- People are being urged to check that their lawyer is properly registered and authorised to practise before trusting them with their legal affairs.
- A string of recent cases has seen lawyers struck off the roll for dishonesty, fraud, and mishandling client money.
- A new verification tool is now available to help the public avoid unqualified or disbarred practitioners.
The Legal Practice Council has launched a new online tool that allows anyone to confirm whether their lawyer is registered and authorised to practise.
CLICK HERE TO VERIFY IF YOUR LAWYER IS REALLY A LEGAL PRACTITIONER.
The move comes after a series of cases in which courts struck practitioners from the roll following findings of dishonesty and serious misconduct.
In the North West, Mmathari Mary Phogojane was removed from the roll after the court found she had been practising without a Fidelity Fund Certificate and could not account for more than R300,000 in client trust money. The court found that her conduct fell well short of what is expected of a lawyer entrusted with clients’ funds.
Pattern of dishonesty and fraud
In Limpopo, Nkoma Eric Moeng was struck off the roll after he forged a court order and falsified documents linked to the Legal Practice Council to make it appear he was properly qualified to practise. The court found his conduct was fundamentally dishonest and incompatible with the standards the profession demands.
In a separate case, Rheza Bhayat was struck off the roll after presenting forged documentation that purported to have been issued by the Legal Practice Council, suggesting he was entitled to practise. The court found the documents were fabricated and designed to deceive, and concluded that his conduct made him unfit to remain in the profession.
In each case, the courts applied the “fit and proper” standard, weighing whether the practitioners met the basic requirements of honesty, integrity, and reliability that the profession demands.
A tool aimed at protecting the public
The tool lets users check whether a legal practitioner is registered, whether they hold a valid Fidelity Fund Certificate, and whether they are authorised to practise.
It gives ordinary people a simple way to verify a lawyer’s status before handing over their trust or their money.
Restoring trust in the profession
In all of these cases, the courts found the conduct incompatible with the standards required of legal practitioners and ordered that the individuals be struck off the roll.
The verification tool now gives the public a straightforward way to independently confirm whether a legal practitioner is authorised to practise, before it is too late.
CLICK HERE TO VERIFY IF YOUR LAWYER IS REALLY A LEGAL PRACTITIONER.
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