This legal order establishes the necessary transitional, supplementary, and consequential provisions required to implement the new Constitution of Zimbabwe following the end of colonial rule. The document was issued by the British government to provide a legal framework for the transfer of power and the continuity of state functions during the transition to independence. It outlines the technical adjustments to existing laws and administrative structures to ensure a stable legal environment for the newly formed state.

Legal scholars and historians view this order as a critical primary source for understanding the mechanics of decolonization in Zimbabwe. It is frequently cited in academic research regarding the legal transition from Southern Rhodesia to the Republic of Zimbabwe.