Case Law[2025] ZAGPPHC 1157South Africa
De Bod v Road Accident Fund (A55/2025) [2025] ZAGPPHC 1157 (7 November 2025)
High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria)
7 November 2025
Headnotes
Summary:
Judgment
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# South Africa: North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria
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## De Bod v Road Accident Fund (A55/2025) [2025] ZAGPPHC 1157 (7 November 2025)
De Bod v Road Accident Fund (A55/2025) [2025] ZAGPPHC 1157 (7 November 2025)
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sino date 7 November 2025
IN THE HIGH COURT
OF SOUTH AFRICA
(GAUTENG DIVISION,
PRETORIA)
Case
No. A55/2025
(1) REPORTABLE:
YES
/
NO
(2) OF INTEREST TO
OTHER JUDGES:
YES
/
NO
(3) REVISED
DATE:
7
November 2025
SIGNATURE:
In
the matter between:
DE
BOD, FRED CHRISTIAN STEVEN
APPELLANT
And
THE
ROAD ACCIDENT FUND
RESPONDENT
Coram:
Mngqibisa-Thusi,
Nyathi
et
Millar JJ
Heard
on:
9
October 2025
Delivered:
7
November 2025 - This judgment was handed down electronically by
circulation to the parties' representatives by email,
by being
uploaded to the
CaseLines
system of the GD and
by release to SAFLII. The date and time for hand-down is deemed
to be 10H00 on 7 November
2025.
Summary:
Contingency
Fees Act 66 of 1997
—
s 2(1)(b)
and (2)
—
contingency fees agreements must comply with
Act
—
not
permissible for a legal practitioner to recover more than 25%
of the capital amount towards fees.
‘
success
fee’
—
does
not attract Value Added Tax (VAT) in the same way as ‘normal
fees’ — the Act was not enacted
to provide legal
practitioners with an alternative preferential method of
determining their fees over and above normal
fees.
‘
normal
fees’ as defined in the Act remain the standard by which
the reasonableness of the fees of a legal practitioner
is
determined — surcharge which is added to normal fees to
make up the success fee bears no relation to value
of services
rendered but is a function of risk.
ORDER
It
is Ordered
:
[1]
The appeal is dismissed.
[2]
There is no order for costs.
JUDGMENT
MILLAR
J ( Mngqibisa-Thusi et Nyathi JJ concurring)
[1]
This
is an appeal against a judgment and order granted on 30 September
2024 in terms of which the contingency fee agreement entered
into
between the plaintiff and his attorney was declared to be invalid for
want of compliance with the Contingency Fees Act
[1]
(the Act).
[2]
The crisp issue for determination in this
appeal is whether, properly construed, the agreement in question
falls foul of the Act
or not.
[3]
Contingency fees agreements between legal
practitioners and their clients are prohibited by the common law and
may only be entered
into lawfully within the parameters of the Act.
Even though the Act is written in clear language and ought to
be readily
understandable to legal practitioners, who are prepared to
accept instructions from their clients on this basis, there persists
some confusion regarding what is permitted and what is not permitted
in terms of the Act.
[4]
Before turning to the contingency fees
agreement in issue in this appeal, an overview of how our Courts have
interpreted the Act
and a setting out of the present legal position
is useful.
[5]
In
Price
Waterhouse Coopers Inc. and Others v National Potato Co-operative
Ltd
[2]
the scope of the Act was described as follows:
“
[41]
The Contingency Fees Act 66 of 1997 (which came into operation
on 23
April 1999) provides for two forms of contingency fee agreements
which attorneys and advocates may enter into with their
clients.
The first, is a ‘no win, no fees’ agreement (S2(1)(a) and
the second is an agreement in terms of which
the legal practitioner
is entitled to fees higher than the normal fee if the client is
successful (s 2(1)(b)). The second
type of agreement is subject
to limitations. Higher fees may not exceed the normal fees of
the legal practitioner on more
than 100% and in the case of claims
sounding in money this fee may not exceed 25% of the total amount
awarded or any amount obtained
by the client in consequence of the
proceedings, excluding costs (s 2(2)). The Act has detailed
requirements for the agreement
(s 3), the procedure to be followed
when the matter is settled (s 4), and gives the client a right of
review (s 5). The professional
controlling bodies may make
rules which they deem necessary to give effect to the Act (s 6) and
the Minister of Justice may make
regulations for implementing and
monitoring the provisions of the Act (s 7).
The
clear intention is that Contingency Fees be carefully controlled.
The
Act was enacted to legitimise Contingency Fee Agreements between
legal practitioners and their clients which would otherwise
be
prohibited by the common law. Any Contingency Fee Agreement
between such parties which is not covered by the Act is therefore
illegal. What is of significance, however, is that by
permitting ‘no win, no fees’ agreements the Legislature
has made speculative litigation possible. And by permitting
increased fee agreements the Legislature has made it possible
for
legal practitioners to receive part of the proceeds of the action.”
[6]
In
De
la Guerre v Ronald Bobroff & Partners
[3]
,
the full court held that:
“
the
Contingency Fees Act is
exhaustive on its stated object, and any
contingency fee agreement not in compliance with it is invalid
.”
[7]
In
Thulo
v Road Accident Fund
,
[4]
which was approved by the full court in
De
La Guerre
,
the court explained how the Act was to be interpreted. In this regard
it was held that:
“
[51]
The true function of a proviso is to qualify the principal matter to
which it stands as
a proviso – as to which see, for example,
Hira and Another v Booysen and Another
1992 (4) SA 69
(A) at 79F-J
and the cases there cited.
In
other words, a proviso taketh away but it does not giveth.
If
there is a principal matter (in this case the right to charge a
success fee calculated at double – 100% more than –
the
normal fee) it is not the function of a proviso to increase or
enlarge that which it follows, it is to reduce, qualify and
limit
that which goes before it in the text.
[My
underlining].
[52]
As this principle of interpretation is not always applied there is a
danger of misinterpretation
of this section by legal practitioners.
Incorrectly interpreted it can be used to argue that the client has
to pay (i) double
the normal fee or (ii) 25% of the total amount
awarded in a claim sounding in money, whichever is the higher.
That is completely
wrong. The practitioner’s fee is
limited, on a proper reading of the section, to (i) 25% of the amount
awarded in the
judgment, or (ii) double the normal fee of the
practitioner, whichever is the lower. If double the normal fee
results in
the client having to pay a fee higher than 25% of that
which was awarded to the client in a money judgment (costs aside) the
legislature
has put a ceiling on such fee and said, in effect, 25% of
the money amount awarded is the maximum fee that can be raised.
Where, however, double the normal fee does not exceed 25% of the
money amount awarded then double the normal fee is the maximum
fee
that can be raised.”
[8]
In
Masango
v Road Accident Fund,
[5]
it was held that:
“
[12]
The attorney (legal practitioner) is authorised in terms of s 2(1)(b)
read with s 2(2)
of the CFA, as an incentive, to charge a success fee
which is higher than his or her normal fee, subject to the two caps.
The normal fees of the attorney are taken as a base and the attorney
is authorised to increase the normal or base fee by up to
100%.
The attorney may thus increase the normal fee by say 10%, 20%, 30%,
40; 45% etc, but the percentage increase may not
exceed 100%.
This is the first cap on success fees. What is important is
that there is a base (the normal fee) from
which a percentage
increase is permissible. This is the ordinary and only basis on
which the practitioner may increase fees.
The legal
practitioner first determines his normal fee, which he would have
been entitled to charge without a contingency fees
agreement, and
then increases it in terms of the contingency fees agreement.
The success fee is a fee which has been increased
from the normal
fee. It is thus necessary that we understand the meaning of
these ‘fees’, ‘normal fees’,
and then
‘success fees’, as contemplated in the section”.
And
“
[16]
‘Normal fees’ of an attorney for litigious work are fees
for charges that would
ordinarily be allowed on taxation.”
[9]
In
Mkuyana
v Road Accident Fund
[6]
in considering unregulated contingency fees stated that:
“
[16]
Unregulated, contingency fee agreements have the potential for
earnings by legal practitioners
which are excessive and
disproportionate to the labour and risk invested. This will
negatively impact on public confidence
in the legal system. The
legislature was clearly conscious of the risk of exploitation when it
legitimised contingency fee
agreements. What the Act therefore
sets out to do is to carefully regulate the extent to which a legal
practitioner may agreement
with his client for the payment of an
increased fee.”
[10]
In
Mathimba
and Others v Nonxuba and Others,
[7]
the full court held:
“
[106]
For those reasons we have concluded that the proper approach to
sub-section (2) is that it refers
to and qualifies a higher fee where
the contingency fee agreement is one under which the legal
practitioner charges fees higher
than normal fees. It imposes
limitations on the whole of such an agreement. In other words
sub-section (2) refers to
the whole of the fees chargeable under an
agreement not simply to the difference of normal fees and higher
fees”.
[11]
What is readily apparent from the
authorities quoted above, is that the Act permits two types of
contingency fee agreements –
[11.1]
The first is an ordinary ‘no win, no fee agreement’ where
the legal practitioner,
subject to a successful outcome, will charge
his client his ordinary fees. These are referred to in the Act
as ‘normal
fees’ and are subject to taxation, should the
practitioner’s client require it. This is an agreement in
terms
of s 2 (1)(a) of the Act.
[11.2]
The second is also a ‘no win, no fee agreement’ but in
this instance, besides
the entitlement to the ‘normal fee’
on a successful outcome, the legal practitioner is able to negotiate,
based on
his assessment of the risk, a ‘surcharge’ or
‘success fee’ of up to 100% of the normal fee provided
however
that the combination of the two does not exceed 25% of the
capital amount which is recovered by the client. This is an
agreement
in terms of s 2 (1)(b) of the Act.
[12]
Practically, taking guidance from the Act,
when fees are recovered in terms of such agreements, the starting
point is for the drawing
of an attorney and own client bill of costs
based on the ‘normal fees’. This bill may either be
agreed or may
be subject to taxation by the taxing master.
Insofar as s 2(1)(a) agreements are concerned, this is the process
that applies
to the calculation and assessment of all fees in
litigious matters irrespective of whether or not they are subject to
the Act.
[13]
Insofar as s 2(1)(b) agreements are
concerned, the starting point is the same as with the s 2(1)(a)
agreement. An attorney and own
client bill of costs must be agreed or
taxed. It is after this has occurred, that the process by which
the ‘surcharge’
is determined. The process is a
simple one. The taxed or agreed attorney and own client costs
are doubled ie the total
taxed or agreed fees are multiplied by two.
[14]
It is once this calculation has been done
that a comparison occurs. The capital amount recovered by the
client is multiplied
by 25% and that amount is compared to the
‘normal fee’ plus the surcharge. The two together are the
‘success
fee’. If the ‘success fee’ is
less than the 25% then that is what the legal practitioner recovers
as a
fee. If the ‘success fee’ is more than the 25%
then only that amount that represents the difference between the
success fee and the 25% is the additional amount that the legal
practitioner may recover.
[15]
It may even occur, subject to the
assessment of ‘normal fees’ that such ‘normal fees’
once taxed or agreed,
will exceed the 25% even if they are not
increased by the surcharge. Whether or not this would occur, is
one of the factors
that is considered by the legal practitioner in
the assessment of his risk when choosing which of the two agreements
he is prepared
to accept instructions on.
[16]
Put
simply, the ‘normal fees’ are earned and whether taxed or
agreed, represent the value of the work done by the legal
practitioner for his client. The ‘surcharge’ is not
earned in the same way as the professional fees are.
It bears
no relation to the value of the actual services rendered other than
to provide the basis for the calculation of the reward
for taking a
risk. This is distinguishable from the s 2(1)(a) agreement where the
risk taken by the legal practitioner is borne
solely by him/her and
not by the client. In the case of the s 2(1)(b) agreement, the
client agrees to pay a premium, calculated
within the parameters of
the Act, for the legal practitioner’s assumption of risk of
recovery of fees in the case.
[17]
An additional issue arises. Does the
‘success fee’ attract Value Added Tax (VAT) in the same
way as the normal
fee does? In other words, should s 2(1)(b) of
the Act be read to include VAT if double the ‘normal fee’
equals
or exceeds the 25% of the capital recovered by the client?
[18]
This
question was answered in the negative in
Masango
v Road Accident Fund
[8]
and in
Van
der Westhuizen v Road Accident Fund
.
[9]
In
Sello
v Road Accident
Fund
[10]
this question was answered in the affirmative.
[19]
Central to the question of whether VAT is
to be included over and above the 25% referred to in s 2(2) of the
Act, is whether the
25% limit imposed by the section represents a
fee. It clearly does not. The only fees recoverable in
terms of the Act
are ‘normal fees’ which may be
increased, subject to the amount of the ‘surcharge’.
S 2(2) provides
the method for the calculation of both the normal fee
together with the success fee and imposes a limit being 25% of the
total
amount recovered by the client. In entering into an
agreement in terms of s 2(1)(b), the legal practitioner is aware that
whatever percentage ‘surcharge’ is agreed, in the event
of success, this is limited by the provisions of s 2(2).
[20]
In other words, the total fee which
includes both the ‘normal fee’ and the ‘surcharge’
– referred
to in s 2(2) as the
“
success
fee”
is limited, how so ever it
is calculated to be in total, no more than 25% of the amount
recovered by the client. If the 25%
is to be regarded as a fee
upon which VAT is to be charged, this would mean that the effective
rate being charged to the client
is 28.75% based on the present VAT
rate of 15%.
[21]
This
patently offends against the Act. Since VAT is charged on
‘normal fees’, the legal practitioner in the assessment
of his risk and in the decision to enter into a s 2(1)(b) agreement
with his client is aware that subject to the capital amount
that is
recovered, in the event that the double normal fee does not fall
within the 25%, he may in respect of his ‘surcharge’
recover something less than double the ‘normal fee’ and
that the lesser surcharge that is recovered because it is capped
by
the 25% is limited to necessarily include VAT. This is a
function of the risk assessment of the legal practitioner.
The
legal practitioner is perfectly entitled to enter into a s 2(1)(a)
agreement where this is not an issue
[11]
.
[22]
The dictum in
De
La Guerre v Ronald Bobroff
, a decision
of the Full Court of this Division, which was approved and applied by
the Constitutional Court, is dispositive of the
matter insofar as any
application of the calculation of the ‘success fee’ is
concerned. It is not permissible
in terms of a s 2(1)(b)
agreement for a legal practitioner to recover anything more than 25%
of what is recovered by the client
for his fees. To find otherwise
would be inimical to the provisions of the Act.
[23]
For these reasons, I agree with the dicta
in
Masango
and
Van Der Westhuizen
and
that the cap on fees set out in s 2(2) of the Act insofar as it may
be applicable in a particular case, is absolute. If
the
interpretation preferred in
Sello
were
to be followed, the consequence would be entirely self-serving in
favour of the legal practitioner and to the detriment of
the client.
This is in direct contrast to the very purpose for which the Act was
enacted. It was not enacted to provide
legal practitioners with
a financially preferential method of determining their fees over and
above normal fees but rather to facilitate
access to court for those
who would otherwise not have been able to do so.
[24]
Turning now to the appeal in the present
matter.
[25]
The Court
a
quo
had regard to the following
paragraphs in the contingency fee agreement in question:
“
6.1
Die partye kom ooreen dat indien die klient suksesvol of gedeeltelik
suksesvol is
soos bedoel in die ooreenkoms, sal die regspraktisyn,
benewens”
sy
normale fooi ook geregtig wees op ‘n suksesfooi (hoër
fooi) onderhewig aan die bepalings dat:
6.1.1
Enige sodanige fooie wat hoër is as die regspraktisyn se normale
fooi (synde “suksesfooi”),
sal nie die normale fooie met
meer as 100% oorskry nie, en in eise van “klinkende munt”,
sal sodanige suksesfooi nie
25% van die klient se kapitale skikking
wat uit die aksie voorspruit oorskry, welke bedrag nie koste of
uitgawes insluit nie.
6.2
Die partye tot die ooreenkoms kom ooreen dat, indien die klient
gedeeltelik
suksesvol is soos bedoel in die ooreenkoms, sal die
regspraktisyn,
benewens
sy normale fooi, ook geregtig wees op
‘n suksesfooi (hoër fooi) onderhewig aan die volgende:
6.2.1
Enige sodanige fooie wat hoër is as die regspraktisyn se normale
fooi (synde “suksesfooi”),
sal nie die normale fooie met
meer as 100% oorskry nie, en in eise van “klinkende munt”,
sal sodanige suksesfooi nie
25% van die klient se kapitale skikking
wat uit die aksie voorspruit oorskry, welke bedrag nie koste of
uitgawes insluit nie.”
[26]
It then went on to find:
[20]
The important word in the above paragraphs is the word “benewens”
which
I have highlighted, which means that, save for the normal fee,
a further success fee is charged in addition to the normal fee. The
agreement explains the method of calculation, which is the following:
Firstly, the attorney’s fees are calculated on the
attorney/client scale. Then the “success fee” is
calculated as double the attorney/client fee, or 25% of the claim,
whichever is the least. Finally, the attorney client fee and the
“success fee” are added together to determine the
total
fee payable to the attorney. Finally, VAT is added to the total
amount. The example used in the agreement explains that out
of a
hypothetical settlement of R 500 000, the client would be entitled to
payment of R 272 000.00, slightly more than 50% of the
claim, instead
of 75% as the CF Act provides.”
[27]
The
appeal was argued on the basis that the quoted clauses in their terms
did not fall foul of the provisions of the Act.
It was further
argued that regarding the word
“
benewens”
,
this also did not render the agreement invalid because
“
the
word benewens does not fall foul of the definition of ‘a
success fee’ and is in line with the words “is in
addition to” and ‘together with the additional amount’
as contained in the definition of ‘a success fee.’”
In
this regard the Court was referred to the translation of “benewens”
as set out in a bilingual dictionary.
[12]
[28]
The
argument went on to refer to the rules published by the Legal
Practice Council in terms of s 6 of the Act
[13]
and the definition of a ‘success fee’. The
definition is:
“
1.12
A success fee means a fee contemplated in Section 2(1)(b) read
together with Section 2(2) of
the Act which is in addition to the
normal fee.
To be clear:
the entire higher fee to be charged, comprising the normal fee
together with the additional amount will constitute
the success fee.
The success fee is not just the additional amount, but the total of
those two amounts, being the normal
fee plus the additional amount.”
[My underlining]
[29]
The Court was also referred to rule 6.7
which provides:
“
The
‘success fee’ is referred to in Section 2(2) of the Act,
is the total of the ‘normal’ fee and the ‘higher
than normal’ fee. The limitation and cap referred to in
Section 2(2) applies to the total fee charged by a legal practitioner
or practitioners in any one claim
.”
[30]
It
was argued that properly construed, having regard to paragraphs
2.1.4
[14]
and 7.1.3
[15]
of the contingency fee agreement, there was only ever going to be a
single fee charged which is a composite fee and for that reason,
the
fee agreement ought to be held valid.
[31]
If the agreement were to be construed in
terms of the operative provisions of it, the meaning of
“
benewens
”
argued by the appellant, could reasonably be
ascribed to it. This is however not the end of the matter.
[32]
In
the case of written agreements, regard must be had to the contents of
the agreement. From these contents, given their ordinary
meaning, the intention of the parties is ascertained. It is
trite that this is to be done contextually and in a businesslike
manner.
[16]
[33]
Despite
prima facie
compliance with the terms of the Act insofar as sections 2(1)(b) and
2(2) are concerned, the contingency agreement contains the
following
example of how the agreement would be implemented:
“
7.3
Voorbeeld van berekening:
Kapitale
bedrag
R500 000.00
(aksie
sukesevol interme van paragraaf 4.1.1)
25%
daarvan
R125 000.00
(perk
van suksesfooi)
Normale
fooi
R100 000.00
(soos
getakseer op ‘n prokereur-en-klient skaal)
Suksesfooi
R100 000.00
(maar
word beperk op 25% of dubbel normale fooie welke die minste is)
Regpraktisyn
se fooi
R228 000.00
(plus
14% BTW)
Kapitaal
na fooie
R272 000.00
Plus
koste bydrae
R96 000.00
(betaalbaar
aan klient)
Totaal
aan klient
R388 000.00”
[34]
It is readily apparent from the above
example that the contingency fee agreement in question in this case
is not going to be implemented
by the legal practitioner in
accordance with the provisions of the Act.
[35]
Firstly, the normal fee of R100 000.00,
if VAT was to be charged, would be R114 000.00. This
figure is then multiplied
by two and amounts to R228 000.00.
It is against this R228 000.00 that the 25% limit provided for
in section 2(2)
is to be applied. In other words, the maximum
fee that can be recovered by the legal practitioner if the case were
settled
for R500 000.00 is R125 000.00.
[36]
The difference between the normal fees of
R114 000.00 and the R125 000 (25% limit) is the applicable
surcharge. This difference
is, in the present example, R11 000.00
which means that the client is to obtain the sum of R375 000.00
from a capital
settlement of R500 000.00.
[37]
Insofar
as the costs recovery is concerned, the R96 000.00 in the
example is to be paid to the client, having regard to the
proviso in
s 2(2) of the Act, which excludes the costs recovery from the
calculation completely. On the example given, were
the Act to
have been correctly applied, the client would have received
R471 000.00 (being R375 000.00 plus R96 000.00)
and
not the R388 000.00.
[38]
The example makes it plain that the legal
practitioner, the author of the agreement, did not enter into it on
the basis that it
would be implemented in terms of the Act but rather
on a basis, as set out in the example, that serves his interest and
not that
of the client.
[39]
Since
the only way in which a valid contingency fee agreement can be
entered into is in terms of the Act, any such agreement which
does
not comply either in its terms or in its application, is unlawful.
It is for this reason that the Court
a
quo
was correct in setting aside the
contingency fee agreement and that this appeal must fail.
[40]
Insofar as costs are concerned, since the
appeal was unopposed, there will be no order for costs.
[41]
In
the circumstances, I propose the following order:
[41.1]
The appeal is dismissed.
[41.2]
There is no order for costs.
A MILLAR
JUDGE
OF THE HIGH COURT
GAUTENG DIVISION,
PRETORIA
I AGREE AND IT IS SO
ORDERED
N
MNGQIBISA-THUSI
JUDGE OF THE HIGH
COURT
GAUTENG DIVISION,
PRETORIA
I AGREE,
S
NYATHI
JUDGE OF THE HIGH
COURT
GAUTENG DIVISION,
PRETORIA
HEARD
ON:
9
OCTOBER 2025
JUDGMENT
DELIVERED ON:
7
NOVEMBER 2025
COUNSEL
FOR THE APPELLANT:
ADV.
MCC DE KLERK
INSTRUCTED
BY:
GERT
NEL INCORPORATED
REFERENCE:
MR.
D OELOFSE
NO
APPEARANCE FOR THE RESPONDENT
[1]
66
0f 1997. The relevant section of the Act is section 2 which
provides:
“
2
Contingency fees agreements
(1)
Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary in any law or the common law, a legal practitioner may, if
in his or her opinion there
are reasonable prospects that his or
her client may be successful in any
proceedings, enter into an agreement with such client in which it is
agreed –
(a)
that the legal practitioner shall
not be entitled to any fees for services rendered in respect of such
proceedings unless such
client is successful in such proceedings to
the extent set out in such agreement;
(b)
that the legal practitioner shall
be entitled to fees equal to or, subject to subsection (2), higher
than his or her normal fees,
set out in such agreement, for any such
services rendered, if such client is successful in such proceedings
to the extent set
out in such agreement.
(2)
Any fees referred to in subsection 1(b) which are higher than the
normal fees of the legal practitioner
concerned (hereinafter
referred to as the ‘success fee’), shall not exceed such
normal fees, by more than 100 per
cent: Provided that, in the
case of claims sounding in money, the total of any such success fee
payable by the client to
the legal practitioner, shall not exceed 25
per cent of the total amount awarded or any amount obtained by the
client in consequence
of the proceedings concerned, which amount
shall not, for purposes of calculating such excess, include any
costs.”
[2]
2004
(6) SA 66
(SCA) at para [41].
[3]
2013
JDR 0213 (GNP) at para 14.2, Approved and applied in
Ronald
Bobroff & Partners v De La Guerre
2014 (3) SA 134 (CC).
[4]
2011
(5) SA 446
(GSJ) at paras [51]-[53]. This was cited with
approval in
Mathimba
(below
n 7) at para [104].
[5]
2016
(6) SA 508
(GJ) at para [12] and [16]. ‘Normal fees’
are defined in the Act as fees “
in
relation to work performed by a legal practitioner in connection
with proceedings, means the reasonable fees which may be charged
by
such practitioner for such work, if such fees are taxed or assessed
on an attorney and own client basis, in the absence of
a contingency
fees agreement.”
[6]
2020
(6) SA 405
(ECG) at para [16].
[7]
2019
(1) SA 550
(ECG) at para [106].
[8]
Above
n 5 at para [35].
[9]
2024
JDR 3333 (GP).
[10]
[2025]
ZAGPPHC 1077 (29 September 2025).
See
in particular paragraph [61] – [63] from which it is clear
that the interpretation preferred by the Court was one in
favour of
the commercial interests of legal practitioners.
[11]
See
Rex
v Canestra
1951 (2) SA 317
(A) at 324H, it was held: “
The
only necessity compelling the appellant to risk contravening the
regulation is economic and that is not a form of necessity
that the
law recognises. If he cannot avoid infringing the law without
abandoning his occupation then he and his fellow
fishermen must seek
some other means of livelihood.”
This
was a case dealing with fishing rights but which finds application
in the present case. Legal practitioners have a
choice which
of the two agreements they wish to
enter
in terms of the Act and are obliged to ensure that they comply with
the Act in doing so. Their choice should they
be unable to
comply in any
respect
with the requirements for a particular agreement is to choose
another agreement with which they are able to comply.
[12]
Tweetalige
Woordeboek/Bilingual Dictionary by Professor DB Bosman, Professor IW
van der Merwe and Doctor LW Hiemstra, published
by Pharos 8
th
Edition at page 57.
[13]
General
Notice 525 in Government Gazette 42739 of 4 October 2019.
[14]
“
Ingelig
is dat die suksesfooi die normale fooi is wat met a spesifieke
persentasie aangepas word en tussen die partye ooreengekom
word soos
per par 4 en 6 hiervan.”
[15]
“
Die
normale fooi word dan vermeerder met die bedrag van die suksesfooi
ten einde die regspraktisyn se fooi uit die ooreenkoms
te bepaal.”
[16]
Capitec
Bank Holdings Limited and Another v Coral Lagoon Investments 194
(Pty) Ltd and Others
2022
(1) SA 100
(SCA) at para [25];
South
African Nursing Council v Khanyisa Nursing School (Pty) Ltd and
Another
2024 (1) SA 103
(SCA).
sino noindex
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