My Dishonourable Learned Friends: Lawyers Who Steals and Frauds Their clients in South Africa

Abstract

Lawyers are reportedly stealing from their clients in South Africa instead of providing a legal representation service. They no longer want to practice law according to the provisions of the Legal Practice Act No.28 of 2014. Many have turned the legal professions into criminal gangs and fiefdoms, making away with vast amounts of Millions of Rands stolen from their clients. Some clients have lost deposits from property conveyancing, road accident victims are robbed of their compensation, the Road Accident Fund has been abused for several years in some instances Lawyers receive compensation payouts and do not inform their clients about it. Other Lawyers are too busy litigating their clients who have instructed them for legal representation. The Legal Practice Council has a herculean task ahead in the coming years. Although the number of lawyers struck off the roll Legal Practice Council has increased. The author opined that more lawyers who steal from their clients should be arrested, tried, and convicted. This will serve as a deterrent to others. This research has three purposes. First, to highlight some of the disgraceful lawyers within the legal profession and provide some insight into their modus operandi. Second, to warn vulnerable citizens who may likely prey upon them. Third, to call on all lawyers to join hands together with all stakeholders for justice to hold errant lawyers to justice. It is high time the legal noble profession be rescued from the hands of hoodlums who have hijacked the profession. Some of the findings are : more rigorous vetting process needs to be put in place, immediate custodial sentences for lawyers found quilty of stealing from their clients.