INTERPRETATION ACT 33 OF 1957

The Interpretation Act 33 of 1957 is a South African legislative act designed to consolidate laws regarding the interpretation and shortening of the language used in statutes. It provides standardized definitions and rules for interpreting laws, by-laws, rules, regulations, and orders in force within the Republic of South Africa, including specific provisions for former colonies and provinces.

• The Act appliesSS applies to the interpretation of every law in force in the Republic of South Africa, as well as any by-laws, rules, regulations, or orders made under such laws, provided the language or context of the law is not repugnant to these provisions.
• The Act establishes standardized rules for common legal measurements and administrative processes: distance is measured in a straight line on a horizontal plane; time periods are reckoned by excluding the first day and including the last (unless the last is a Sunday or public holiday); and references to 'writing' include typewriting, lithography, photography, and other visible reproductions of words.
• The Act defines 'service by post' as being effected when a document is properly addressed, prepaid, and sent via registered letter, with delivery presumed to occur in the ordinary course of post unless proven otherwise.
• Regarding the exercise of power, the Act stipulates that powers conferred or duties imposed may be performed from time to time as required. It also specifies that the power to make rules, regulations, or by-laws includes the power to rescind, revoke, amend, or vary them.
• The Act outlines the effect of repealing laws, stating that a repealed law remains in force until substituted provisions operate. Furthermore, a repeal does not revive defunct laws, affect previous operations of the repealed law, or impact rights, obligations, liabilities, or penalties incurred under the repealed law.
• The Act defines the 'commencement' of a law as the day it comes into operation, which is typically the day of its first publication in the Gazette unless another date is specified. If a law is set to operate on a particular day, it is construed as starting immediately upon the expiration of the previous day.
• The Act contains special provisions for the interpretation of laws from former colonies and provinces, including the Cape of Good Hope, the Transvaal, the Orange Free State, and Natal, mapping historical terms (such as 'landdrost' or 'Staats Procureur') to modern legal equivalents.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (1957). INTERPRETATION ACT 33 OF 1957. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Interpretation-Act-33-of-1967.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. INTERPRETATION ACT 33 OF 1957. 1957. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Interpretation-Act-33-of-1967.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=INTERPRETATION ACT 33 OF 1957 |date=24 May 1957 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Interpretation-Act-33-of-1967.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights1957interpretation, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{INTERPRETATION ACT 33 OF 1957}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {1957}, month = may, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Interpretation-Act-33-of-1967.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }