Some lawyers in South Africa felt that the Statute of Westminster was a British law and could therefore be repealed at any point. They wanted the British law entrenched in South Africa. Hertzog passed an Act through the Union Parliament to make the Statute part of South African law.

The Status Act

The Union parliament was placed above the British parliament, and it was now the highest authority in South Africa. No British law was valid in South Africa after 1910.

The Seals Act

This defined the position of the Governor General and created a greater and lesser seal (stamp) for South Africa. The Governor General would sign all the laws of South Africa, but they had to be co-signed by a Minister of the Union Parliament. The Governor General lost his veto right and could not delay the passing of a law. The British monarch would now need to consult the Union cabinet on all issues relating to South Africa.