Legal Resources Centre
Information on the purpose of your organization
The Legal Resources Centre (LRC) is a public interest law centre based in South Africa.The LRC believes that a just and democratic society is achieved by protecting and promoting the rights of vulnerable and marginalised communities. Our strategy is informed by our engagements with civil society partner organisations, and most importantly the marginalised clients and communities we serve. The LRC's work is structured around 9 core objectives: 1.To protect and promote the rule of law in the face of threats to democratic processes and civil liberties 2.To protect natural resources and ensure just and equitable access to them. 3.To support disadvantaged communities and civil society organisations (CSOs) to participate in governance processes 4.To defend the rights of vulnerable urban slum dwellers to access adequate and safe housing, municipal services, affordable development and to be able to earn a livelihood. 5.To ensure increased fulfilment of health, sexual and reproductive rights including access to more responsive services and greater awareness of obligations to those most vulnerable. 6.To advance the rights of children. 7.To protect, promote and secure the rights of refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants in South Africa. 8.To increase litigation, and ultimately African jurisprudence in order to contribute to the strengthening of global human rights. 9.To build the understanding and capacity to engage with constitutional litigation and human rights law within the legal sector and in various forms of judicial and public service.
Information on your programmes and activities in areas relevant to the subject of the Summit and in which country or counties they are carried out.
The LRC deals with a range of interconnected civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; and environmental rights through our client-centred approach. We employ a range of strategies to protect and promote the values that are enshrined in our Constitution, including: impact litigation, legal advice, research, negotiations, capacity building and advocacy, law and policy reform, and participation in development processes and networking within South Africa, the African continent and at the international level. Informed by the lived experiences of our clients, the LRC?s work focuses on seven areas: Children?s Rights and Education; Openness and Accountability; Refugees and Migration; Equality, Non-Discrimination and Disability; Access to Justice and Not-for-Profit Support; Housing and Evictions; Land and Natural Resources.
The LRC is a national organisation therefore operates in South Africa mainly with some partnerships abroad. One example is our education focus area where are involved in on-going litigation to ensure that the right to education is given effect in South Africa. We also aim to build capacity for education litigation in other countries through our litigation support programme, which has thus far taken place in Kenya, Uganda and India. We have also supported litigation related to land rights in Namibia.
Information on activities at the national or international levels
Activities related to the SDGs in their current form are:
Goal 2: litigation and advocacy through network organisations to ensure that access to land includes food security and security of tenure for farmworkers (national)
Goal 4: domestic litigation and litigation support in South Africa and other developing countries.
Goal 5: domestic litigation and joint advocacy through network organisations focussed on women's rights - national and international
Goal 6: litigation in South Africa aimed at compelling the State to ensure adequate sanitation and water for poor communities
Goal 11: domestic litigation and advocacy aimed at ensuring that people are provided with adequate housing and/ or shelter
Organization have an annual report? (YES/NO) (should contain financial statements and a list of financial sources and contributions, including governmental contributions)?
YES -
LRCAR13_14_Final.pdf
List of members of the governing body of your organization, and their countries of nationality
*All members listed below are South African, other than Prof Harvey Dale who is an American national.
1. Ms. Thandi Orleyn (Chairperson)
2. Ms. Janet Love
3. Judge Lee Bozalek
4. Prof. Harvey Dale (USA)
5. Mr. Ezra Davids
6. Mr. Thabani Jali
7. Prof. Michael Katz
8. Judge Jody Kollapen
9. Ms. Joy-Marie Lawrence
10. Judge Dunstan Mlambo
11. Ms. Lumka Mlambo
12. Judge Lex Mpati
13. Judge Mahomed Navsa
14. Ms. Marjorie Ngwenya
15. Mr. Taswell Papier
16. Mr. Richard Rosenthal
17. Ms. Tshepo Monica Shabangu
Copy of the constitution and/or by-laws of the organization (WORD or PDF only), or a weblink to it
LRCConstitution.pdf
