- The LSCC describes the Legal Sector Code as one of the most important transformation initiatives since the start of democracy.
- The Legal Sector Code sets enforceable targets to expand access to legal work, leadership roles and economic opportunities for Black attorneys and advocates.
- The LSCC says transformation should go beyond demographics to include real participation in legal work, specialised practice areas and the wider legal economy.
The Legal Sector Charter Council (LSCC) has reaffirmed its support for the implementation of the Legal Sector Code, describing transformation in South Africa’s legal profession as both a constitutional and economic imperative.
The LSCC made the remarks during a media briefing hosted jointly with the National Empowerment Fund at The Maslow Hotel in Sandton on 23 June 2026. The briefing focused on the implications and impact of the Legal Sector Code on South Africa’s legal profession and was attended by stakeholders from the legal and empowerment sectors.
In a statement issued following the event, the LSCC said the Legal Sector Code, which was gazetted on 20 September 2024, represents one of the most significant transformation interventions introduced in the legal profession since the advent of democracy.
According to the LSCC, the Code was developed to address structural inequalities that continue to affect access, ownership, opportunity and economic participation for Black legal practitioners.
Addressing longstanding inequalities
The LSCC said that despite Black South Africans, including African, Coloured and Indian people, making up approximately 92% of the country’s population, the legal profession continues to reflect historical disparities.
According to the LSCC, many Black attorneys and advocates continue to face significant barriers within the profession, including limited access to quality legal work, unequal briefing patterns, restricted opportunities in specialised fields of law, underrepresentation in leadership positions and high attrition rates among young practitioners.
The LSCC said the Legal Sector Code was developed to change that reality by creating measurable and enforceable transformation targets across the profession. “The Legal Sector Code is not about exclusion; it is about inclusion,” the LSCC said.
“It is about creating a legal profession that reflects the constitutional values of equality, dignity and access to opportunity... It is about ensuring that talent, regardless of race or gender, is afforded a fair opportunity to participate and thrive.”
Increasing access to legal work
According to the LSCC, the Code seeks to increase access to legal work, expand ownership and management opportunities, strengthen skills development and create sustainable pathways for emerging Black legal practitioners.
Among its key provisions are measures requiring organs of state and public entities to significantly increase the procurement of legal services from Black attorneys and advocates.
The LSCC said the Code also establishes dedicated targets for Black women practitioners and seeks to increase the participation of Black legal practitioners in complex and specialised legal matters. It said these measures are intended to ensure that transformation is reflected not only in representation but also in access to meaningful legal work and opportunities for professional advancement.
Transformation beyond demographics
The LSCC stressed that the objective of the Legal Sector Code is not merely to alter demographic representation within the profession. Instead, it said transformation must be reflected in who receives legal work, who leads law firms, who develops specialised expertise and who ultimately benefits from the economic opportunities available within the legal sector.
“Transformation must be reflected in who receives legal work, who leads law firms, who develops specialised expertise, and who ultimately benefits from the economic opportunities within the profession,” it said.
According to the LSCC, meaningful transformation requires changes in both participation and economic outcomes across the profession.
Supporting emerging practitioners
The LSCC also highlighted the role of the Legal Sector Transformation Fund in supporting the objectives of the Code.
According to the LSCC, the fund provides financial and developmental support to Black attorneys, advocates, candidate legal practitioners and emerging legal enterprises.
It said the fund is intended to remove barriers that have historically prevented growth and sustainability among Black-owned legal practices and emerging legal professionals.
In addition, the Code promotes mentorship programmes, training initiatives and skills development measures aimed at strengthening the long-term growth and success of Black practitioners within the legal sector.
Call for implementation
The LSCC has called on government departments, state-owned entities, the private sector, law firms, advocates, legal practitioners and other stakeholders to actively support the implementation of the Code.
According to the LSCC, transformation within the legal profession is essential to the broader constitutional project and to ensuring that the profession reflects the society it serves.
The body noted that the legal profession serves as an important pipeline for the judiciary and said a more transformed and equal profession would help ensure that the judiciary is similarly well served in the future. “A transformed, more equal profession ensures the judiciary is well served,” the statement further read.
It said the Legal Sector Code provides a practical framework for building a transformed, inclusive and sustainable legal profession while advancing the constitutional values of equality, dignity and access to opportunity.
About the Legal Sector Charter Council
The Legal Sector Charter Council was established in March 2026 and is responsible for overseeing and monitoring the implementation of the Legal Sector Code.
It promotes transformation within the legal profession and advances the objectives of broad-based black economic empowerment in the legal sector. It consists of key stakeholders from across the legal profession and is chaired by Christine Qunta.
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