The High Court disbars a famous lawyer: Disbarment in South Africa
Posted: 29 September, 2022 Filed under: Sandile Nhlengetwa | Tags: admonishment, Advocate Teffo, assault, Attorneys Act, contemptuous behaviour, Disbarment, disgrace, dishonesty, High Court, intimidation, Jasat v Natal Law Society, lack of integrity, misconduct, scandalising the Court, South Africa, South African Legal Practice Council v Teffo, violating Legal Practice 1 Comment
Author: Sandile Innocent Nhlengetwa
LLB candidate, University of the Western Cape
In an unreported judgement in South African Legal Practice Council v Teffo (10991/21) [2022] ZAGPPHC 666, Adv Malesela Teffo was removed as a legal practitioner. A total of 22 complaints from 2019 to 2022 were filed with the Legal Practice Council (LPC), a statutory body responsible for regulating the legal profession, against Adv Teffo. These include intimidation, assault, contemptuous behaviour, bringing disgrace upon the Court’s moral authority, violating the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014 (the LPA) on numerous counts and misappropriating of clients’ funds. In this regard, the LPC filed a motion with the High Court to have him disbarred. In its notice of motion, the LPC outlined the basis upon which they seek an order to strike Advocate Teffo off from the roll of legal practitioners. Adv Teffo replied with a bare denial in essence pleading not guilty to all these complaints.
AfricLaw 