There are many steps and procedures that must be followed before any new law can come into effect. Below is a brief summary of the steps that are generally taken when making new laws:

• First step: a proposed law, which is also known as a Bill, is drafted mainly by government departments under the guidance of the relevant minister.
• Second step: when the Bill has been drafted, it needs to be introduced to either the National Assembly or the National Council of Provinces (“NCOP”).
• Third step: once the Bill has been introduced, it is then referred to the relevant Committee.
• Fourth step: the Bill will then be published in the Government Gazette for comments by any relevant party or member of the public.
• Fifth step: once the Committee accepts the Bill, it will be debated in the National Assembly and also sent to the NCOP for further considerations.
• Sixth step: once considerations have been made by the National Assembly and NCOP, the final version of the Bill is sent to the President.
• Seventh step: once the President signs the Bill, it then becomes an Act of Parliament and a law of South Africa