South Africa

Constitutional Court of South Africa

Official website of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. It provides information on the history of the Court and the Constitution, together with the text of the Constitution itself in English and the other official languages of South Africa. There is a database of Constitutional Court judgments, orders, heads of argument, pleadings and other documents.The site also has information on human rights in South Africa, including a copy of the Bill of Rights. The library section of the site includes an online catalogue and links to other South African and international legal sites.

Advertising Regulatory Board of South Africa

The website of the Advertising Regulatory Board of South Africa (AR) is an online information resource giving information about the ARB's role and practice within South Africa's marketing communications industry. Set up to provide a system of self-regulation, the ARB seeks to uphold its Code of Practice and mediate between the industry and its consumers. The ARB's Code of Advertising Practice is available in full-text on the site. A summary of the Code aimed at the consumer is also provided. There is a section on complaint procedures, as well as recent rulings.

Constitution of South Africa

Full-text online version of the South African Constitution made freely available in English on the South African Government Information website. The Constitution was adopted in 1996 and covers co-operative government, parliament, the President and National Executive, the provinces, local government, the courts and administration of justice, public administration, security services and a Bill of Rights. The site includes amendments to the Constitution and links to earlier versions of the Constitution.

Legal Resources Centre

The Legal Resources Centre (LRC) in South Africa is an independent, non-profit law centre which was established in 1979. The LRC provides legal services to the "poor, homeless, and landless people and communities of South Africa who suffer discrimination by reason of race, class, gender, disability or by reason of social, economic, and historical circumstances." The website gives information about the work of the LRC including full-text copies of their annual reports and a selection of academic papers.

Open Democracy Advice Centre

Website of the Open Democracy Advice Centre (ODAC) a joint initiative between the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA), the Black Sash Trust and the University of Cape Town Law Department. ODAC's aim is to promote freedom of information and government accountability, support whistleblowers and provide training and advice on the Protected Disclosures Act and the Promotion of Access to Information Act. The website provides full-text copies of the acts (in HTML) along with the regulations, forms and user guides.

Law Society of South Africa

The LSSA is the professional body for lawyers in South Africa. Its website includes guidance for lawyers, careers information and regulatory material, including the Legal Practice Act. It also has information for the public about obtaining legal advice and making complaints about legal services, together with a set of briefings on topics such as inheritance, house sales/purchases, consumer rights, fines, small claims, road accident claims and visas. The site also provides legal news, a directory of lawyers and the Law Society's journal, De Rebus.

Legalbrief

Legalbrief is an online news service covering South Africa and other African jurisdictions. It is provided by South African legal publisher Juta Law. Some content is free, but for the most part it is a subscription service.

Researching South African law

Online guide to researching South African law written by Amanda Barratt and Pamela Snyman who are law librarians at the University of Cape Town Law Library. The guide has been updated by Redson Kapindu who is a Lecturer in Law at the University of Johannesburg. The guide was published in 2005 and updated in 2018 on the Globalex website and made freely available by the Hauser Global Law School Program at the New York University School of Law. The authors give background and historical information to the structure of the state including the Constitution, Parliament and judicial system.

South African Government Information: documents

This part of the South African Government Information website provides access to government publications including legislation, policy documents and documentation provided on provincial government websites. The site offers full text legislation including a copy of the Constitution. There are government notices, documents open for public comment, annual reports of government departments and agencies and downloadable forms.

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