Harmonising the law in a multilingual environment with different legal systems : lessons to be drawn from the legal history of South Africa

Abstract

This article addresses the legal history of the country from the context of the African Union. The purpose is to examine the possibility of harmonisation of certain segments of the legal system which are essential for a common economic market within this Union. South Africa has a so-called mixed jurisdiction, which is explained by the colonial history and the change from Dutch to British rule.