Webber Wentzel’s Odette Geldenhuys, won the Pro Bono Award 2016 by the International Bar Association, at an awards ceremony held in Washington DC, on 19 September.
By Kgomotso Ramotsho
Webber Wentzel’s, Odette Geldenhuys, was named the Pro Bono Award 2016 winner, by the International Bar Association (IBA). She is the first lawyer on the African continent to win the award. The award ceremony was held in Washington DC, on 19 September.
Ms Geldenhuys said her nomination was based on three criteria, namely –
According to the press release, earlier in September, the Constitutional Court ruling in the EAOs case potentially affects an approximate 2,5 million active EAOs, equating to between 10 – 12% of South Africa’s workforce. As a result of this victory, EAOs will no longer be issued by a clerk of the court, but will be granted by a magistrate on being satisfied that it is just and equitable to do so and that the amount is appropriate. The Constitutional Court also closed a loophole, which had been abused by clerks. Debtors are now assured that only the court closest to where they live or work may issue an EAO against them, thereby ensuring that the debtor can place his or her circumstances before the court.
The IBA Pro Bono Award, was established in 2010 by the Pro Bono Committee and, honours lawyers who have shown an outstanding commitment to pro bono work as part of their legal careers. Following a large number of entries, the judging panel of this year’s IBA award (sponsored by LexisNexis) selected seven nominees of which Ms Geldenhuys was the overall winner. The award is bestowed annually in recognition of pro bono work that exhibits an exceptional level of commitment and dedication to the provision of free legal services and access to justice. It recognises work, including legislative reform, litigation and transactional representation, that has brought about a significant impact – to an individual, community, group, or country, or to the provision of pro bono services in general.
Ms Geldenhuys said she was in disbelief when she was told that she was shortlisted with six other lawyers in the bid to win the IBA Pro Bono Award. ‘My law firm had first asked me if they could nominate me for the awards and I said yes, but I was really shocked when I was told that I was shortlisted for the award,’ she said.
The international award is a fitting close to one of the cases that was the basis for Ms Geldenhuys’ nomination and also won her the title of ‘Attorney of the Year’ at the 2016 African Legal Awards held in early September.
Ms Geldenhuys said she is grateful for the award, that, not only her work was acknowledged but also the work of other pro bono attorney’s throughout the African continent. ‘I am humbled because there are thousands of pro bono attorneys but I was chosen,’ she said.
She dedicated her award to all the lawyers who do pro bono work and help individuals’ to be able to access legal justice.
Kgomotso Ramotsho Cert Journ (Boston) Cert Photography (Vega) is the news reporter at De Rebus.
This article was first published in De Rebus in 2016 (Nov) DR 18.
