Who to call when in trouble with the law... download this app instead

One of the positive spinoffs of the #FeesMustFall movement is an app to help when you're in a pickle with the law.

Inspired by the arrests that came with the countrywide protests‚ two university students  Jed da Silva and Michael de la Hunt - have developed LegalMate.

Hunt‚ a second-year law student at Wits‚ told TimesLIVE that the app runs offline and can be downloaded for both iOS and Android.

“It’s a free app that gives you basic legal information . It shows you your rights in different situations where you encounter police officials or the law‚” he said.

Hunt said the app offered different categories of legal information such as contesting speeding fines‚ roadblocks‚ searches‚ laying a claim or reporting a crime.

“It’s legal information. It’s not legal advice per se‚ it just helps you know your rights in certain situations‚” he said.

Hunt said they realised‚ during the protests‚ that it was tough for students to obtain legal information.

The #FeesMustFall protests were characterised with a high number of arrests as students clashed with campus security‚ police and non-protesting students.

“We have realised that there are actually more South Africans that are not aware of their rights. We are hoping that more and more South Africans will be educated about their rights‚” said Hunt.

They plan to partner with law firms so that the public can use the app for free.

“After you use this app‚ you need to contact a lawyer if you need a lawyer. You need proper legal advice because your situation might be unique ... at the article we say contact this lawyer‚” said Hunt.