Page 5 - Litigating in the Land Claims Court: Training Manual

LITIGATION IN IN IN THE LAND CLAIMS COURT TRAINING MANUAL LITIGATION IN IN IN THE LAND CLAIMS COURT TRAINING MANUAL I I I INTRODUCTION
1 The Legal Resources Centre (LRC) is an independent client-based non-profit public interest law clinic that uses the law as an an an instrument of justice We provide legal services to previously disadvantaged people and communities of of South Africa who suffer discrimination by by reason of of race class gender disability or by by reason of social economic and historical circumstances 2 The LRC is committed to the the achievement of of a a a a a fully democratic society based on the the principle of of substantive equality and and seeks to ensure that the the principles rights and and responsibilities enshrined in in in the the Constitution are respected promoted protected and fulfilled 3 In its work the LRC employs a a a a a a a a a a range of strategies including impact litigation legal advocacy participation in in in partnerships and and development processes education and and networking within South Africa Africa the African continent and internationally 4
In addition the the LRC also works to build respect for the the rule of law and and constitutional democracy and and enable the the the vulnerable and and marginalised to to assert and and develop their rights The LRC’s work contributes to to the the the development of of human rights jurisprudence and and to the social and and economic transformation of of society 5 The LRC was established in in 1979 and operates throughout the country from its regional offices in in Johannesburg Cape Town Durban and and Makhanda 6 The LRC has represented citizens and communities in in in litigation involving:
6 1 Restitution including the land of labour tenants 6 2 Customary law and its status in relation to to property rights 6 3 Communal land land and and and new development on communal land land including mining 6 4
Housing and 6 5 Environmental regulation and mining 7
The LRC has decided to to change the way it operates and shift resources to to focus on dismantling two identifiable fundamental bastions of of inequality Going forward the the work of of the the LRC will be focussed on on land and education 8 This training manual was made possible through the generous support of Comic Relief and designed to assist litigants in the Land Claims Court
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