Programme to assist law graduates

ROUNDING off Youth Month, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) hosted a virtual public webinar to raise awareness of an internship programme targeting young law graduates and people aspiring to follow a career in prosecution.

The Aspirant Prosecutor Programme within the National Prosecution Service (NPS), assists law graduates in gaining practical prosecutorial experience.

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The programme runs for 12 months and after completion, enables competent candidates to be appointed in entry-level prosecutorial positions within the NPA.

The programme helps to ensure that qualified prosecutors provide additional prosecutorial capacity in the lower courts.

Speaking during an information sharing session on Wednesday, deputy national director of public prosecutions Advocate Rodney de Kock said the NPA is open to doing things differently, and the whole strategic approach they are following is to be innovative.

He also assured the graduates that when joining the prosecution, they are not going to make photocopies.

‘In the prosecution we want to ensure that we value you, we value your contribution, and as young people, we want you to bring your ideas into the prosecution, and this aspirant programme is designed to do that.

‘We will put you into a court and you will prosecute, and use the skills you have developed to be able to do your work,’ De Kock said.

To be considered for the programmes, the graduates are expected to meet the requirements, including a South African LLB degree (Bachelor of Law) or equivalent foreign qualification, certified by SAQA, which must include Law of Evidence, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Civil Procedure, and Interpretation of Studies courses.

Alternatively, final year LLB students with the courses listed (provided they would have completed the degree before commencement of the programme) would be considered. Applicants must be South African citizens.

The training is conducted by designated NPA officials at designated magistrate’s courts.

Successful applicants receive a minimum of six weeks classroom aspirant prosecutors tuition, and thereafter they receive practical in-court training where they conduct real cases in courts, demonstrating their competences and skills.

Recruitment process
An advertisement for the internship programme is placed in selected media – NPA website www.npa.gov.za or www.dpsa.gov.za, and on social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter @NPA­­­­­_Prosecutes.

Rangaka urged applicants not to submit an application, until the advert is placed.

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