Supreme Court of Appeal (South Africa)

Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa
List 10 other official names: die Hoogste Hof van Appèl (Afrikaans) iKhotho ePhakemeko yezokuBuyekezwa kweenGwebo (Southern Ndebele) yiNkundla Ephakamileyo yeZibheno (Xhosa) iNkantolo Enkulu okwedluliselwa kuyo amacala (Zulu) iNkantolo lePhakeme kunato tonkhe yekweNdlulisela emacala (Swazi) Kgorokgolo ya Tsheko ya Boipiletšo (Northern Sotho) Lekgotla le Phahameng la Boipiletso (Sotho) Kgotlatshekelokgolo ya Boikuelo (Tswana) Khotonkulu yo Endla xikombelo (Tsonga) Khothe Khulwane ya Khaṱhululo (Venda)
29.1154°S 26.2163°E / -29.1154; 26.2163
Established	1910 (Appellate Division)
Location	Bloemfontein
Coordinates	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.justice.gov.za/sca/
President
Currently	Lex Mpati
Since	15 August 2008
Deputy President
Currently	Mandisa Maya
Since	23 September 2015

The Supreme Court of Appeal or SCA is an appellate court in South Africa. It is located in Bloemfontein.

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 22 positions on the court. 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 2015 the Judges of Appeal are:

• Lex Mpati (President)
• Lebotsang Bosielo
• Fritz Brand
• Azhar Cachalia
• Nambitha Dambuza
• Eric Leach
• Carole Lewis
• Steven Majiedt
• Rammaka Mathopo
• Mandisa Maya
• Boissie Mbha
• Nonkosi Mhlantla
• Mahomed Navsa
• Ronnie Pillay
• Visvanathan Ponnan
• Halima Saldulker
• Willie Seriti
• Jeremiah Shongwe
• Kevin Swain
• Leona Theron
• Zukisa Tshiqi
• Malcolm Wallis
• Nigel Willis
• Dumisani Zondi

See also

• Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa cases

External links

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