By Tshenolo Masha
As part of commemorating and observing the plight of refugees and asylum seekers on World Refugee Day, ProBono.Org in partnership with Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyer, Fasken Martineau and Norton Rose Fulbright SA launched three Refugee Law Guides for Legal Professionals. The guides were developed by these three law firms to assist legal professionals to render pro bono services to refugees and asylum seekers. The keynote speaker at the launch was Judge Raylene Keightley who presided over the case of FAM vs the Minister of Home Affairs, where she delivered a judgment which obligated the Department of Home Affairs to apply procedural fairness to refugees as envisaged in the Constitution, and which is widely used as case law in review applications for asylum and refugee status. In her address the judge pointed out that South Africa’s commitment to the protection of refugees and asylum seekers did not only rest with the state but also with legal professionals in ensuring the country’s international obligations are applied to this vulnerable group, who in most instances do not have access to legal services. She highlighted that the principle of non-refoulement is the cornerstone of asylum and refugee law and that legal professionals are entrusted with ensuring that the law which provides protection to this vulnerable group is utilised. She also made a call for more professionals to get involved in this space. The manuals are available for download on our website.
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