Cape Law Society

I spent more than an hour this morning with the Office of the Public Protector, gently arguing a case. I had submitted a serious complaint against an attorney, to the Cape Law Society. However, the Cape Law Society had refused to admit the complaint. I requested that the Cape Law Society show me the statutes on which they would admit a case (or not). This is basic. This is where it all begins. But the Cape Law Society absolutely, completely refused to show me the statutes, all the way up to the Director. I said to the Office of the Public Protector this morning: If they don't have any statutes, and if everything is judged on a personal basis, then I must accept that -- but then they need to be transparent and up front about it. OBSERVATION: Much of my argument this morning was: This is not about a complaint against an attorney. Put that aside. This is about my right to know, therefore it is about the Cape Law Society. It is about whether people who serve in the area of law are accountable on the basis of statutes, or on a personal basis. I said: Ordinarily, a democracy runs on the basis of a constitution, a bill of rights, statutes. The Office of the Public Protector wondered: Supposing that they don't have the statutes, but they work on professional opinion? I said: Then we need to know that.