Council members of the Law Society of SA (LSSA) have called for lawyers to balance public and professional interests when voting for candidates for the new Legal Practice Council. The council members reaffirmed their commitment to transformation in the sector and are confident that the Legal Practice Act would bring about necessary change, notes Legalbrief.

In a statement, LSSA council member David Bekker said the council members who did not belong to the Black Lawyers Association or the National Association of Democratic Lawyers 'wish to declare their support of the transformation process in which they have been involved since 1996'.

'The non-BLA and non-Nadel attorneys of the LSSA Council are satisfied that due protection for the promotion of these rights are included in the new Act,' Bekker said. Bekker called on attorneys to 'consider very carefully the objectives of the Legal Practice Council and the sensitive balance between the interest of the public and the profession to ensure that the profession is developing into a strong independent body of legal practitioners that can protect the rule of law and our constitutional values'.

His statement also urges lawyers to vote for the LSSA's nominated candidates for the new Legal Practice Council who 'will ensure that the objectives and principles are promoted and not any political or organisational agendas'.

The LSSA's women nominees are Tasneem Moosa, Janine Kim Myburgh, Trudie Hayley Nichols and Rehana Khan Parker. Its male nominees are Umesh Jivan, Phaswane Cedric Mogale, Mashudu Mphafudi, Richard Scott and Jan Stemmett.

Voting closes on 3 October at 12:00.