Free lesson · Knowledge · 5 min
What law applies where?
Lesson 3 of 12 in AI Legal Research Foundations
The one idea
Legal answers depend on jurisdiction. South African law is not US law, UK law, Australian law, or EU law. A chatbot may blend legal concepts from different countries unless you stop it.
Before researching, ask: is this South African law, which province or municipality matters, which court or body could hear it, what legal area is involved, and is there a deadline?
Foreign law may sometimes be useful background, but it is not automatically authority in South Africa.
{"last_reviewed":"2026-06-16","jurisdiction":"South Africa unless stated otherwise","legal_advice":false,"requires_primary_source_verification":true,"requires_lawyer_review_for_topic_specific_claims":true}
Your win today
Put jurisdiction at the top of every legal research prompt.