NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION NO.: 947
DATE OF QUESTION: 26 APRIL 2012
947. Mr N J J van R Koornhof (Cope) to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development:
(a) How many (i) advocates and (ii) lawyers are there in total, (b) how many (i) male advocates and (ii) lawyers are (aa) Black and (bb) White and (c) how many female (i)advocates and (ii) lawyers are (aa) Black and (bb) White?
NW1122E
REPLY:-
(a)(i) I wish to inform the Honourable Member that as of 23 April 2012 there are a total of 4762 advocates. The roll of advocates appears on the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development's website. The roll distinguishes between Black, Indian, Coloured, and White. The statistical information on the basis of the race categories used in the roll of advocates, have been collated.
(b)(i)(aa)&(bb)
Indian males: 134
Coloured males: 50
Black males: 1425
White males: 1611
Total male: 3220
(c)(i)(aa)&(bb)
Indian females: 71
Coloured females: 44
Black females: 491
White females: 859
Total female: 1465
This breakdown adds up to 4685 advocates. Please note that 77 advocates elected not to divulge their race status.
(a)(ii) The roll of attorneys is not as accessible as the roll of advocates. In June 2011, the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) published statistics regarding the composition of the attorneys' profession. The data is accurate as at 1 April 2011. The next report will probably only be published in June 2012. There is a distinction between practising and non-practising attorneys. The information below reflects that of practising attorneys. While the available statistics are grouped into gender breakdown (female/male), on the one hand, and race breakdown (Black/Coloured/Asian/White), on the other, there is no breakdown linking gender and race. We do not have access to such individualised statistics. As at 1 April 2011 there were a total of 20077 practising attorneys.
(b)(ii) Male practising attorneys: 13433
(c)(ii) Female practising attorneys: 6644
(aa)&(bb) Race breakdown
Black practising attorneys: 4006
Coloured practising attorneys: 270
Asian practising attorneys: 2424
White practising attorneys: 13219
The above race breakdown adds up to 19919 practising attorneys. Please note that 158 practising attorneys elected not to divulge their race status. The Law Society states that the race status of 32 practising attorneys under the Cape Law Society is unknown and that the race status of 131 practising attorneys under the Law Society of the Northern Provinces is also unknown. However, if this is correct, then the numbers do not add up since 19919 plus 163 equals 20082 attorneys, which is more than the total (20077) recorded by the LSSA. The publication may contain a marginal statistical error.
Issued by Parliament, May 15 2012
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