If you cannot afford a lawyer, you can apply for legal aid. Section 35 of the Constitution guarantees every person who is arrested, detained or accused the right to a fair trial, which includes the right to have a legal practitioner assigned by the State and at State expense. Legal Aid SA applies a means test to see whether you qualify in terms of what you earn. For example, employed individuals must earn less than R5 500 per month after tax has been deducted to qualify for legal aid.
What if I can’t afford a criminal defence lawyer?
Disclaimer
The information on this website is provided to assist the reader with a general understanding of the law. While we believe the information to be factually accurate, and have taken care in our preparation of these pages, these articles cannot and do not take individual circumstances into account and are not a substitute for personal legal advice. If you have a legal matter that concerns you, please consult a qualified attorney. Simon Dippenaar & Associates takes no responsibility for any action you may take as a result of reading the information contained herein (or the consequences thereof), in the absence of professional legal advice.