The Legal Assistance Trust

The Dream of Freedom for All

South Africa is still suffering from the inequalities of the apartheid regime. In order to bring about the transition into full democracy and the dream of freedom, transformation of society and the economy are essential. It is through the Constitution, the greatest instrument in the hands of the South African people, that this will be achieved. The Constitution is there not only to protect, to guide and to govern but also to demand that steps be taken to bring about change.

The Legal Resources Centre has long been at the forefront of change in South Africa and has used law to pursue justice and freedom. Many gains have been made but the dream has yet to be fulfilled and the work continues. The Constitution, which provides the necessary means to achieve these goals must itself be protected, its impact extended and its requirements fulfilled. The prize will be democracy and the freedom from poverty.

Our Vision

Our vision is to promote a stable and democratic society in South Africa under the Rule of Law - first, by assisting the poor and marginalized to eradicate and correct the injustices caused by the policy of apartheid; second, by helping the poor and marginalized to achieve their social and economic rights envisaged in South Africa’s hard fought for Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Our Mission

The Legal Assistance Trust (LAT) was established in London as a registered charitable trust in 1985. It has an exclusive partnership with the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) of South Africa. Established in 1978, the LRC is South Africa’s oldest and largest not for profit public interest law organization.

As part of this partnership, the LAT aims to:

• Support the Legal Resources Centres mission to work for a democratic society in South Africa and to ensure that rights enshrined in the Constitution are fulfilled
• Support their client based free legal services by using law as an instrument of justice for the vulnerable, poor and marginalized
• Support their work to build respect for the rule of law thereby enabling the poor to assert and develop their rights under the Constitution

To further assist the LRC, it is also our aim to promote research into the laws of foreign legal systems as they affect the poor people and to publish the results. For further details visit the Legal Resources Centre Website