Guides: South African Legal Research: Secondary Sources: Treatises &amp; Books

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Getting Started with Secondary Sources

If you are new to South African legal research, or are unfamiliar with a particular aspect of South African law, start your research with a secondary source. In addition to providing background information, explanatory analysis, and commentary, secondary sources will help you to identify statutes, case law, and other primary legal materials that are relevant to your topic.

The Georgetown Law Library's collection includes a broad range of secondary sources on the law of South Africa. These materials have call numbers that begin with the letters KTL and are shelved on the fourth floor of the Williams Library. In this column you will find a selection of introductory sources on South African Law. Scroll down for tips on locating additional secondary sources on South African law. In the column to the right, you will find a selection of in-depth and subject-specific secondary sources.

Introductory Sources on the Law of South Africa

The following resources provide a general introduction to the law of South Africa.

The Law of South Africa, 3rd Edition
Call Number: INTL KTL12 .L39 2012
This 34-volume legal encyclopedia covers all aspects of South African law. Content is arranged by thematically subject matter, with each volume focusing a particular subject or group of related subjects. Volumes are periodically updated and republished to reflect changes in the law. Library use only.
Introduction to the Law of South Africa
Call Number: INTL KTL68 .I583 2004
This volume provides an authoritative and accessible overview of the main branches of South African public, private and commercial law. The contributors offer insights into the development and evolution of South Africa's fascinating mix of civil law, common law, and customary law traditions over more than a century. A recurring theme is the extent to which constitutional values have infused so many branches of the law during the post-apartheid era.
Law, Nation-Building and Transformation: the South African Experience in Perspective
Call Number: INTL KTL2101 . L39 2014
Part of a multi-volume series on transitional justice, this collection of essays on South Africa's post-apartheid transition to democracy features contributions from leading scholars in the fields of law, politics, and sociology. They reflect on the challenges of transformation and nation-building, focusing primarily, but not exclusively, on the role lawyers have played in implementing South Africa's commitment to a new constitutional dispensation. Topics covered include reforms to education, policing, and land ownership; the promotion of women's rights; a new framework for freedom of expression; and the transformation of the judiciary.

How to Find More Books on South African Law

To locate additional books on the law of South Africa in the Georgetown Law Library's collection, use the library's Advanced Search interface and limit your search to the Law Library Catalog. Enter "South Africa" as an exact phrase in the first line, and use the menu on the left to select subject as the search field. In the second line, enter a keyword or an exact phrase. For a broader search, use the default any field. For a narrower search, select title as the search field. Use the filters on the right to limit by date. For example:

Results of sample search. If you need help, don't hesitate to ask a librarian.

Selected In-Depth and Subject-Specific Secondary Sources

A selection of in-depth and subject-specific secondary sources on South African law from the Georgetown Law Library's collection follows. Tips for locating additional secondary sources are provided in the column to the left.