| Court Name: | KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court of South Africa |
| Established: | 1846 (Natal District Court) |
| Jurisdiction: | KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| Location: | Pietermaritzburg (main seat), Durban (local seat) |
| Coordinates: | -29.5994°N 30.3804°W |
| Type: | Presidential appointment on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission |
| Authority: | Chp. 8 of the Constitution; Superior Courts Act, 2013 |
| Chiefjudgetitle: | Judge President |
| Chiefjudgename: | Thoba Poyo-Dlwati |
The KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court of South Africa is a superior court of law with general jurisdiction over the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The main seat of the division is at Pietermaritzburg, while a subordinate local seat at Durban has concurrent jurisdiction over the coastal region of the province. the Judge President of the division is Thoba Poyo-Dlwati.
The Natalia Republic, established in 1839 by Voortrekkers, was annexed by Britain in 1843 and renamed Natal. In 1844 it was attached to the Cape Colony, and in 1846 a District Court for Natal was established with its seat in Pietermaritzburg.[1] In 1856 Natal was detached from the Cape and became a separate colony, and in 1857 the District Court was replaced by a Supreme Court of Natal.[2] When the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, the Supreme Court of Natal became the Natal Provincial Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa; at the same time, the circuit court at Durban became the Durban & Coast Local Division. When the current Constitution of South Africa came into force in 1997, the courts became High Courts, and in 2009 they were renamed the KwaZulu-Natal High Courts. In 2013, in the restructuring brought about by the Superior Courts Act, the courts became two seats of a single KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court of South Africa.
After former South African President Jacob Zuma failed to appear in court on 4 February 2020, the KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court of South Africa issued an arrest warrant against Zuma.[3]
| City | Coordinates | Jurisdiction | Former names | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pietermaritzburg (main seat) | -29.5994°N 30.3804°W | Province of KwaZulu-Natal | Natal District Court; Supreme Court of Natal; Natal Provincial Division; KwaZulu-Natal High Court, Pietermaritzburg | |
| Durban | -29.8621°N 31.0194°W | Districts of Alfred, Chatsworth, Durban, Eshowe, Mtonjaneni, Hlabisa, Inanda, Ingwavuma, Lower Tugela, Lower Umfolozi, Mahlabatini, Mapumulo, Matatiele, Mtunzini, Ndwedwe, Nkandla, Nongoma, Pinetown, Port Shepstone, Ubombo, Umbumbulu, Umlazi, Umzimkulu and Umzinto | Durban Circuit Court; Durban & Coast Local Division; KwaZulu-Natal High Court, Durban |
As of January 2023, the permanent judges of the KwaZulu-Natal Division were:[4]