Documents

A Framework for the transformation of the State Legal Services (TSLS)

The Policy Framework for the Transformation of State Legal Services aims to address the requirement by the government of South Africa for efficient, coordinated legal services, to promote the values and obligations arising from the Constitution. The service is required across departmental boundaries. It should be aligned to international best practices and should assist government in responding to urgent and complex legal circumstances. In this regard, government needs access to top-quality legal services provided by the state.

In summary

• The aim is to revolutionise the public legal sector to enable it to provide legal services of the highest standard to protect and safeguard the interests of the state and advance access to justice for all our people.
  
• The envisaged reforms are aimed at addressing some of the shortcomings in the current system that result in government losing court cases it ought not to have lost, or embarking on ill-fated litigation where it ought to have considered alternative forms of redress to litigation, thus resulting in huge costs to the fiscus.
  
• The intended reforms are also aimed at broadening the pool of legal practitioners who are briefed by the state to ensure a fair representation of black and female practitioners, consistent with the racial, gender and geographic demographics of our society. The scarcity of black and female practitioners in the pool of practitioners who continue to dominate constitutional and other high-profile litigations has a consequential effect on the slow pace of the transformation of the judiciary, as this profession is the main feeder to the judiciary. The empowerment of female practitioners remains a specific focus area.

Follow these links to:

• Read the full Framework for the Transformation of State Legal Services [1.79mb].
• Read the speech by Minister Radebe, 21 May 2012

The closing date for comments/submissions was 31 January 2013.

Any further enquiries can be directed to teh Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, Ms MO Phahlane, Acting Chief Litigation Officer, Tel: 012 406 4780 or via Email: MMotshweni@justice.gov.za / MPhahlane@justice.gov.za