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FXI OPENS LEGAL AID CLINIC TO DEFEND FREE EXPRESSION

Victims of censorship in South Africa, especially the poor, will now have better access to legal justice, thanks to a new legal aid clinic opened by the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI).

FXI has recently been registered as a law clinic, which enables it to provide free legal services to members of the public whose rights to freedom of expression have been violated.

The legal clinic is the first of its kind in South Africa, and focuses on violations in poor communities and on precedent-setting freedom of expression cases. It is funded by the Foundation for Human Rights.

The clinic will provide free legal advice to the public, especially poor communities, on "gagging" interdicts, defamation, protection of journalistic sources, bans on marches, hate speech, and other violations.

It will also provide training for students, young lawyers and community-based paralegals, and strategic support for free expression and access to information work in the Southern African region.

The opening of the clinic comes amid growing threats to media freedom in South Africa, says FXI. In particular, authorities are increasingly placing restrictions on public protests and marches, which are often the only form of free expression available to poor communities.

Visit these links:
- FXI: http://www.fxi.org.za/