Since the inception of the Legal Practice Council (LPC) of SA in 2018, almost 200 professionals have been struck off the roll for misconduct which prohibits them from working as lawyers or solicitors.

The Sunday Independent reports that the most recent high-profile practitioner to be affected was advocate Malesela Teffo, who was part of the defence in the Senzo Meyiwa case.

The council’s spokesperson, Kabelo Letebele, said practitioners being struck off the roll is a huge problem in the legal profession, and public awareness is needed to alert people to bogus lawyers.

Letebele said once this process was completed, evidence would be presented to the investigation committee to consider all the facts presented before them on whether there was merit to the complaint or that the matter should be dismissed.

Once the practitioner is struck off the roll, the LPC has the responsibility to list such practitioners on their website as per the Legal Practice Act, making the information accessible to citizens to enable them to know whether or not their lawyer is still allowed to practise.

Full report in The Sunday Independent