1961 Constitution of South Africa

E127352
constitution founding republican charter

The 1961 Constitution of South Africa was the founding republican charter that replaced the British monarch with a state president and redefined the country’s governance framework during the apartheid era.

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All labels observed (5)

Label Occurrences
1961 Constitution of South Africa canonical 2
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1961 1
Constitutions of South Africa 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf constitution ⓘ
founding republican charter ⓘ
adopted 1961 ⓘ
amendmentProcedure ordinary parliamentary process with special majorities for some provisions ⓘ
appliedTo white, Coloured, and Indian representation under apartheid-era arrangements ⓘ
cameIntoForce 31 May 1961 ⓘ
category 1961 in law ⓘ
Apartheid-era legislation ⓘ
1961 Constitution of South Africa self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Constitutions of South Africa
citizenshipProvisions defined South African citizenship in the new republic ⓘ
country South Africa ⓘ
createdOffice State President of South Africa ⓘ
defined framework of republican government in South Africa ⓘ
didNotInclude entrenched bill of rights ⓘ
didNotRecognize universal adult suffrage ⓘ
entrenched white minority rule ⓘ
excluded the vast majority of Black South Africans from national political power ⓘ
executivePowerExercisedOnAdviceOf Cabinet of South Africa ⓘ
executivePowerVestedIn State President of South Africa ⓘ
followedBy South African Constitution of 1983 ⓘ
surface form: 1983 Constitution of South Africa
formOfGovernmentEstablished republic ⓘ
franchiseSystem racially restricted electorate ⓘ
governanceFramework parliamentary system with a ceremonial state president ⓘ
headOfGovernmentTitle Prime Minister of South Africa ⓘ
headOfStateSelectionMethod election by Parliament ⓘ
historicalContext transition from dominion status to republic within the Commonwealth question ⓘ
ideologicalContext apartheid policy of the National Party government ⓘ
judicialReviewScope limited to procedural and ultra vires questions ⓘ
language Afrikaans ⓘ
English ⓘ
legalSystemContext apartheid-era South Africa ⓘ
legislatureType bicameral parliament ⓘ
lowerHouse House of Assembly of the Union of South Africa ⓘ
surface form: House of Assembly of South Africa
maintained parliamentary sovereignty ⓘ
unitary state structure ⓘ
precededBy South Africa Act 1909 ⓘ
primeMinisterRole head of government ⓘ
promulgatedBy Parliament of South Africa ⓘ
relatedEvent 1960 South African republic referendum ⓘ
replaced constitutional monarchy in South Africa ⓘ
replacedHeadOfState British monarch ⓘ
retained many institutional features of the South Africa Act 1909 ⓘ
rightsProtectionMechanism parliamentary legislation rather than constitutional bill of rights ⓘ
statePresidentRole largely ceremonial head of state ⓘ
status supreme law of South Africa from 1961 to 1983 ⓘ
symbolicEffect formal severance of constitutional ties to the British Crown ⓘ
territorialScope Dominion of South Africa ⓘ
surface form: Union of South Africa / Republic of South Africa
upperHouse Senate of South Africa ⓘ

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

President of South Africa → establishedUnder → 1961 Constitution of South Africa ⓘ
State President of South Africa → createdBy → 1961 Constitution of South Africa ⓘ
this entity surface form: Republic of South Africa Constitution of 1961
State President of South Africa → officeCreatedUnder → 1961 Constitution of South Africa ⓘ
1961 Constitution of South Africa → category → 1961 Constitution of South Africa self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Constitutions of South Africa
South African Constitution of 1983 → precededBy → 1961 Constitution of South Africa ⓘ
this entity surface form: South African Constitution of 1961
South Africa Act 1909 → repealedBy → 1961 Constitution of South Africa ⓘ
this entity surface form: Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1961