South Africa Act Amendment Act, 1955/1956-03-09

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967986South Africa Act Amendment Act, 1955 — as at 9 March 1956enacted by the Parliament of South Africa

Act

To amend the South Africa Act, 1909, and to make further provision in regard to the use of the official languages of the Union.



(English text signed by the Governor-General.)
(Assented to 18th March, 1955.)




Be it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate and the House of Assembly of the Union of South Africa, as follows:―


Insertion of section 137bis in South Africa Act, 1909.

1. The following section is hereby inserted in the South Africa Act, 1909, after section one hundred and thirty-seven:

“Equality of use of official languages by provincial councils and local authorities. 137bis. All records, journals and proceedings of a provincial council shall be kept in both the official languages, and all draft ordinances, ordinances and notices of public importance or interest issued by a provincial administration, and all notices issued and all regulations or by-laws made by any institution or body contemplated in paragraph (vi) of section eighty-five, shall be in both official languages.”.


Certain regulations and by-laws to be of no force or effect after 31st March, 1956, unless promulgated in both official languages.

2. (1) No regulation or by-law of any institution or body contemplated in paragraph (vi) of section eighty-five of the South Africa Act, 1909, made prior to the date of commencement of this Act in only one of the official languages of the Union shall be of any force or effect after the thirty-first day of March, 1957, unless it has been duly published in both the official languages or a translation thereof has at any time prior to the said date been duly published in the other official language by the authority charged by law with the publication of such a regulation or by-law.

[Sub-s. (1) amended by s. 1 of Act No. 10 of 1956.]

(2) Where such a regulation or by-law has been published in both official languages or a translation thereof has been published as provided in sub-section (1), both versions thereof shall have equal force and effect as if the regulation or by-law had originally been made and published in both the official languages.


Short title.

3. This Act shall be called the South Africa Act Amendment Act, 1955.