Legal Aid SA fights for rights

As the country commemorates 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, Legal Aid South Africa has reiterated its commitment to protect and defend the rights of these vulnerable groups.
This is not just a catch phrase for the organisation, as evidenced by the significant growth in legal assistance provided to these vulnerable groups. Its sharpened focus has seen over 45 000 women and children receive legal assistance in the 2014/15 financial year.
“As a custodian of the constitutional rights of vulnerable groups, it is important for Legal Aid SA to guarantee that it provides justice to women and children by ensuring more than just representation in the court system. It means creating awareness and understanding of the rights afforded by the Constitution, promoting the rule of law and ensuring that services are available to provide advice and representation when needed,” says Lilla Crouse, Legal Aid SA Senior Litigator.
To that effect, the organisation assisted 26 740 women, mostly in legal issues affecting their civil and human rights. They assisted children in 16 483 matters, of which 11 651 were children in conflict with the law and 4 831 children in civil matters.
Through Legal Aid SA’s monitoring and tracking system, the organisation was able to monitor children awaiting trial in custody to ensure that their matters were prioritised.
This is done through dedicated children’s units. These units focus exclusively on providing representation to children in both criminal and civil matters. Based in these units are specialist child legal practitioners who have had advanced training and research background in child law. In very complex matters, Senior Litigators provide support and advice to practitioners that need it.
A call centre, Legal Aid Advice Line 0800 110 110, was established in 2010 and has been instrumental in handling matters affecting women and children. These include, but are not limited to:
Assistance with protection order applications in domestic violence matters like physical, verbal and emotional abuse
Maintenance issues like child and spousal support
Divorce access and custody issues
Property matters including evictions
Deceased estate matters
“Supporting the rights of women and children through processes outside of the court is critical,” concludes Crouse.
The organisation also continuously forges strategic partnerships to strengthen the legal mechanisms needed to protect the rights of women and children.