Section 34 of the South African Constitution gives every South African the right to have any dispute resolved by the application of law decided in a fair public hearing before a court; or another independent and impartial tribunal or forum. This has no meaning at all if a person is unable to afford representation.
ProBono.Org is a young, dynamic non-governmental organisation (NGO) that works with the private legal profession to provide free legal services to those who cannot afford it. They tap into the skills of the South African private legal fraternity. They started in 2006 and had 15 law firms which could assist 150 people. Now, they have 250 law firms and last year helped over 5000 people.
ProBono.Org existence is a response to the lack of access to justice for people in South Africa who are unable to pay for their own private legal representation.
They do this through training people, setting up workshops, creating new projects, meeting pro bono lawyers and clients and making sure that we make a difference. One of the functions is to encourage lawyers and attorneys to give back to people can’t afford legal assistance.
ProBono.Org promotes, protects and realises the rights established in the Constitution by improving access to justice to poor, vulnerable and marginalised South Africans. They facilitate the provision of free legal service through the volunteerism of private lawyers. As South Africa struggles to overcome a legacy of chronic poverty and institutionalised discrimination, ProBono.Org enables pro bono legal services to be provided to thousands of poor clients. The first and only organisation of its kind in the country, their model channels millions of rands worth of top quality legal assistance from the private legal profession to those who need these services.
One Child a Year campaign
“One Child A Year” calls on lawyers to take on at least one case involving a child per year without costs. This campaign involves taking a personal interest in the case to ensure that even after court proceedings are completed, the lawyer maintains correspondence with the child and his/her family in case they need further legal advice. South Africa has some of the most complex and protective sets of legislation when it comes to law surrounding children, but for one advocate of children’s rights, this complexity can sometimes be an obstacle to justice.
For more information, please visit www.probono.org.za
Or contact:
Tel: 011 339 6080
Mail: info@probono.org.za