What are the 3 authoritative sources of South African law?

Asked by: Belle Dietrich Sr.  |  Last update: September 2, 2022
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Judgements of the courts — commonly referred to as case law, the judgements of Dutch courts pre-1652, Cape Council of Justice pre-1827, courts of the four provinces pre-1910 and the judgements of the South African courts after 1910 are all authoritative sources of law.

What are the authoritative sources of South African law?

SOURCES OF LAW

As South African Law has many sources ie. Common law, legislation or statutes, judicial precedent (court decisions), indigenous law, custom and legal academic writings, it is of practical importance for lawyers to be aware of these different sources which provide the key to the content of the law.

What are the three sources of South African law?

South African law has more than one source: Legislation. Case Law (court decisions) Common Law.

What is the most important authoritative source of law in South Africa?

The Constitution of 1996 is the most important source of law in South Africa. The Constitution is the supreme law of South Africa and law, passed by Parliament, which offends the Constitution, is invalid. Secondly, custom is also recognised as a primary source of law.

What are the 3 sources of our laws?

Primary sources of law are constitutions, statutes, regulations, and cases. Lawmaking powers are divided among three branches of government: executive; legislative; and judicial. These three branches of government, whether federal or state, create primary sources of law.

Introduction to South African Law Philani Lithandane Ndlovu

26 related questions found

What are the 4 main sources of law?

The four primary sources are constitutions, statutes, cases, and regulations. These laws and rules are issued by official bodies from the three branches of government.

What are the main sources of law?

Sources of Law
  • Constitution/ Code.
  • Legislative Enactment - Statute.
  • Judicial Decisions.
  • Treaties.
  • Other Sources.

What are the 4 sources of South African law?

The sources of South African law are:
  • the Constitution - the supreme law of the country (s 2 of the Constitution)
  • legislation (acts of the national and provincial legislatures, and governmental regulations)
  • common law.
  • judicial precedent.
  • customary / indigenous law. ...
  • Religious personal laws.
  • international law.

What do we mean by authoritative sources of law?

The “sources of law” refer to the sources of public authoritative power. As a reference to the source of power — that the PAJA refers in section 1 to an “empowering provision”. The state authority to act, in terms of administrative law, must therefore authorised in a specific source of law.

What is the main law of South Africa?

South Africa is a constitutional democracy, and the Constitution is the supreme law of the country.

What are the 5 primary sources of law?

The primary sources of law in the United States are the United States Constitution, state constitutions, federal and state statutes, common law, case law, and administrative law.

What is an example of an authoritative source?

Recognized sources include pieces from credible publications, established institutions, and industry experts. This could include government (. gov) and educational or university websites (. edu).

Is customary law authoritative?

Case Law as an Authoritative Source of Customary Law: Piecemeal Recording of (Living) Customary Law? This contribution deals with the question of whether a judgment from a mainstream court dealing with customary law can be regarded as authority and thus as a recording of a customary rule or rules.

What are the six sources of law?

The primary sources of law in the United States are the United States Constitution, state constitutions, federal and state statutes, common law, case law, and administrative law.

What is an authoritative secondary source?

Some secondary sources are so authoritative that courts themselves rely on them in their rulings. Restatements of the Law are a prime example of such an authority. Many courts are perfectly comfortable citing to a particular section of a Restatement to explain a particular legal issue.

How many types of sources of law are there?

The three sources of law are constitutional, statutory, and case law. The sources of law are ranked as follows: first, constitutional; second, statutory; and third, case law.

How many main sources of law are there?

The main sources of law in India are:1. The Constitution2. Statutes3. Customary law4.

What are the secondary sources of law?

A secondary source takes the various pronouncements of the courts on the topic, together with legislation and other secondary sources ( journal articles, academic opinions and textbooks), and produces a critical analysis of the topic for the user.

What are the 5 types of law?

Terms in this set (11)
  • Criminal Law. cases in which people are accused of committing crimes that harm other people or property.
  • Examples of Criminal Law. murder, larceny, rape, assault, DWI.
  • Civil Law. ...
  • Examples of Civil Law. ...
  • Constitutional Law. ...
  • Administrative Law. ...
  • Examples of Administrative Law. ...
  • International Law.

What is law and sources of law?

In simple words, Law is a definite rule of behaviour which is backed by the sovereign power of the State. It is a general rule of human conduct in society which is made and enforced by the government' Each Law is a binding and authoritative rule or value or decision. Its every violation is punished by the state.

Is customary law a source of law in South Africa?

Customary Law in South Africa

The 1994 Constitution recognized customary law as being of equal status with common law. s. 39 (2) When interpreting any legislation, and when developing the common law or customary law, every court, tribunal or forum must promote the spirit, purport and objects of the Bill of Rights.

How is customary law a source of law?

iii) Customary law applies only when there is no written law, does not conflict with statutory law and as of today's conception, to circumstances which are not repugnant to principles of human rights. To date customary laws include: codified customary laws, Islamic laws and other religious laws.

What is the difference between primary and secondary sources of law?

Primary vs.

These are considered primary sources in the legal context, and contain the force of law. Secondary sources consist of scholarly journal articles, legal commentary and annotations, treatises, textbooks and books, encyclopedia entries, non-academic articles and other sources.

What is an authoritative source of truth?

Concise Definition

An authoritative source of truth is an entity such as a person, governing body, or system that applies expert judgement and rules to proclaim a digital artifact is valid and originates from a legitimate source.

How do you know if something is an authoritative source?

When the information was given is simplified. When you can prove that the information is correct. The sources the topic adds are reliable. When the article is written by a scholar.