By Penny Sukhraj
 
Another hot debate concerning the Johannesburg Bar Council involves its decision to move the Law Library to a black-owned building.

The library was previously housed in Innes Chambers, which has been sold.

Though the 16-member Johannesburg Bar Council voted to move the library to Fabcos House, owned by a group of black advocates, the decision could be overturned when ordinary members of the Bar vote next week.

Bar Council chairman Ishmael Semenya, who proposed the move, is one of the advocates who owns the building.

He said he had disclosed his business interest in the building and had abstained from voting. His deputy, Vincent Maleka, who also has a commercial interest in the building, also abstained. Semenya said that although Fabcos House was more expensive per square metre, it was an opportunity to locate the library in an A-grade facility. He said 10 of the 16-member Bar Council had voted in favour of the move. If the vote is reversed at next week?s meeting, it would be the first time in the Bar Council's 100-year history that an executive decision was overturned.

However, advocate Patric Mtshaulana, a member of the Bar, said the Bar's constitution made provision for members to veto a vote when expenditure stood to exceed R250,000.

Sunday Times
Publisher: Sunday Times
Source: Inet Bridge