The Law Society of South Africa welcomes the finalisation of the matter General Council of the Bar of South Africa v Jiba and Others [2019] ZACC 23. In the judgement, the Constitutional Court dismissed an application by the General Council of the Bar (GCB) to have Ms Jiba and her colleague Lawrence Mrwebi declared unfit to practise as advocates.
Ms Jiba and Mr Mrwebi were struck from the roll of advocates on September 15, 2016, after Judge Francis Legodi in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria agreed with the GCB that they were ‘not fit and proper’ to be advocates.
The matter went to the Supreme Court of Appeal, which overturned the High Court’s ruling but the GCB approached the Constitutional Court for relief.
LSSA President, Mvuzo Notyesi, said: ‘The LSSA is satisfied that justice has run its course and that justice has been served.’ He adds: ‘There are lessons on the independence and unity of the profession which needs to be learned from the judgment. Whilst the issues involved on the matter appeared to be purely about ethics, further division within the GCB became apparent, consequently making the legal dispute a racial issue.’
ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA, MVUZO NOTYESI
LSSA Communications:
Nomfundo Jele
nomfundom@LSSA.org.za
Tel: (012) 366 8800 or 072 402 6344
