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How to read legal citations in South Africa

South African citations show the year first, then the volume in round brackets, then the series, then the page, then the court in brackets.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Style guide: South African law reports style (Law Reports and the Pretoria University Law Press style). South African citations follow the reporter's own pattern. The Constitutional Court also uses neutral citations.

Real citations, decoded

Click or hover over any underlined piece to see what it means.

A case in the South African Law Reports Case

() ()

  1. Case name S v Makwanyane
    'S' means The State, as in a criminal case.
  2. Year 1995
    The year of the report volume.
  3. Volume 3
    Volume number within that year, in brackets.
  4. Series SA
    South African Law Reports.
  5. First page 391
    The page where the report begins.
  6. Court CC
    Constitutional Court. Other examples: SCA (Supreme Court of Appeal) and WCC (Western Cape High Court).

The neutral citation for the same case is [1995] ZACC 3. ZA means South Africa and CC means Constitutional Court.

Full citation: S v Makwanyane 1995 (3) SA 391 (CC)

A statute Statute

,

  1. Short title Consumer Protection Act
    The Act's name.
  2. Act number and year 68 of 2008
    South African Acts carry a number and year, which is how they are cited precisely.
  3. Section s 48
    Section 48, on unfair, unreasonable or unjust contract terms.
Full citation: Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, s 48

Things to remember

  • The Constitution is cited as Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, with the section number.
  • ZACC, ZASCA and ZAGPJHC are neutral-citation court codes.
  • SAFLII publishes judgments and statutes for free.

Where to find the text, free

To understand how courts and law fit together in South Africa, read the South Africa profile in the Legal Families Atlas.

Other legal systems

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TheLawToKnow Tools’s citation guide is an educational overview of standard conventions. Courts and journals sometimes vary, so check the style guide before submitting or publishing. It is not legal advice. Report a mistake.