consideration that no innocent man should be convicted of a crime, see S v Safatsa2. In this regard see also Mahomed v President of the Republic of South Africa & Ors 2001 (2) SA 1145 (C) at pages 1151 and 1152 1155. The sanctity of the lawyer-client privilege and the need to minimise in-roads into that privilege is emphasised in a number of Canadian cases that were cited by the applicant.3 It is also very clear from the cited authorities that the privilege is not absolute. The following are some of the recognised exceptions to the rule: (a) the right of the accused to fully defend themselves; (b) communications that are criminal in themselves or that are intended to obtain legal advice to facilitate criminal activities; (c) when safety of the public is at risk.4 In Zimbabwe the lawyer-client privilege is provided for in a statute. Section 8 of the Civil Evidence Act [Chapter 8:01], which protects the lawyer-client privilege provides as follows:- 8. (1) In this section client , in relation to a legal practitioner, means a person who consults or employs the legal practitioner in his professional capacity ; confidential communication means a communication made by such a method or in such circumstances that, so far as the person making it is aware, its contents are disclosed to no one other than the person to whom it was made;