President Cyril Ramaphosa told delegates at the International Conference on Access to Justice on Thursday that "justice that is inaccessible is justice that is denied". He called for stronger legal aid and urged the conference to produce a practical agenda with measurable progress.

The conference is being held at the Sun City Convention Centre in North West under the theme "Strengthening People-Centred Justice Systems: Deepening Democracy". It brings together representatives of governments, the judiciary, international institutions, the legal profession and civil society.

What he said

Ramaphosa said access to justice means more than reaching a court. It includes understanding your rights, getting help, challenging abuses of power and obtaining effective remedies. "A justice system must not only be open to the people. It must work for the people," he said.

He named poverty as one of the greatest obstacles and called for stronger legal aid, community-based legal services and legal information in languages people understand. He credited Legal Aid South Africa, the Equality Courts, community advice offices, civil society groups and public interest lawyers.

"A society cannot be truly just when the ability to defend one's rights is determined by the size of one's bank account," he said. He added that the law should offer redress whether an injustice comes from the state, a corporation, an employer, a financial institution or an individual.

Three priorities for delegates

  • Making justice accessible to poor and vulnerable people.
  • Building independent and efficient justice institutions.
  • Measuring whether justice systems improve people's lives.

Ramaphosa said progress should be judged by waiting times, costs, fairness of outcomes and enforcement, not only by the number of cases handled.

Technology and the digital divide

He warned that digital tools must not leave people behind. "Technology must not create a new divide between those who are digitally connected and those who are excluded," he said.

A symbolic venue

The President noted that Sun City was associated with apartheid-era racial segregation, and said its transformation shows how institutions can change. South Africa marks 30 years since the signing of its democratic Constitution next month.

The speech did not include funding amounts or formal policy announcements.