SA Courts
Judgments:

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Abbreviations & Citations:

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 More Information on South African Law Reports

LAW REPORTS BEFORE 1947

Law reports before 1947 are reported according to the divisions of the court.  A number of nominate law reports series cover the earliest South African cases. These reports were published privately and are known by the person (nominate law) who reported the cases i.e. Watermeyer, Searle, Foord, Menzies, Buchanan etc.  Before the Union in 1910, law reports were published for each of the Supreme and High Courts in the Cape Colony, as well as the High Courts in the Free State, Transvaal and Natal.  From 1910 onwards, decisions of the Appellate Division were also reported.

• Pre-1947 cases are also available full-text on LexisNexis Butterworths.
   

The Prentice Hall series were published weekly (since 1923). Judgments are brief and classified in different subjects. It has an index, and list to statutes judicially considered. Cases are numbered i.e. J28  The series is abbreviated as  P.H.
 

LAW REPORTS AFTER 1947

1. The South African Law Reports (SA) (Juta)

The publication of this series began in 1947.  These reports include High Court cases from all divisions.  Reports are published monthly and subsequently bound into 4 to 6 volumes per year.

The South African Law Reports are also available in full-text on JUTASTAT from 1947 onwards.
 

2.  All South African Law Reports (All SA) (Butterworths)

The All South African Law Reports were first published in 1996.  The series are updated weekly and the reports also include the most important High Court cases from all the South African higher courts. It replaces the Prentice Hall Weekly Legal Service which were published until 1995. 

The All South African Law Reports are also available in full-text  the LexisNexis Butterworths.

SPECIAL REPORTS

1.  Constitutional Reports:

 - Butterworths Constitutional Law Reports  (BCLR)
BCLR reports were first published in 1994 and include all the Constitutional Court judgments as well as selected judgments from the Supreme Court of Appeal and the High Courts. A cumulative table of cases and an index is published annually.

BCLR is also available in full-text on LexisNexis Butterworths from 1994 onwards.

Please Note: JUTASTAT  also has a constitutional database.
 

2.  Criminal Reports:

 - The South African Criminal Law Reports (SACR) (Juta)
The South African Criminal Law Reports were first published in 1990 to provide more detailed coverage of criminal procedure cases and law.  Criminal cases are also published in the South African Law Reports.

SACR is also available in full-text on JUTASTAT from 1990 onwards.


3.  Industrial Reports:

 - Butterworths Law Reports: Labour Law (BLLR)
BLLR reports have been published since 1994 and include judgments made in the Labour Appeal Court and Industrial Court together with selected High Court judgments.  Each judgment is preceded by a summary.  A cumulative table of cases and index is published annually.

BLLR is available in full-text on LEXISNEXIS from 1994 onwards.

 - Labour Law Digest (Juta)  (LLD)
 

 - South African Labour Law Reports  (SALLR)
The SALLR reports on selected Labour Court and Labour Appeal Court judgments as well as selected arbitration awards of the CCMA (the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration) and the various Bargaining Councils. SALLR is also available in full-text from 1990 onwards.  Please contact the 021-8084884 for the username and password.


 - Butterworths Law Reports: Arbitration Awards (BALR)

Also available in full-text on LexisNexis Butterworths from 1998 onwards and in printed format.
 

 - Industrial Law Reports 
These law reports are published in the journal, Industrial Law Journal (ILJ) (South Africa).

Paper Copy: Shelf number - X IND

 

4.  Tax Reports:

 - Juta's Tax Law Reports
Also available in full-text on JUTASTAT from 1997 onwards.

Paper Copy: Shelf number - XC JUT
 

 - South African Tax Cases Reports (SATC)
Also available in full-text on LexisNexis Butterworths from 1926 onwards.

Paper Copy: Shelf number - XC SOU

5.  Intellectual Property Reports:

 - Burrell's Patent Cases:  Paper Copy: Shelf number - XC BUR

 - Burrell's Intellectual Property Law Library

 - Judgments on copyright

INDEXES TO LAW REPORTS:

1.        BUTTERWORTHS INDEX AND NOTER-UP TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN LAW REPORTS. Cumulated editions from 1947 to 2000; thereafter annual  supplements. The volumes consist of a list of cases, annotations, statutes considered. Court rules, words and phrases and a subject list. Shelf number - XC SOU

2.   JUTA'S INDEX AND ANNOTATIONS TO THE SA LAW REPORTS. Indexes which appeared in monthly editions of SA Law Reports are consolidated. It consists of a table of cases, annotations of cases, alphabetical index of subjects and legislation considered.

3.   INDEX TO SOUTHERN AFRICAN LAW REPORTS 1828 -1946  (MALAN, F.R. & VAN DER WALT, J.C.). The different divisions are published in 7 separate volumes (i.e. Cape, Transvaal, etc). Each volumes has an alphabetical list of cases, legislation considered, court rules, words and phrases and subject.

4.   BISSET & SMITH’S DIGEST OF S.A. CASE LAW. This index covers the period 1921-1973.

5.   LAW OF SOUTH AFRICA. CURRENT LAW. The monthly Review refers to cases at the various subjects. An alphabetical list of cases is published with tables.

6.   Text books refer to cases on specific subjects.

7.   Periodicals i.e. ANNUAL SURVEY OF SOUTH AFRICAN LAW  lists cases on subjects. 

NOTER-UP SERVICES:

• New cases are reported in the monthly and weekly SA Law Reports and All South African Law Reports.
   

• More noter-ups: LAWSA CURRENT LAW and JUTA’S DIGEST OF SOUTH AFRICAN LAW.
   

• The electronic formats, LexisNexis Butterworths and JUTASTAT, both have a monthly noter-up (All SA Law Reports and Judgments-on-Line) which report new cases within days.

UNREPORTED CASES:

Not  all cases are reported. Magistrate and regional court cases are not reported.  Unreported High Court cases can be ordered from the Registrar of the Court.  The date and name of one of the parties are requirements.

Unreported cases have references like: NH 5007/98
 

PERIODICAL ARTICLES ON CASES:

Use SA STUDIES and search on the name of parties.

Disclaimer:
Every effort has been made to ensure the content is as accurate as possible.  The information on this site is for informational purposes only.  The University of Stellenbosch assume no liability for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon.