Legislation

Our history: LPFF at a glance

The Legal practitioners Fidelity Fund (LPFF) previously known as Attorneys Fidelity Fund (AFF) is a fidelity guarantee fund, which exists in terms of the Legal Practice Act. The LPFF exists to protect the public against loss as a result of theft of money or property entrusted to attorneys in the course of their practices. The protection provided by the Fund encourages the public to use services provided by legal practitioners with confidence. The Fund’s sustainability and ability to serve the public relies on its ability to respond and adapt to internal and external trends and challenges in the South African regulatory and legal environments.

Section 53 of the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014 provides for the existence of the Fund as a juristic person under the name Legal Practitioners’ Fidelity Fund.

Legislation: Reasons for the Legal Practice Act

1. Provide a legislative framework for the transformation and restructuring of the legal profession in line with constitutional imperatives so as to facilitate and enhance an independent legal profession that broadly reflects the diversity and demographics of the Republic;
2. Provide for the establishment, powers and functions of a single South African Legal Practice Council and Provincial Councils in order to regulate the affairs of legal practitioners and to set norms and standards; to provide for the admission and enrollment of legal practitioners;
3. Regulate the professional conduct of legal practitioners so as to ensure accountable conduct; Provide for the establishment of an Office of a Legal Services Ombud and for the appointment, powers and functions of a Legal Services Ombud;