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Legal Resources Centre

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Legal Resources Centre

The LRC is a human rights organization in South Africa. We have offices in Johannesburg, Durban, Makhanda and Cape Town.

We empower individuals and communities through the law - to promote social justice, champion equality and realise the human rights enshrined in our Constitution. We use the law as an instrument of justice for the vulnerable and marginalised, including poor, homeless, and landless people and communities who suffer discrimination by reason of race, class, gender, disability or by reason of social, e

conomic, and historical circumstances. Our work takes us from the heart of urban cities to the most remote rural areas in South Africa. We also participate in networks that involve the Southern African region and the African continent. More than 70 lawyers and staff work for the LRC from our four regional offices.

16/06/2026

Today, we honour the courage, conviction and sacrifice of the young people of 1976 who stood up and demanded to be heard.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1976 student uprising, a moment that changed the course of our country and remains a powerful reminder of the role young people have played in shaping South Africa.

Youth Day is not only a moment to remember those who came before us. It is also a reminder that young people continue to play a vital role in shaping South Africa's future. Whether through community action, advocacy, public debate or the ballot box, young voices matter.

Yet voter registration among younger South Africans remains low, with less than 1% of 18 to 19 year olds, 15% of 20 to 29 year olds, and 24% of 30 to 39 year olds registered for this year's local government elections.

At the Legal Resources Centre, our work engaging with students across the country has shown that many young people care deeply about the issues affecting their lives. The challenge is ensuring those voices are reflected in the decisions that shape our communities.

This Youth Day, let us celebrate the legacy of young people who refused to be silent and continue that tradition by making our voices heard, standing up for what we believe in, and helping shape the South Africa we want to see.

Happy Youth Day 2026.

11/06/2026

Yesterday, 10 June, the LRC appeared in the Western Cape High Court on behalf of the Children's Institute and several parents and caregivers in the Late Registration of Births Backlog case.

The case challenges the constitutionality of the Department of Home Affairs' failure to develop a comprehensive plan to address the backlog in late birth registration applications.

The late birth registration process is vital for parents and caregivers who need to register a child's birth after 30 days. However, delays and inefficiencies within the Department's processes have left applicants waiting years for decisions on their applications.

As a result, hundreds of thousands of children remain legally invisible in the system, without their births recognised and registered. Without a birth certificate, children can face significant barriers to accessing healthcare, education, social grants and other essential services, with lasting consequences for their development and wellbeing.

The applicants are asking the court to direct the Department of Home Affairs to develop a plan to address the backlog and supervise its implementation.

After a full day of argument, judgment was reserved.

Children's Institute, University of Cape Town

09/06/2026

Standing Up for Invisible Children

Tomorrow, 10 June, we will appear in the Western Cape High Court against the Department of Home Affairs in the Late Registration of Birth Backlog case.

Together with the Children’s Institute, we will represent children and families who have spent years trying to secure something many South Africans receive shortly after birth: official recognition. These are families who have spent years trying to secure a future for their children. The families who have done everything asked of them, and yet remain trapped in a system that has left them waiting.

Their stories are not unique. They are among more than a quarter of a million children whose birth registration applications remain stuck in a growing backlog. Behind every application is a child seeking to be recognised, a family seeking certainty, and a future placed on hold.

Without a birth certificate, children can face barriers to accessing healthcare, education, social grants and other essential services. While birth registration should happen as early as possible, there are many valid reasons why some children are not registered within 30 days. When that happens, the system must work efficiently and fairly. Instead, many children and their caregivers are left waiting for years without answers.

We are asking the Court to ensure that Home Affairs' late registration of birth services are reasonable, efficient and constitutional, so that no child is left invisible to the systems meant to protect them.

Children's Institute, University of Cape Town

05/06/2026

The Legal Resources Centre extends its warmest congratulations to Tembeka Ngcukaitobi AJ on his appointment as an Acting Justice of the Constitutional Court from 1 June to 30 November 2026.

Born in the former Transkei, Tembeka's remarkable legal journey has been defined by excellence, intellect and an unwavering commitment to constitutionalism. After clerking for former Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson at the Constitutional Court, he practised as an attorney at Bowman Gilfillan. He later joined the Legal Resources Centre as Director of its Constitutional Litigation Unit before moving to the Johannesburg Bar, where he established himself as one of South Africa's foremost advocates.

Over the years, he has distinguished himself as one of South Africa's leading legal minds, becoming one of the youngest advocates to attain silk status and serving in a number of important public roles, including as a member of the Judicial Service Commission and the Competition Tribunal.

His appointment is a testament to decades of dedication to the law, constitutional values and public service. We are proud to celebrate this milestone and wish him every success in this important role.

Congratulations, Acting Justice Ngcukaitobi.

Photo credit: Kevin Sutherland

21/05/2026

"Invisible" without a Birth Certificate

On Wednesday, 20 May 2026, the Legal Resources Centre appeared in the Western Cape High Court to challenge provisions of the Births and Deaths Registration Act and its Regulations that prevent certain children from having their births registered.

We represented parents of affected children, abandoned adults, and Refugee Social Services.

Without a birth certificate, a child can become invisible in the eyes of the state, unable to access healthcare, education, and other basic services, while also facing the risk of statelessness.

The case affects children born in South Africa to South African citizens, permanent residents, refugees, asylum seekers, visa holders, and parents whose documentation has expired.

Importantly, the Minister and Director General of Home Affairs conceded that the law currently fails to provide for these children. The hearing therefore focused largely on how these gaps should be addressed and what remedies the Court should order.

Judgment has been reserved. Every child deserves to be recognised, protected, and able to exist fully before the law.

19/05/2026

On 18 May 2026, the Legal Resources Centre appeared in the Constitutional Court representing amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism in the constitutional challenge concerning the public participation process that accompanied the adoption of the Public Procurement Act.

Judgment was reserved following the hearing.

The matter before the Court is not about the preferential procurement aspects of the Act itself, but rather whether Parliament fulfilled its constitutional obligation to facilitate meaningful public participation during the legislative process.

In our submissions, we argued that the process fell significantly short of the constitutional standard required for legislation of this magnitude. Public submissions were often not meaningfully engaged with, timelines for participation were severely truncated, and material changes to the legislation were introduced without providing the public with a proper opportunity to comment on substantively different versions of the Bill.

Public participation is not a procedural formality or a tick box exercise. It is one of the safeguards that helps ensure transparency, accountability, and public trust in democratic lawmaking.

This is particularly important in the context of public procurement. Procurement governs how government purchases goods and services across every sphere of service delivery, while also remaining one of the areas most vulnerable to corruption, wasteful expenditure, and governance failures.

At the heart of this case is a simple principle: legislation with consequences this far reaching must be shaped through a process that genuinely allows the public to be heard and meaningfully considered.

Listen here for Att. Claire Rankin's comments of the day: https://youtu.be/bd3gLyl3WTU

State Capture and Beyond Human Rights Media Trust Brot für die Welt EU in South Africa Enhancing Accountability

14/05/2026

“I am invisible”, without a birth certificate

On 20 May 2026, the Legal Resources Centre will appear in the Western Cape High Court in a matter concerning access to birth registration and birth certificates.

A birth certificate is the first document a person receives, and without it, people can face barriers accessing education, healthcare and other rights protected by our Constitution.

The matter concerns several groups of people who have struggled to register births, including parents who did not have identity documents or passports when their children were born, parents attempting to register births after the thirty day period, and adults who were abandoned as children by South African citizens and who are still unable to register their births.

For many people, the inability to obtain a birth certificate has lifelong consequences.

We will share updates from court next week following the hearing.

12/05/2026

On 18 and 19 May 2026, the Legal Resources Centre will appear in the Constitutional Court assisting amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism in a challenge focused on whether Parliament fulfilled its constitutional obligation to ensure meaningful public participation during the drafting of the Public Procurement Act. This matter does not challenge the substance of the Act itself, but rather the process through which it was adopted.

Public participation is one of the safeguards that protects democratic accountability and helps ensure that laws are shaped transparently and in the public interest. It creates space for civil society organisations, experts, and affected communities to identify risks, raise concerns, and contribute to legislation before it is enacted.

This is particularly important because the Public Procurement Act will shape how billions in public funds are spent and how essential services are delivered across South Africa. Proper and meaningful participation could have allowed shortcomings within the legislation to be more fully identified, debated, and addressed before the Act was passed.

Read more about the matter and our involvement here:
https://lrc.org.za/when-the-public-is-left-out-the-law-falls-short/

State Capture and Beyond
EU in South Africa
Human Rights Media Trust
Enhancing Accountability
Brot für die Welt
amaBhungane

11/05/2026

On 5 May 2026, our team joined students at the Wits - University of the Witwatersrand Law Career Day to speak about the work of the Legal Resources Centre and the role public interest law can play in South Africa.

It was encouraging to engage with so many students who were eager to learn more about the realities communities face and how the law can be used to protect rights, challenge inequality and hold power accountable.

We were especially inspired by the number of students interested in pursuing public interest law and applying for our Candidate Attorney Programme. Conversations like these matter because the future of access to justice depends on the next generation of lawyers who are willing to stand alongside communities and do the work.

Wits School of Law

07/05/2026

Yesterday, the Legal Resources Centre appeared in the Johannesburg High Court on behalf of a mother seeking urgent access to the remains of her baby after the child died in utero at 26 weeks.

Despite her request to bury her child in accordance with her religious beliefs and customary practices, the public hospital informed her that, under a Department of Health Circular, a court order was required before the remains could be released. Without such an order, the remains would have been treated as medical waste and incinerated.

The Court granted urgent relief, confirming our client’s right to access her baby’s remains and ordering that they be released within 24 hours.

The matter now continues in the ordinary course, where the LRC will challenge the lawfulness of the Circular requiring grieving families to approach the courts in order to bury their children.

No parent should be forced to fight through urgent court proceedings simply to say goodbye with dignity and according to their beliefs.

Address

2nd Floor West Wing, Women’s Jail, Constitution Hill, 1 Kotze Street, Braamfontein
Johannesburg
2001

Opening Hours

Monday	08:00 - 16:30
Tuesday	08:00 - 16:30
Wednesday	08:00 - 16:30
Thursday	08:00 - 16:30
Friday	08:00 - 01:00

Website

http://www.lrc.org.za/, https://sa.lrc.org.za/m/links

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