Let's talk on LLB accreditation – Law Society

The Law Society of SA (LSSA) has taken ‘serious issue’ with allegations by the Higher Education Transformation Network claiming the LSSA pressured the Council for Higher Education (CHE) to withdraw Walter Sisulu University’s accreditation to present its LLB degree programme, notes Legalbrief. 'Nothing could be further from the truth,' say LSSA co-chairpersons Walid Brown and David Bekker in a statement issued last night, adding the LSSA plans to renew its attempts to engage with the CHE on the issue. 'In fact, the LSSA approached the CHE earlier this year with a request to participate in the process and understand the accreditation system since the attorneys' profession receives 60% of the LLB graduates into its ranks. We, therefore, have a very legitimate interest in developments relating to the LLB degree,' they say. The LSSA also noted its ‘extreme concern’ that a university law faculty can be discredited without conscious attempts being made to support the faculty and assist it to achieve satisfactory standards. 'This disempowers many potential graduates from embarking on the profession of their choice at a law faculty that is accessible to them. Invariably these will be the poorest and most disadvantaged students who are generally not in a position to attend another university. We need to strengthen opportunities for education, not reduce them,' say Brown and Bekker.