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Magistrate's court (South Africa)

Court of first instance in South Africa

Summary

Court of first instance in South Africa

Field	Value
court_name	Magistrates' Courts of South Africa
native_name	{{collapsible list
title	Native names
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appealsto	High Court of South Africa
website
jurisdiction	South Africa

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The magistrates' courts are the lowest level of the court system in South Africa. They are the courts of first instance for most criminal cases except for the most serious crimes, and for civil cases where the value of the claim is below a fixed monetary limit.

Divisions and districts

South Africa is divided into magisterial districts, each of which is served by a district magistrate's court and in some cases also branch courts or periodical courts. Districts are grouped together into regional divisions served by a regional court, which hears more serious cases. At present there is one regional division established for each province, and the regional court sits at multiple locations throughout the province. there were 384 districts (and thus 384 district courts), 18 subdistricts with detached courts, 79 branch courts and 235 periodical courts. There were 1,914 magistrates including 351 regional court magistrates.

Jurisdiction

In criminal matters a district court has jurisdiction over all offences except treason, murder and rape, and a regional court has jurisdiction over all offences except treason. A district court can impose a fine of not more than R120,000 or a prison sentence of not more than three years, while a regional court can impose a fine of not more than R600,000 or a prison sentence of not more than 15 years, except that for certain offences a regional court can also impose a life sentence. In civil matters a district court has jurisdiction where the value of the claim is R200,000 or less, while a regional court has jurisdiction where the value of the claim is between R200,000 and R400,000. A regional court also has jurisdiction over divorce and related family law matters.

Cases in which no magistrate's court has jurisdiction must be brought before the High Court, which has the inherent jurisdiction to hear any case. The High Court also hears appeals from the magistrates' courts, and cases in which the constitutionality of any law or conduct of the President is brought into question.

List of magistrates' courts

The following towns are seats of magistracy, hosting a district magistrate's court or a detached court of a subdistrict. Regional courts for criminal cases may sit at any of these locations, but regional courts for civil cases sit only at those highlighted in bold text.

Eastern Cape

Aberdeen
Adelaide
Alexandria
Alice
Aliwal North
Barkly East
Bedford
Bizana
Burgersdorp
Butterworth
Cala
Cathcart
Centane
Cofimvaba
Cradock
Dordrecht
Dutywa
East London
Elliot
Elliotdale
Flagstaff
Fort Beaufort
Graaff-Reinet
Grahamstown
Hankey
Hofmeyr
Humansdorp
Indwe
Jansenville
Joubertina
Keiskammahoek
King William's Town
Kirkwood
Komga
Lady Frere
Lady Grey
Libode
Lusikisiki
Maclear
Maloti
Mdantsane
Middelburg
Middledrift
Molteno
Motherwell
Mount Ayliff
Mount Fletcher
Mount Frere
Mqanduli
Mthatha
Ngcobo
Ngqamakhwe
Ngqeleni
Ntabathemba
Pearston
Peddie
Port Alfred
Port Elizabeth
Port St. Johns
Queenstown
Qumbu
Seymour
Somerset East
Sterkspruit
Sterkstroom
Steynsburg
Steytlerville
Stutterheim
Tabankulu
Tarkastad
Tsolo
Tsomo
Uitenhage
Venterstad
Whittlesea
Willowmore
Willowvale
Zwelitsha

Free State

Bethlehem
Bethulie
Bloemfontein
Boshof
Bothaville
Botshabelo
Brandfort
Bultfontein
Clocolan
Dewetsdorp
Edenburg
Excelsior
Fauresmith
Ficksburg
Fouriesburg
Frankfort
Harrismith
Heilbron
Hennenman
Hoopstad
Jacobsdal
Jagersfontein
Koffiefontein
Koppies
Kroonstad
Ladybrand
Lindley
Makwane
Marquard
Odendaalsrus
Parys
Petrusburg
Philippolis
Phuthaditjhaba
Reddersburg
Reitz
Rouxville
Sasolburg
Senekal
Smithfield
Thaba Nchu
Theunissen
Trompsburg
Tseki
Tsheseng
Ventersburg
Viljoenskroon
Villiers
Virginia
Vrede
Vredefort
Welkom
Wepener
Wesselsbron
Winburg
Zastron

Gauteng

Alberton
Alexandra
Benoni
Boksburg
Brakpan
Bronkhorstspruit
Cullinan
Daveyton
Edenvale
Ekangala
Germiston
Heidelberg
Johannesburg
Kempton Park
Krugersdorp
Mamelodi
Meadowlands
Nigel
Oberholzer
Pretoria
Pretoria North
Randburg
Randfontein
Roodepoort
Soshanguve
Springs
Tembisa
Vanderbijlpark
Vereeniging
Westonaria

KwaZulu-Natal

Babanango
Bergville
Camperdown
Chatsworth
Dannhauser
Dundee
Durban
Emlazi
Empangeni
Eshowe
Estcourt
Glencoe
Greytown
Harding
Himeville
Hlanganani
Howick
Impendle
Ingwavuma
Ixopo
Kokstad
Kranskop
KwaDukuza
Ladysmith
Louwsburg
Madadeni
Mahlabatini
Mapumulo
Melmoth
Mooi River
Msinga
Mtubatuba
Mtunzini
Ndwedwe
New Hanover
Newcastle
Nkandla
Nongoma
Nqutu
Ntuzuma
Paulpietersburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pinetown
Pongola
Port Shepstone
Richmond
Scottburgh
Ubombo
Umbumbulu
Umzimkulu
Utrecht
Verulam
Vryheid
Weenen

Limpopo

Bela-Bela
Dzanani
Ga-Kgapane
Giyani
Groblersdal
Lebowakgomo
Lenyenye
Lephalale
Louis Trichardt
Lulekani
Mahwereleng
Malamulele
Mankweng
Modimolle
Mokopane
Morebeng
Musina
Mutale
Namakgale
Nebo
Nkowankowa
Northam
Phalaborwa
Phalala
Polokwane
Praktiseer
Sekhukhune
Senwabarwana
Seshego
Thabazimbi
Thohoyandou
Tiyani
Tshilwavhusiku
Tshitale
Tzaneen
Vuwani
Waterval

Mpumalanga

Amersfoort
Balfour
Barberton
Bethal
Bushbuckridge
Carolina
Delmas
Eerstehoek
eMakhazeni
eMalahleni
Emgwenya
Ermelo
Evander
Ga-Nala
Kabokweni
KwaMhlanga
Mashishing
Mbibana
Mbombela
Mdutjana
Middelburg
Mkobola
Moutse
Piet Retief
Sabie
Standerton
Thulamahashe
Tonga
Volksrust
Wakkerstroom
White River

North West

Bloemhof
Brits
Christiana
Coligny
Delareyville
Ganyesa
Ga-Rankuwa
Itsoseng
Klerksdorp
Koster
Lehurutshe
Lichtenburg
Madikwe
Mmabatho
Mogwase
Mothibistad
Phokeng
Potchefstroom
Rustenburg
Schweizer-Reneke
Swartruggens
Taung
Temba
Ventersdorp
Vryburg
Wolmaransstad
Zeerust

Northern Cape

Barkly West
Britstown
Calvinia
Carnarvon
Colesberg
De Aar
Douglas
Fraserburg
Griekwastad
Groblershoop
Hanover
Hartswater
Hopetown
Jan Kempdorp
Kakamas
Kathu
Keimoes
Kenhardt
Kimberley
Kuruman
Noupoort
Philipstown
Pofadder
Postmasburg
Prieska
Richmond
Springbok
Sutherland
Upington
Victoria West
Warrenton
Williston

Western Cape

Atlantis
Beaufort West
Bellville
Bredasdorp
Caledon
Calitzdorp
Cape Town
Ceres
Clanwilliam
George
Goodwood
Heidelberg
Hermanus
Hopefield
Khayelitsha
Knysna
Kuils River
Ladismith
Laingsburg
Malmesbury
Mitchell's Plain
Montagu
Moorreesburg
Mossel Bay
Murraysburg
Oudtshoorn
Paarl
Piketberg
Prince Albert
Riversdale
Robertson
Simon's Town
Somerset West
Stellenbosch
Strand
Swellendam
Tulbagh
Uniondale
Vanrhynsdorp
Vredenburg
Vredendal
Wellington
Worcester
Wynberg

References

"About government - Justice system - Courts". Government of South Africa.
(4 February 2013). "New Fines Imposed for Criminal Procedure Act". Sabinet Law.
(2 April 2014). "New Limits for Civil Actions in Magistrates' Courts". Sabinet Law.
(17 February 2012). "Lower Courts List". Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.
(10 August 2010). "Regional courts get powers to deal with civil cases". Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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