Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- About the author -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Foreword -- 1. What is Law? -- The concept of law: A definition -- The relationship between law & morality -- The relationship between law & justice -- What is a legal system? -- The purpose & function of law -- To do justice -- To preserve peace & order -- To enforce morality -- To protect the interests of the ruling class -- Two key elements of law: legal right & legal personality -- Legal right -- Legal personality -- Notes -- 2. Sources of Law -- Legislation -- Common law -- A brief history of Roman Dutch law -- Advantages of precedent -- Custom -- General custom -- African customary law -- Authoritative texts -- Law reports -- Notes -- 3. Divisions of the Law -- Criminal law versus civil law -- Public law versus private law -- Substantive law versus procedural law -- National law versus international law -- General law versus customary law -- Common law versus civil law -- Law (common law) versus equity -- Notes -- 4. The Law-Making Process -- Introduction: State organs and their powers -- The legislature (the law-makers) -- The executive -- The judiciary -- Other key organs -- The Attorney General -- The Comptroller & Auditor-General -- The Public Protector -- The process of law-making in Parliament -- Pre-bill stage -- Types of bills -- Gazetting of bills -- Passage of bills in Parliament -- Stage 1 - First reading -- Stage 2 - Reference to the Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC) -- Stage 3 - Second reading -- Stage 4 - Consideration by committee -- Stage 5 - Reporting -- Stage 6 - Referall to the PLC -- Stage 7 - Third reading -- Stage 8 - Transmission to the other house -- Stage 9 - Presidential assent -- The effect of Parliament's failure to follow specified procedures -- Delegated legislation -- Notes -- 5. The Structure of the Courts.

The Division between Criminal Courts & Civil Courts -- Criminal Courts -- Magistrates Court -- Composition -- Jurisdiction -- The High Court -- Composition -- Jurisdiction -- The Supreme Court -- Composition -- Jurisdiction -- Courts-martial -- Police board of officers -- Prison courts -- Children's Courts -- Parliament sitting as a Court over breachof parliamentary privileges -- Ordinary Civil Courts -- Magistrates Courts -- Jurisdiction -- Composition -- The High Court -- Composition -- Jurisdiction -- The Supreme Court -- Composition -- Jurisdiction -- Specialist Courts -- Advantages of specialist courts in Zimbabwe -- Disadvantages of specialist courts -- Examples of specialist courts -- The Labour Court -- The Administrative Court -- The Administrative Court as the Water Court -- Special court for income tax appeals -- Local courts on customary law -- Small Claims Court -- Notes -- 5. The Structure of the Courts -- The Division between Criminal Courts & Civil Courts -- Criminal Courts -- Magistrates Court -- Composition -- Jurisdiction -- The High Court -- Composition -- Jurisdiction -- The Supreme Court -- Composition -- Jurisdiction -- Courts-martial -- Police board of officers -- Prison courts -- Children's Courts -- Parliament sitting as a Court over breach of parliamentary privileges -- Ordinary Civil Courts -- Magistrates Courts -- Jurisdiction -- Composition -- The High Court -- Composition -- Jurisdiction -- The Supreme Court -- Composition -- Jurisdiction -- Specialist Courts -- Advantages of specialist courts in Zimbabwe -- Disadvantages of specialist courts -- Examples of specialist courts -- The Labour Court -- The Administrative Court -- The Administrative Court as the Water Court -- Special court for income tax appeals -- Local courts on customary law -- Small Claims Court -- Notes -- 6. The Legal Profession in Zimbabwe.

Introduction: The legal profession -- A divided or fused profession? -- The nature of the fused profession in Zimbabwe -- Admission as a legal practitioner -- Practical legal training after registration -- Discipline for professional misconduct -- The Law Society of Zimbabwe -- The Council for Legal Education -- Judges -- Who appoints judges? -- Compulsory retirement versus executive discretion to extend the term of office of a judge -- The removal of judges from office -- Other features on the independence of the judiciary -- Provision on judicial independence -- Vesting judicial functions exclusively in the Judiciary -- Notes -- 7. An Outline of Court Procedures -- Civil Procedures -- Adversarial versus inquisitorial procedure -- Civil trial procedure versus application procedure -- Civil trial procedure -- Letter of Demand -- Issue of Summons -- Appearance to defend -- Request for further particulars -- Defendant's plea -- Request for further particulars -- Replication -- Close of pleadings -- Discovery -- Pre-trial conference -- Trial date -- The trial -- Judgment -- Enforcement of judgment -- Execution of property -- Garnishee order -- Civil imprisonment -- Contempt of court -- Appeals & reviews -- Application procedure -- Criminal Procedure -- General -- Securing the presence of the accused -- Bail -- The trial process -- Stages of the trial process -- The accused's entering of plea -- Outline of the State's case -- Outline of the defence -- Evidence-in-chief -- Cross-examination -- Re-examination -- Closing of the State case -- Application for discharge of the accused at the close of the state case (optional) -- Defence case -- Close of the defence case -- Addresses by both sides -- Verdict -- Addresses on sentence: mitigation/aggravation -- Sentencing -- Caution or reprimand -- Fines -- Recognisances -- Community Service -- Imprisonment.

Corporal punishment -- Sentencing to death -- Notes -- 8. Legal Aid -- Introduction -- The Old System of Legal Aid -- Civil Court Legal Aid -- Criminal Court Legal Aid -- The new system of legal aid -- Evaluation of the Legal Aid Scheme in terms of the Act -- Contingency fee arrangements -- Legal aid by non-governmental organisations -- The English Legal Aid System -- Legal Aid in South Africa -- Notes -- 9. Statutory Interpretation -- Introduction -- The objective of interpretation -- Rules of Statutory Interpretation -- The Literal Rule -- Statement of the Rule -- Application of the Literal Rule -- The Golden Rule -- Statement of the Rule -- Application of the Golden Rule -- The Mischief Rule -- Application of the Mischief Rule -- The special place of a casus omissus -- Maxims of Statutory Interpretation -- 'Ejusdem generis' -- 'Noscitur a sociis' -- 'The rule of rank' -- 'Expressio unius est exclusio alterius' -- 'Contemporanea expositio' -- 'Reddendo singula singulis' -- 'Cessante ratione legis, cessat ipsa lex' -- Presumptions of Statutory Interpretation -- Introduction: What are presumptions? -- Specific Presumptions -- The presumption against the alteration of the Common Law more than is necessary -- The presumption that the legislature does not intend thatwhich is harsh, unjust or unreasonable -- The presumption of constitutionality -- The presumption against retrospectivity -- The presumption in favour of the principles of natural justice -- The presumption against interpreting a statute so as to oustor restrict the jurisdiction of the Superior Courts -- Aids to Statutory Interpretation -- The Interpretation Act (Chapter 1:01) -- Interpretation of sections of a statute -- Preamble -- The long title -- The short title -- Headings and marginal notes -- Punctuation -- Schedules -- External Aids.

Historical background or surrounding circumstances -- Parliamentary history, including parliamentary debates -- Statutes in pari materia -- Treaties and International Conventions -- Notes -- Some Latin Words & Expressions -- Back Cover.