Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa secures High Court protection for Door of Hope’s Baby Saver Boxes

Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa has secured an interim High Court order on behalf of Door of Hope Children’s Mission, preserving the organisation’s registration and authorising the continued use of its Baby Saver Boxes. This protection remains in place while the High Court considers the broader constitutional issues raised in the case. Should the High Court find in favour of the relief sought, the matter will then proceed to the Constitutional Court for confirmation.

For more than 25 years, Door of Hope has cared for abandoned infants, with thousands of newborns surviving because of its life-saving service. Baby Saver Boxes—secure hatches built into places of safety—allow mothers in crisis to relinquish their babies anonymously and without harm, instead of resorting to unsafe abandonment which often leads to the death of infants.

The Department of Social Development contends that Baby Saver Boxes encourage abandonment and infringe parental rights, and has ordered their closure while seeking to revoke Door of Hope’s registration for refusing to dismantle them. The court’s ruling ensures that the Boxes remain operational until the broader constitutional challenge is determined.

“This case is about more than compliance—it is about protecting the lives of infants and ensuring mothers in crisis are not forced into dangerous, criminalised alternatives”. It also brings into sharp focus the inequity in current legislation, which disproportionately criminalises mothers while failing to hold absent fathers accountable.” says Candice Pillay, Director and Head of Social Impact at Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa.

The matter, supported by Norton Rose Fulbright’s Social Impact Team and counsel Adv Garth Hulley SC, Adv Leigh Franck, Adv Gillian Benson and Adv Orapeleng Peter Tholo, is set to define the legal status of Baby Saver Boxes across South Africa and carries far-reaching implications for child protection and gender justice.