The Cape Town office took part in the launch of the Western Cape High Court Help Desk on 6 August 2025, which aims to give effect to access to justice for the indigent and marginalised. The project has been spearheaded by Judge President Mabindla-Boqwana who has shown a keen interest in ensuring that unrepresented litigants are provided with quality pro bono legal support.
The unfortunate reality is that many South Africans are denied justice due to exorbitant legal fees, complex legal procedures and the lack of legal knowledge. These systemic barriers dissuade ordinary people from seeking legal assistance and representation to resolve the issues they may be facing. To overcome these barriers, the High Court Help Desk allows members of the public to consult with private legal practitioners for free with the help of the ProBono.Org team.
The help desk ensures that whilst those on the margins of our society are being provided with much-needed legal assistance, legal practitioners are able to complete their 40 hours of community service and candidate legal practitioners are able to complete their 8 hours of community service as required by the Legal Practice Council.
The High Court Help Desk will take place on Wednesdays and Fridays from 09h00-12h30 between courtrooms 17 and 18 at the Western Cape High Court. ProBono.Org is facilitating the help desk itself, and consulting legal practitioners have been mobilised from:
- The National Association of Democratic Lawyers
- Advocates for Transformation
- South African Women Lawyers Association
- Black Lawyers Association
- Legal Aid
- The Cape Bar
- The Cape Town Attorneys Association
- The Legal Practice Council
Together, the collaborative aim is to uplift and empower. We encourage all legal practitioners and candidate legal practitioners to contribute to upholding our nation’s constitutional values by staffing the High Court Help Desk. To sign up and make a difference, please click on the following link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hx-R8RBKxS_bvymuScU-qGvTeimrpiSAB8F6LodhkJ8/edit?tab=t.0
