responsibility to regulate the profession. They can, however, continue to exist as voluntary associations to advance any non-statutory interests of the profession.”