Advocates fight ‘inequitable briefing patterns’

Cape Town Advocates Chumani Giyose, Msee Mlisana, Busisiwe Mthamzeli and Pearl Mathibela have taken up the cudgels on behalf of other black advocates on the Cape Bar, urging Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Michael Masutha to address ‘inequitable briefing patterns and late payments’, notes a report in the Cape Times. ‘Despite many public calls from black members of the advocates’ profession for government to ensure equitable briefing patterns and the payment of practising advocates on time, many black advocates still have to contend with late payments and inequitable briefing patterns by government,’ Mathibela is quoted as saying. She said the Department of Justice policies dictate that invoices be settled within 30 days of presentation unless there is a valid objection to an invoice. ‘Long delays in the payment of invoices, sometimes running into six months or longer, are not uncommon to black advocates. ‘There is a strong perception, based on interactions with our white and coloured colleagues, that these problems do not affect white advocates,’ she said.