Practitioners criticize Norton Rose Fulbright legal code challenge

Black legal practitioners have voiced concerns over Norton Rose Fulbright’s legal bid to block the newly introduced B-BBEE legal sector code.

The code aims to address racial discrimination and promote black ownership in South Africa’s legal industry.

Basadi ba Molao, a non-profit organization advocating for equality among black legal practitioners, emphasized the need for transformation within the sector.

Kathleen Matolo-Dlepu of Basadi ba Molao said, “We are definitely surprised that Norton Rose can actually challenge the legal sector’s code so vigorously. They profess to be the proponents of transformation. By challenging the legal sector code, it means whatever they are saying is not true—they are not promoting transformation.”

Matolo-Dlepu added that the B-BBEE framework has been in place for 20 years and targets set in the legal sector code are achievable.

“Obviously, it was comfortable for them not to have to deal with the issues of ownership. The stats tell us a different story. So, definitely—they have to comply with the legal sector code because the legal sector is evolving,” she notes.

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