The phrase pro bono publico literally refers to “for the public good”; it is usually shortened to pro bono, a Latin phrase referring to professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. Unlike traditional volunteerism, it is service that uses the specific skills of professionals to provide services to those who are unable to afford them.
Rule 79A of the Rules of the Law Society of Northern Provinces (which regulates affairs of attorneys practicing within Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West and Limpopo) was adopted at the 2008 Annual General Meeting of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces (subsequently published in the Government Gazette on 25 March 2010).
With a view to facilitating access to justice in favour of those needy and deserving members of society, Rule 79A was primarily designed to address the needs of persons with limited means, or non-profit organisations where the payment of legal fees will deplete such organisations’ economic resources and affect their ability to carry out their charitable or public interest work.
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