Accessibility

PAIA & POPIA MANUAL

LOUWRENS KOEN ATTORNEYS(Compiled in terms of Section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2 of 2000)

1. INTRODUCTION

This Manual is for Louwrens Koen Attorneys, a private body and legal practice. It is intended to provide a description of the records held by the firm and the processes to be followed by a requester to access such records, as well as the protection of personal information according to POPIA.

2. FIRM CONTACT DETAILS (Section 51(1)(a))

  • Head of Body / Information Officer: Louwrens Koen

  • Physical Address: [Insert Office Address, e.g., Suite 4, 2nd Floor, Northern Pavilion, Loftus Versveld, Pretoria]

  • Postal Address: [Insert Postal Address or "Same as above"]

  • Telephone Number: [Insert Phone Number]

  • Email Address: koen@louwrenskoen.co.za

  • Website: www.louwrens-koen.co.za

3. THE GUIDE OF THE INFORMATION REGULATOR (Section 51(1)(b))

The Information Regulator has compiled a Guide on how to use PAIA. This guide is available in all official languages at the office of the Information Regulator (https://inforegulator.org.za/).

4. RECORDS HELD IN ACCORDANCE WITH OTHER LEGISLATION (Section 51(1)(d))

The Firm maintains records in terms of various statutes, including but not limited to:

  • Legal Practice Act, 28 of 2014

  • Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013

  • Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA), 38 of 2001

  • Value Added Tax Act, 89 of 1991

  • Income Tax Act, 58 of 1962

  • Companies Act, 71 of 2008

  • Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 75 of 1997

5. SCHEDULE OF RECORDS HELD (Section 51(1)(e))

The following categories of records are held by the Firm:

A. Records that are Publicly Available

  • Articles and newsletters published on our website.

  • Marketing materials.

B. Internal Records (Not Public)

  • Financial Records: Audit records, bank statements, tax returns, and invoices.

  • Operational Records: Firm policies, internal correspondence, and business contracts.

  • Human Resources: Employment contracts, payroll records, and performance reviews.

  • Client Records: Mandates, correspondence, pleadings, and files relating to specific legal matters (Subject to Legal Professional Privilege).

6. PROCESSING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION (POPIA Section)

Purpose of Processing

We process personal information to provide legal services, comply with FICA requirements, manage employee relations, and perform marketing.

Categories of Data Subjects and Information

  • Clients: ID numbers, financial data, contact info, legal history.

  • Employees: Qualifications, banking info, health info, tax records.

  • Suppliers: Contracts, B-BBEE status, payment info.

Information Security

The Firm employs industry-standard security measures, including firewalls, data encryption, and restricted physical access to files.

7. PROCEDURE TO REQUEST ACCESS (Section 51(1)(e))

To request a record, the requester must:

  1. Complete the prescribed Form 2 (available on the Information Regulator website).

  2. Submit the form to the Information Officer at the email address provided in Section 2.

  3. Pay the prescribed Request Fee before the request is processed.

  4. Provide sufficient detail to enable the Information Officer to identify the record and the requester.

Note: Access to certain records may be refused based on Legal Professional Privilege, confidentiality, or the protection of third-party personal information.

8. FEES

The fees for reproduction, search, and preparation are as prescribed by the Information Regulator and vary depending on whether the requester is a "personal requester" or an "other requester."

9. AVAILABILITY OF THE MANUAL

This Manual is available for inspection:

  • At our physical office address.

  • On our website (www.louwrens-koen.co.za).

  • By request via email to the Information Officer.