Legal Practice Council tramples on indigenous languages in SA

23 January 2024

Solidarity rejects the Legal Practice Council’s (LPC’s) attempt to put its own interests above the interests of lawyers in general and particularly the interests of future lawyers by abolishing admission examinations for candidate attorneys in Afrikaans.

The Solidarity Law Network has not received any response from the LPC following the network’s recent letter addressed to the council in which it requested, among other things, to engage in discussions with the LPC.

The Solidarity Law Network strongly condemns the English only policy for the LPC’s attorneys’, notarial and title deed exams decided upon by the LPC in December without having consulted with stakeholders in the legal profession.

Riaan Visser, head of the Solidarity Law Network, says this amounts to blatant contempt of Afrikaans as an indigenous language.

“It could even be considered as trampling on other indigenous languages too. Instead of the LPC keenly aiming to offer the exams in other national languages too, everything once again is only being done in English, respecting only English mother tongue speakers in this way.

“The contempt for Afrikaans, in particular, compels Solidarity to warn that this irrational decision would not be tolerated. In fact, the LPC has a responsibility to protect and strengthen Afrikaans and other languages within the context of the law,” Visser said.

The Solidarity Law Network hereby issues an ultimatum to the LPC to enter into discussions with the network immediately if it wants to avoid legal action.

“We reiterate that we were, and still are willing to meet with the LPC and to enter into discussions with the council about the apparent unilateral abolition of Afrikaans.

“Two weeks have passed since our initial letter to the LPC which, apparently, has fallen on deaf ears,” Visser said.

Issued by Riaan Visser, Head: Solidarity Law Network, 23 January 2024