KwaZulu-Natal Division

KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court of South Africa
The Durban courthouse of the KwaZulu-Natal Division
Established	1846 (Natal District Court)
Country	KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Location	Pietermaritzburg (main seat), Durban (local seat)
Coordinates	29°35′58″S 30°22′49″E / 29.5994°S 30.3804°E / -29.5994; 30.3804Coordinates: 29°35′58″S 30°22′49″E / 29.5994°S 30.3804°E / -29.5994; 30.3804
Composition method	Presidential appointment on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission
Authorized by	Chp. 8 of the Constitution; Superior Courts Act, 2013
Decisions are appealed to	Supreme Court of Appeal or Constitutional Court
Judge President
Currently	Chiman Patel

The KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court of South Africa is a superior court of law with general jurisdiction over the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The main seat of the division is at Pietermaritzburg, while a subordinate local seat at Durban has concurrent jurisdiction over the coastal region of the province. As of August 2013 the Judge President of the division is Chiman Patel.

History

The Natalia Republic, established in 1839 by Voortrekkers, was annexed by Britain in 1843 and renamed Natal. In 1844 it was attached to the Cape Colony, and in 1846 a District Court for Natal was established with its seat in Pietermaritzburg.^[1] In 1856 Natal was detached from the Cape and became a separate colony, and in 1857 the District Court was replaced by a Supreme Court of Natal.^[2] When the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, the Supreme Court of Natal became the Natal Provincial Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa; at the same time, the circuit court at Durban became the Durban & Coast Local Division. When the current Constitution of South Africa came into force in 1997, the courts became High Courts, and in 2009 they were renamed the KwaZulu-Natal High Courts. In 2013, in the restructuring brought about by the Superior Courts Act, the courts became two seats of a single KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court of South Africa.

Seats

City	Coordinates	Jurisdiction	Former names
Pietermaritzburg (main seat)	29°35′58″S 30°22′49″E / 29.5994°S 30.3804°E / -29.5994; 30.3804	Province of KwaZulu-Natal	Natal District Court; Supreme Court of Natal; Natal Provincial Division; KwaZulu-Natal High Court, Pietermaritzburg
Durban	29°51′44″S 31°01′10″E / 29.8621°S 31.0194°E / -29.8621; 31.0194 (KwaZulu-Natal Division, Durban)	Districts of Alfred, Chatsworth, Durban, Eshowe, Mtonjaneni, Hlabisa, Inanda, Ingwavuma, Lower Tugela, Lower Umfolozi, Mahlabatini, Mapumulo, Matatiele, Mtunzini, Ndwedwe, Nkandla, Nongoma, Pinetown, Port Shepstone, Ubombo, Umbumbulu, Umlazi, Umzimkulu and Umzinto	Durban Circuit Court; Durban & Coast Local Division; KwaZulu-Natal High Court, Durban

References

↑ "Legal centre of Natal". Pietermaritzburg Local History. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
↑ Khan, F. W.; Heunis, T. L. (2003). "Chapter 1: The historical development of the Supreme Court of South Africa" (PDF). A review of the administrative recess system in the High Court. Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. p. 6.

External links

Courts of South Africa

Appellate courts	Constitutional Court Supreme Court of Appeal

High Court divisions	Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng KwaZulu-Natal Limpopo North West Northern Cape Western Cape

Lower courts	Regional courts Magistrate's courts Traditional courts Small claims courts Equality courts

Specialist courts	Labour Court Labour Appeal Court Land Claims Court Competition Appeal Court Electoral Court

Judiciary of South Africa Law of South Africa Department of Justice and Constitutional Development Superior Courts Act, 2013

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