Supreme Court of Appeal (South Africa)

Supreme Court of Appeal
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Building of the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein
Established	1910 (Appellate Division)
Location	Bloemfontein
Coordinates	29°06′55″S 26°12′59″E / 29.1154°S 26.2163°E / -29.1154; 26.2163Coordinates: 29°06′55″S 26°12′59″E / 29.1154°S 26.2163°E / -29.1154; 26.2163
Composition method	Presidential appointment on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission
Authorized by	Chapter 8 of the Constitution; Superior Courts Act, 2013
Appeals to	Constitutional Court
Number of positions	22
Website	www.supremecourtofappeal.org.za
President
Currently	Mandisa Maya
Since	26 May 2017
Deputy President
Currently	Xola Petse
Since	21 June 2019

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The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), formerly known as the Appellate Division, is an appellate court in South Africa. It is located in Bloemfontein, the judicial capital of South Africa.^[1]

History[]

On the creation of the Union of South Africa from four British colonies in 1910, the supreme courts of the colonies became provincial divisions of the new Supreme Court of South Africa, and the Appellate Division was created as a purely appellate court superior to the provincial divisions. It was the seat of some of the country's most outstanding judges including Innes CJ, Watermeyer CJ, Galgut JA, Wessels CJ and Schreiner JA.

In 1994 the Constitutional Court of South Africa was created with jurisdiction superior to the Appellate Division, but it could hear only in constitutional matters. The Appellate Division, therefore, remained the highest court in non-constitutional matters. In 1997 the Appellate Division became the Supreme Court of Appeal and was given constitutional jurisdiction, though the system of two apex courts remained: the Constitutional Court was the country's highest court in constitutional matters, but the SCA was the highest court in non-constitutional matters. However, the Constitutional Court took a broad reading of its jurisdiction, and in August 2013 the position was regularised by an amendment to the South African Constitution which gave the Constitutional Court general jurisdiction.

Judges[]

The court is composed of a President, a Deputy President, and the number of ordinary Judges of Appeal determined in terms of an Act of Parliament; at present there are 23 ordinary positions on the court .^[2] Cases before the court are generally heard by panels of five judges.

Judges are appointed by the President of South Africa on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. Judges of Appeal are cited in judgments with the surname of the judge followed by "JA". (The President and Deputy President are cited with a "P" and "DP" respectively, and acting judges are cited with "AJA".)

As of 21 June 2019 the Judges of Appeal are:^[3]

List of presidents of the Supreme Court of Appeal[]

List of deputy presidents of the Supreme Court of Appeal[]

See also[]

• Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa cases

References[]

External links[]

• Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa official website
• Database of judgments from the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa