ABSTRACT The Republic of South Africa has a mixed legal system. It is a hybrid of Roman Dutch common law (influenced by English law), indigenous customary law, legislation at various hierarchical levels, and a supreme justiciable constitution. Since the system of apartheid (formally between 1948 and 1993) was not based on Roman Dutch law, it necessarily required legislative reform. The dawn of constitutional democracy in South Africa on 27 April 1994, again necessitated large-scale law reform in South Africa in order to dismantle the apartheid structure. This process entails both formal reform of the law (by constitutionally-mandated agencies) and institutional law reform (primarily by the South African Law Reform Commission). Although the various legislative authorities will bear the brunt of the reform of existing legislation, the judiciary also has a law-reform function. All courts and tribunals have an indirect law-reform function in that they must interpret all law legislation, and develop the common law and customary law. However, law reform in South Africa is not limited to changes and intervention by legislatures, subordinate lawmaking bodies and the judiciary. The South African Law Commission was specifically established to facilitate law reform in the Republic of South Africa. Apart from the competent lawmakers, the judiciary and the Law Reform Commission, other role players – such as the State Law Advisors, civil society and developments in international law – also play a role in the law reform and transformation required by the new constitutional dispensation. During the past 21 years these efforts proved to be effective and successful.

中文翻译：

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南非的法律改革：最高宪法特许权建立 21 周年

摘要 南非共和国有一个混合的法律体系。它是罗马荷兰普通法（受英国法的影响）、土著习惯法、各级立法和最高可司法宪法的混合体。由于种族隔离制度（正式于 1948 年至 1993 年之间）并非基于罗马荷兰法律，因此必然需要立法改革。1994 年 4 月 27 日南非宪政民主的曙光再次迫使南非进行大规模的法律改革，以废除种族隔离结构。这个过程包括正式的法律改革（由宪法授权的机构）和机构法律改革（主要由南非法律改革委员会）。虽然各立法机关将首当其冲地改革现行立法，司法机构还具有法律改革职能。所有法院和法庭都具有间接的法律改革职能，因为它们必须解释所有法律立法，并发展普通法和习惯法。然而，南非的法律改革不仅限于立法机构、下属立法机构和司法机构的改变和干预。南非法律委员会的设立是为了促进南非共和国的法律改革。除了有能力的立法者、司法机构和法律改革委员会之外，其他角色——例如国家法律顾问、民间社会和国际法的发展——也在新宪法制度所要求的法律改革和转型中发挥作用。在过去的 21 年里，这些努力被证明是有效和成功的。