Zimbabwe · Legislation
Legislation and primary sources
Where to find the authoritative text of the law in Zimbabwe, and how to confirm it is still in force.
Sources of law, ranked
- Constitution
- Supreme law; section 2 invalidates inconsistent law and conduct.
- Acts of Parliament
- Primary legislation, published in the Government Gazette.
- Statutory instruments
- Delegated legislation, heavily used and reviewable for excess of power.
- Roman-Dutch common law
- Substantive private law; criminal law is codified.
- Customary law
- Governs family and succession matters, with statutory choice-of-law rules.
The legislative process
Bills are gazetted, then pass both the National Assembly and the Senate with committee scrutiny, and the Parliamentary Legal Committee reports on whether a bill or statutory instrument is consistent with the constitution — a step with no direct equivalent in the region. The President assents; constitutional amendments require two-thirds of the membership of each chamber, and some provisions additionally require a referendum.
Found something out of date on Zimbabwe · Legislation?
Corrections are reviewed against the primary source before anything changes.