South Africa’s legal profession takes hands to serve justice quicker, fairer, and more transparently
Rose-Marie van den Bogert unveils AuxBrief — transforming South Africa’s legal profession with equity, security, and innovation.
25 October marks an unprecedented collaboration between clients, attorneys, and advocates at the launch of AuxBrief — the world’s first batch of digital legal instructions issued live at the Houghton Hotel, Johannesburg. Led by the Johannesburg Society of Advocates (JSA) in partnership with Vezi & de Beer Inc. and Auxcon, this event signals a new era for South Africans seeking justice.
Why this matters — Faster, Fairer, and More Transparent
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Faster: When justice can’t wait
Urgent cases like protection orders, bail hearings, or interdicts can now be briefed digitally in minutes. No more delays from calls or couriered documents. -
Fairer: Work and opportunity distributed more evenly
AuxBrief helps close visibility gaps for young, female, and historically disadvantaged advocates. Firms can now search by expertise, gender, or background — promoting equitable briefing and transformation.
“We can meet both our clients’ commercial needs and transformation commitments,” says Mustafa Mohamed, Director at Vezi de Beer Inc. -
Transparent: Clarity from start to finish
AuxBrief captures agreed rates and logs work progress, helping attorneys and clients monitor real-time developments. When used with Auxcon’s billing system, it creates transparency that builds trust.
Paving the way for greater access to justice for all
The launch, themed “The Brief That Changes Everything,” featured an open discussion on technology, equity, and pro bono work.
Under the Legal Practice Council’s community-service rule, practising lawyers must complete 40 hours of pro bono work per year. Through AuxBrief, such work could be logged and tracked digitally, making volunteer service visible and measurable.
“In the year ahead, my focus will be to place pro bono at the heart of our work — and explore how we can use tools like AuxBrief to ensure that every hour pledged to justice actually reaches the people who need it most,” says Adv Tiny Seboko SC.
The launch of AuxBrief marks a major digital leap for South Africa’s legal fraternity — and a renewed commitment to restoring public confidence in justice.
