Pretoria University Law Press (PULP)

PULP is an open-access publisher based at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria

PULP Guide: Finding legal information in South Africa - Fourth edition
Edited by Shirley Ann Gilmore
2017
ISBN: 978-1-920538-68-2
Pages: 162
Print version: Available
Electronic version: Free PDF available

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About the publication

This PULP Guide is aimed at assisting researchers - academics, students, practitioners and others - who are based in South Africa and who have an interest in South African law - to access the sources of the law. It explains in clear terms how to use printed as well as electronic material on the South African common law, legislation and law reports. In addition, the use of secondary sources such as encyclopediae, books and law journals, and also some of the sources on international and comparative law, is explained. This Guide complements the popular PULP Guide on where to publish articles on the law.


Table of contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Start with books
    2.1 A basic approach
    2.2 More information
    2.2.1 Textbooks, monographs or books
    2.2.2 How to find books
    2.2.3 Encyclopedias (general)
    2.2.3.1 LAWSA
    2.2.3.2 Halsbury’s Laws of England
    2.2.3.3 Corpus Juris Secundum
    2.2.3.4 International Encyclopedia of Laws
    2.2.3.5 The Digest
    2.2.4 Loose-leaf books
    2.2.5 Dictionaries – legal
  3. Legislation (South African)
    3.1 A basic approach
    3.2 More information
    3.2.1 Government Gazettes and indexes
    3.2.2 Legislation in printed format
    3.2.3 Legislation in electronic format
    3.2.3.1 Jutas SA Statutes – electronic
    3.2.3.2 LexisNexis Butterworths Statutes – electronic
    3.2.3.3 Netlaw from Sabinet
    3.2.4 Regulations
    3.2.4.1 Finding regulations
    3.2.5 Bills and draft bills
    3.2.6 Memoranda of the bills
    3.2.8 Regional or provincial legislation
  4. Case law (South African)
    4.1 A basic approach
    4.2 More information
    4.2.1 What to look for
    4.2.1.1 Judges
    4.2.1.2 Parts of the reported case
    4.2.1.3 Indexes (printed)
    4.2.1.4 Printed ‘Noter-up’, ‘Annotations’ and ‘Fontes Juris’
    4.2.1.5 New names for the High Courts
    4.2.2 Electronic databases
    4.2.2.1 Jutas SA Law Reports 1828 to date
    4.2.2.2 LexisNexis Butterworths Law Reports
    4.2.2.3 Fontes Juris
    4.2.3 Unreported cases
    4.2.4 Acts linked to the case law
  5. Journals (South African law journals)
    5.1 In general
    5.2 Finding articles in South African journals
    5.3 Citing journal articles
  6. Old Authorities (South African)
  7. Legislation (other jurisdictions)
    7.1 In general
    7.2 North America
    7.2.1 Free on the web
    7.2.2 Subscription databases
    7.3 United Kingdom
    7.3.1 Free on the web
    7.3.2 Subscription databases
    7.4 European Union law
    7.5 African countries
  8. Case law (other jurisdictions)
    8.1 In general
    8.2 International and regional case law
    8.2.1 Free on the web
    8.2.2 Subscription databases
    8.3 Case law by country
    8.3.1 Free on the web
    8.3.2 Subscription-based law reports
  9. Journals (other jurisdictions)
    9.1 In general
    9.2 Free on the web
    9.3 Subscription-based journals
    9.3.1 Indexes to journal articles
    9.3.2 Full-text journals in electronic form
    9.3.2.1 Westlaw
    9.3.2.2 HeinOnline
    9.3.2.3 LexisNexis International
    9.3.2.4 Other foreign databases for law journals
  10. Government information
  11. Company information
  12. Documents and treaties
    12.1 South Africa
    12.2 Other countries
    12.3 Environmental
  13. Understanding references
    13.1 Books, monographs, textbooks and chapters
    13.2 Journal articles
    13.3 Case law and law reports
    13.4 Terminology
    12.5 Common abbreviations in South African references
  14. Books on legal writing and research
    Bibliography

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