South Africa · Courts
Court structure of South Africa
Every tier of the judiciary, what it hears, and where an appeal goes next.
The hierarchy, top to bottom
- Constitutional — Constitutional Court
- Eleven judges; apex court on all matters since 2013.
- Appellate — Supreme Court of Appeal
- Bloemfontein; general appellate court.
- First instance — High Court divisions
- Provincial divisions with inherent jurisdiction.
- Lower — Magistrates’ courts
- District and regional courts.
- Specialised — Labour, Land Claims, Competition, Equality Courts
- Statutory specialist jurisdictions.
Every court in the hierarchy
- constitutionalJohannesburgConstitutional Court of South AfricaNational
- appellateBloemfonteinSupreme Court of AppealNational, except constitutional finality
- first-instancePretoria and JohannesburgGauteng Division of the High CourtGauteng province
- specialisedJohannesburgLabour Court of South AfricaNational employment law
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