The Land Court has jurisdiction in respect of the following legislation briefly explained below:
- Restitution of Land Rights Act 22 of 1994
The Restitution of Land Rights Act 22 of 1994 aims to provide for the restitution of rights in land to persons or communities dispossessed of such rights after 19 June 1913 as a result of past racially discriminatory laws or practice.
- Communal Property Association Act 28 of 1996
The Communal Property Associations Act 28 of 1996 intends to enable communities to form juristic persons, to be known as communal property associations in order to acquire, hold and manage property on a basis agreed to by members of a community in terms of a written constitution.
- Land Reform (Labour Tenants) Act 3 of 1996
The Land Reform (Labour Tenants) Act 3 of 1996 intends to provide for security of tenure for labour-tenants and those persons occupying or using land as a result of their association with labour tenants, to provide for the acquisition of land and rights in land by labour tenants.
- Extension of Security of Tenure Act 62 of 1997
The Extension of Security of Tenure Act 62 of 1997 regulates the rights of people residing on land they do not own but with the consent of the landowner, essentially providing protections against arbitrary evictions and aiming to ensure a degree of security of tenure for occupants on rural land. The Act also outlines the circumstances under which their right to reside on the land can be terminated and the process for eviction if necessary
- Land Court Act 6 of 2023
The Land Court Act 6 of 2023 aims to accelerate land reform by providing a specialist Court to address backlogs and issues arising from past discriminatory land practices, primarily focused on resolving land claims and disputes more efficiently; it also outlines the Court's jurisdiction, administrative functions, and mediation procedures.
- Expropriation Act 13 of 2024
The Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 aims to provide a framework for the compulsory acquisition of property, to repeal the Expropriation Act 63 of 1975, to align expropriation law with the Constitution and to reduce land inequality. Given the Land Court’s jurisdiction over land reform related matters, it may adjudicate expropriation disputes that are intrinsically linked to land reform objectives.