South African Law Reform Commission International Conference on Access to Justice, Legal Costs and Other Interventions

Law Clinic attorney Odwa Nweba was recently invited to speak at the South African Law Reform Commission International Conference on Access to Justice, Legal Costs and Other Interventions. The Conference was held in Durban, Garden Court Marine Parade from 31 October – 2 November 2018. Speakers at the conference included the newly appointed deputy chair lady of the Legal Practice Council Adv Anthea Platt SC, Judge President of the Gauteng Division of the High Court Judge Dunstan Mlambo, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Advocate Michael Masutha and the Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

Odwa presented a paper titled the “Use of Contingency Fees Agreements: Are we justified in gambling with our client’s cases?” In his presentation Odwa emphasised that Contingency Fee Agreements provide access to justice for the most vulnerable and indigent people in our society and that the judiciary and the newly established Legal Practice Council have a pivotal role to play in preventing abuse of such agreements.