Our Chambers
Groenkloof Advocates Chambers branched out from the Pretoria Society of Advocates' High Court Chambers in 2016 and is home to around 80 members, all of whom are independent and admitted advocates and members of the Pretoria Society of Advocates (the 'PSA'), with diverse areas of practice and who appear in various courts around the country.
Collectively, our advocates' areas of practice encompass the main fields of law in South Africa, supported by comprehensive administrative services and facilities, arbitration rooms, a library and a restaurant, which is conveniently on the premises too.
Ideally located at 205 Florence Ribeiro Avenue in Groenkloof, Pretoria, our chambers are easily accessible from the major highways and close to the Pretoria Magistrate's Court and High Court.
Our contemporary offices are nestled in a serene setting with a panoramic view of the CBC Old Boys cricket oval, the Groenkloof Nature Reserve and the Union Buildings.
What is an Advocate?
An advocate is a legal professional who specialises in researching and interpreting the philosophy, hypothesis and history of law for the purposes of presenting and arguing legal cases in court, rendering expert opinions on legal matters and providing expert input in the drafting of legal documents. In South Africa, advocates may appear in all courts but are predominantly practising in the High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court.
Advocates v Attorneys
Attorneys perform the majority of their work in a law firm or office setting. They advise clients, undertake negotiations and draft legal documents. An Attorney is the first point of contact when legal services are required.
Advocates are self-employed, independent practitioners who share chambers with other advocates. They are called upon when a case requires appearance in court or for a specialist opinion on a specific point of law. An advocate works on referral from an attorney only.
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How to Engage the Services of an Advocate
The profession of an advocate is a 'referral profession'. In practice, this simply means that members of the public or a legal persona who require legal representation in court, may only be referred to an advocate via an attorney and may not directly engage an advocate.
As stipulated by our ethical code and for the sake of complete objectivity, all advocates must practise independently, in their own names and for their own account.
The Legal Practice Act, 2014 however, introduced the concept of a 'trust account advocate' which allows for an advocate who holds a Fidelity Fund certificate to accept instructions directly from a member of the public. Groenkloof Chambers and the Pretoria Society of Advocates do not accommodate trust account advocates.
JOIN GROENKLOOF CHAMBERS
Become a Member
Members of Groenkloof Chambers enjoy an end-to-end solution for practising at a prime location, supported by modern offices, joint reception and meeting rooms and services, full administrative support, a comprehensive legal library and additional inhouse facilities such as an arbitration centre and an onsite coffee shop and restaurant.
Becoming a member is subject to office availability. Current members enjoy preference and open offices are advertised internally first. Offices that are not reserved are advertised externally to all members of the PSA and the various chambers through the administration office of our society.
Applications are reviewed and shortlisted by our housing committee who interviews prospective members and who then make recommendations to the board of directors for their final decision on who to invite to take up residency at the chambers.
Your monthly rental will include:
- 1 secured undercover parking;
- open space visitors parking;
- 24 hour security services;
- an hourly bus service to and from the High Court, Pretoria;
- free access to Zoom and Teams platform;
- Wi-Fi/internet connectivity;
- shared services such as receptionists;
- office manager, driver and delivery services;
- free access to 7 consultation rooms (6 of which are fitted with full conference facilities including Zoom and Microsoft Teams);
- 11 parking bays at High Court Chambers, Pretoria;
- printing, photocopying and stationary services;
- access to the Groenkloof Chambers library and the PSA library at High Court Chambers;
- access via library workstations to Juta and LexisNexis electronic subscriptions; and
- Thursday's Members' Lunch at the Groundsman Premium Café.
