When lawyers stop fighting for justice
It seems the suffering of people whose rights have been violated will continue unabated because lawyers appear to be no longer interested in assisting them.
I have written many stories about people who approached lawyers to report civil cases, hoping they would assist them to find justice, but to no avail.
I am talking about medical negligence victims, train accident victims, victims of illegal arrests and people whose children were injured due to the negligence of schools.
As I called some of the victims one by one recently, I got the shock of my life when I found that almost all of them did not get help from the lawyers.
Instead, the lawyers reportedly turned against them, while some paid lawyers who did not even make an effort to assist.
ALSO READ: Nedbank exposed for ethical failures in court
Some complained that after they handed over documents relating to their cases, the lawyers stopped communicating or became rude.
Most of the people claimed the lawyers cut communication after sending letters of demand to the accused parties.
Surprisingly, the fight turned from a commitment to find justice for the victims to a squabble between the lawyers and the clients.
The people said they tried to report the lawyers to the Legal Practice Council (LPC), but the entity sided with the lawyers.
One case was of a woman whose nine-yearold son got paralysed after the acid obtained from an unlocked school laboratory entered his ear as they were playing.
ALSO READ: Should you be mad at your lawyer for using AI?
The kids thought it was paint. The incident happened in Phororong Primary School in Khutsong, Carletonville, in 2022.
The mother approached the lawyer, who reportedly cut communication later in 2023.
In frustration the woman approached the LPC, which failed to assist her as well.
She is now looking after her paralysed son and does not even know how the case is progressing as the lawyer's office is no longer taking her calls and not responding to her e-mails.
To make things worse, the lawyer is refusing to hand over the files to her new lawyer.
ALSO READ: Bogus lawyer ordered to pay back murder accused client's R40k
Another complainant, Mabutana Radebe from Polokong in Sebokeng, lost his legs in a train incident.
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa paid nearly R8 million, but his lawyer kept the money in his trust account while Radebe lived in poverty. His family reported the matter to the LPC, but nothing was done to compel the lawyer to release the money.
When reached, Radebe's legal representative could not give me straight answers.
He was rude and even threatened me.
It is about time that action is taken against lawyers who harass their clients.
ALSO READ: Lawyers who steal: R1.4bn trust fund theft ignored
According to data released last year by the LPC, more than 500 cases in which lawyers were accused of embezzling more than R1.4 billion of their clients' money from trust funds had not been prosecuted.
It also revealed that only 59 convictions were made in seven years and just 25 resulted in jail time.
When I was young, I used to respect lawyers and the legal profession, thinking they loved assisting people whose rights had been violated, but what I witness today erodes all the trust and respect that I had.
However, much as we have some rotten apples in the profession, I believe we still have some good lawyers.
The LPC and other relevant bodies must get their house in order and be honest and fair when handling squabbles between lawyers and their clients. Something needs to be done to save this vital profession.
NOW READ: Lawyer, plumber and then security professional: Inside the elaborate cons of scammers nabbed by the Hawks
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The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
When lawyers stop fighting for justice
Lawyers are turning against the very people they vowed to help, leaving victims hopeless and stripped of their rights. It seems the suffering of people whose rights have been violated will continue unabated because lawyers appear to be no longer interested in assisting them. I have written many stories about people who approached lawyers to report civil cases, hoping they would assist them to find justice, but to no avail. I am talking about medical negligence victims, train accident victims, victims of illegal arrests and people whose children were injured due to the negligence of schools. As I called some of the victims one by one recently, I got the shock of my life when I found that almost all of them did not get help from the lawyers. Instead, the lawyers reportedly turned against them, while some paid lawyers who did not even make an effort to assist. ALSO READ: Nedbank exposed for ethical failures in court Some complained that after they handed over documents relating to their cases, the lawyers stopped communicating or became rude. Most of the people claimed the lawyers cut communication after sending letters of demand to the accused parties. Surprisingly, the fight turned from a commitment to find justice for the victims to a squabble between the lawyers and the clients. The people said they tried to report the lawyers to the Legal Practice Council (LPC), but the entity sided with the lawyers. One case was of a woman whose nine-yearold son got paralysed after the acid obtained from an unlocked school laboratory entered his ear as they were playing. ALSO READ: Should you be mad at your lawyer for using AI? The kids thought it was paint. The incident happened in Phororong Primary School in Khutsong, Carletonville, in 2022. The mother approached the lawyer, who reportedly cut communication later in 2023. In frustration the woman approached the LPC, which failed to assist her as well. She is now looking after her paralysed son and does not even know how the case is progressing as the lawyer's office is no longer taking her calls and not responding to her e-mails. To make things worse, the lawyer is refusing to hand over the files to her new lawyer. ALSO READ: Bogus lawyer ordered to pay back murder accused client's R40k Another complainant, Mabutana Radebe from Polokong in Sebokeng, lost his legs in a train incident. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa paid nearly R8 million, but his lawyer kept the money in his trust account while Radebe lived in poverty. His family reported the matter to the LPC, but nothing was done to compel the lawyer to release the money. When reached, Radebe's legal representative could not give me straight answers. He was rude and even threatened me. It is about time that action is taken against lawyers who harass their clients. ALSO READ: Lawyers who steal: R1.4bn trust fund theft ignored According to data released last year by the LPC, more than 500 cases in which lawyers were accused of embezzling more than R1.4 billion of their clients' money from trust funds had not been prosecuted. It also revealed that only 59 convictions were made in seven years and just 25 resulted in jail time. When I was young, I used to respect lawyers and the legal profession, thinking they loved assisting people whose rights had been violated, but what I witness today erodes all the trust and respect that I had. However, much as we have some rotten apples in the profession, I believe we still have some good lawyers. The LPC and other relevant bodies must get their house in order and be honest and fair when handling squabbles between lawyers and their clients. Something needs to be done to save this vital profession. NOW READ: Lawyer, plumber and then security professional: Inside the elaborate cons of scammers nabbed by the Hawks
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Casoojee's plea to Justice Minister regarding his partenal struggle
Sifiso Mahlangu | Published 1 hour ago In an emotional and public plea, Cape Town businessman Asif Casoojee has called on Justice Minister Mmamoloko 'Nkhensani' Kubayi to urgently intervene in what he describes as a deeply painful legal struggle that has kept him separated from his children for more than a year. Casoojee accuses attorney Kaamilah Paulse, who represents his ex-wife, of manipulating the legal system to isolate him from his children and deny him meaningful access. Once married to Paulse, Casoojee says their post-divorce custody dispute has turned into a campaign of alienation, with him being systematically removed from his children's lives. Speaking to the media outside the Western Cape High Court this week, Casoojee described how his rights as a father have been eroded through what he calls calculated legal tactics. 'I am pleading with Minister Kubayi to look into this case. I have followed the law and respected the court process, but I am being punished for wanting to be a father. The system has been used to silence me.' Casoojee claims Paulse has overstepped her role as attorney, taking on functions beyond legal representation, such as appointing herself as the children's main school contact. Despite paying school fees and supporting his children financially, Casoojee says he is treated like an outsider. He recounted being denied entry to a Father's Day event in 2024, saying the school told him that Paulse was registered as next of kin. 'That day broke me,' he said. 'I was told I could not participate in an event made for fathers. My children saw that. They saw me being turned away.' Earlier this year, the Legal Practice Council's Appeals Tribunal found prima facie evidence that Paulse had committed professional misconduct. According to The Star and IOL , the case includes allegations of parental alienation, as well as an alleged attempt to condition Casoojee's access to his children on a R300,000 payment. The matter has since been referred to the LPC's Disciplinary Committee. Civil society organisations such as Fathers for Equality and Right to Justice have stepped in to support Casoojee's call for intervention. They argue that his case is not an isolated one, but part of a larger problem where fathers are stripped of rights due to unchecked legal practices. 'Too many fathers are being erased from their children's lives not because they are unfit, but because the system enables legal manipulation,' Casoojee said. 'This is not just about me. It is about the thousands of fathers who quietly suffer while their children grow up believing their dads abandoned them.' Attorney Kaamilah Paulse, through her law firm Herold Gie Attorneys, has denied any wrongdoing. The firm has stated it intends to challenge the tribunal's findings and maintains that Paulse acted lawfully and ethically throughout. Still, Casoojee remains determined. 'I want my children to know I never walked away. I was kept away,' he said. 'Minister Kubayi, please help fathers like me reclaim our rightful place in our children's lives.'
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Casoojee's plea to Justice Minister regarding his partenal struggle
Cape Town businessman Asif Casoojee has called on Justice Minister Mmamoloko 'Nkhensani' Kubayi to urgently intervene Image: File In an emotional and public plea, Cape Town businessman Asif Casoojee has called on Justice Minister Mmamoloko 'Nkhensani' Kubayi to urgently intervene in what he describes as a deeply painful legal struggle that has kept him separated from his children for more than a year. Casoojee accuses attorney Kaamilah Paulse, who represents his ex-wife, of manipulating the legal system to isolate him from his children and deny him meaningful access. Once married to Paulse, Casoojee says their post-divorce custody dispute has turned into a campaign of alienation, with him being systematically removed from his children's lives. Speaking to the media outside the Western Cape High Court this week, Casoojee described how his rights as a father have been eroded through what he calls calculated legal tactics. 'I am pleading with Minister Kubayi to look into this case. I have followed the law and respected the court process, but I am being punished for wanting to be a father. The system has been used to silence me.' Casoojee claims Paulse has overstepped her role as attorney, taking on functions beyond legal representation, such as appointing herself as the children's main school contact. Despite paying school fees and supporting his children financially, Casoojee says he is treated like an outsider. He recounted being denied entry to a Father's Day event in 2024, saying the school told him that Paulse was registered as next of kin. 'That day broke me,' he said. 'I was told I could not participate in an event made for fathers. My children saw that. They saw me being turned away.' Earlier this year, the Legal Practice Council's Appeals Tribunal found prima facie evidence that Paulse had committed professional misconduct. According to The Star and IOL, the case includes allegations of parental alienation, as well as an alleged attempt to condition Casoojee's access to his children on a R300,000 payment. The matter has since been referred to the LPC's Disciplinary Committee. Civil society organisations such as Fathers for Equality and Right to Justice have stepped in to support Casoojee's call for intervention. They argue that his case is not an isolated one, but part of a larger problem where fathers are stripped of rights due to unchecked legal practices. 'Too many fathers are being erased from their children's lives not because they are unfit, but because the system enables legal manipulation,' Casoojee said. 'This is not just about me. It is about the thousands of fathers who quietly suffer while their children grow up believing their dads abandoned them.' Attorney Kaamilah Paulse, through her law firm Herold Gie Attorneys, has denied any wrongdoing. The firm has stated it intends to challenge the tribunal's findings and maintains that Paulse acted lawfully and ethically throughout. Still, Casoojee remains determined. 'I want my children to know I never walked away. I was kept away,' he said. 'Minister Kubayi, please help fathers like me reclaim our rightful place in our children's lives.'
