Court of Appeal of Tanzania

This is the highest level in the justice delivery system in Tanzania. The Court of Appeal draws its mandate from Article 117(1) of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania. The Court hears appeals  on both point of law and facts for cases originating from the High Court of Tanzania and Magistrates with extended jurisdiction in exercise of their original jurisdiction or appellate and revisional jurisdiction over matters originating in the District Land and Housing Tribunals, District Courts and Courts of Resident Magistrate. The Court also hears similar appeals  from quasi judicial bodies of status equivalent to that of the High Court. It  further hears appeals  on point of law against the decision of the High Court in  matters originating from Primary Courts. The Court of Appeal also exercises jurisdiction on appeals originating from the High Court of Zanzibar except for constitutional issues arising from the interpretation of the Constitution of Zanzibar and matters arising from the Kadhi Court.

Physical address
26 Kivukoni Road Building P.O. Box 9004, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
21 judgments

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21 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
September 2017
Applicant granted leave under Rule 111 to amend notice of appeal to correct clerical errors.
Civil procedure — Amendment of notice of appeal — Rule 111 Court of Appeal Rules — Leave to amend to correct clerical/accidental errors — Attachment of document sought to be amended — When omission of judgment not fatal.
29 September 2017
July 2017
Applicants failed to show good cause for a nine-year delay; extension of time application dismissed.
* Civil procedure – Extension of time – Application under Rule 10 – Lyamuya principles: account for days of delay; delay not inordinate; diligence required. * Ignorance of law or procedure is not good cause for extension. * Failure to produce evidence of alleged prior extension precludes reliance on it to excuse delay.
13 July 2017
Applicants failed to demonstrate good cause for an inordinate delay; extension of time to apply for review was refused.
* Criminal procedure – application for extension of time under Rule 10 Court of Appeal Rules; requirement to show "good cause". * Civil procedure principles (Lyamuya) applied: account for all days of delay; avoid inordinate delay; show diligence. * Prisoners’ access to judgment – claim of late supply must be corroborated; ignorance of law insufficient to grant extension.
13 July 2017
12 July 2017
Applicant failed to show good cause for extension; ignorance of law and bare assertion of perjury were insufficient.
* Civil procedure – Extension of time – Rule 10 Court of Appeal Rules – "good cause" requirement; ignorance of law not sufficient. * Review applications – Rule 66(1) – extension to apply for review must show the intended review raises arguable grounds under Rule 66(1)(a) or (b). * Procedural bars – striking out of prior application and unexplained delay do not constitute good cause.
12 July 2017
12 July 2017
11 July 2017
An inadequate charge failing to specify the exact sub‑section of section 130 rendered the trial and appeal nullities, requiring quashing and release of the appellant.
* Criminal procedure – Charge sheet sufficiency – section 132 Criminal Procedure Act – requirement to specify specific offence particulars and particular sub‑section(s). * Penal Code s.130 – multiple sub‑sections; need to identify exact sub‑section alleged. * Defective charge – prejudice to accused; incurable defect; proceedings and conviction a nullity. * Appellate jurisdiction – exercise of revisionary powers to quash proceedings and set aside conviction and sentence; retrial discretionary.
10 July 2017
The appellant's conviction for sodomy of a six‑year‑old was upheld; PF3 expunged; life sentence affirmed.
Criminal law – Sexual offences against a child – Evidence of a child of tender years – s127(7) Evidence Act; medical corroboration; improper tendering of PF3 by prosecutor – expunged; sentence enhancement under s154(2) Penal Code for victim under ten years.
6 July 2017
Failure to specify the particular subsection of section 130 in the charge sheet rendered the trial and appeal proceedings a nullity.
Criminal procedure – Charge sheet requirements – section 132 Criminal Procedure Act – necessity to specify particular subsection of an offence provision (section 130 Penal Code) – failure to state particulars renders proceedings a nullity; Appellate Jurisdiction Act s.4(2) – revisionary powers – quashing conviction and sentence; retrial discretionary.
6 July 2017
6 July 2017
Review dismissed: applicant failed to show manifest error or meet Rule 66(1) requirements; not a vehicle to re-argue appeal.
* Review – Court of Appeal – Rule 66(1) – limited and exceptional jurisdiction; grounds: manifest error on face of record, deprivation of hearing, nullity, lack of jurisdiction, fraud. * Review procedure – Notice of Motion must be supported and amplified by affidavit; failure to do so renders application defective. * Review not a substitute for appeal – cannot be used to re-argue issues already decided. * Criminal evidence – hearsay, voire dire, and witness credibility previously considered and not shown to be manifest errors. * Sentence – rape of a child under ten carries prescribed punishment of life imprisonment; not excessive in the circumstances.
6 July 2017
Non‑citation of the statutory provision for rape of a child under ten made the charge defective; conviction quashed and appellant released.
Criminal procedure — Charge sheet requirements — Must state specific offence and necessary particulars (s.132 CPA) — Non‑citation of s.131(3) Penal Code in a rape of child under ten constitutes a fatal defect rendering proceedings a nullity — Revisionary powers under s.4(2) AJA to quash conviction and set aside sentence — Retrial may be refused in interests of justice where retraumatisation or undue delay would result.
6 July 2017
Omission of the statutory provision for rape of a child from the charge-sheet rendered proceedings a nullity, prompting quashing and release.
Criminal law – Charge-sheet particulars – Requirement under section 132 Criminal Procedure Act to specify offence and necessary particulars; Penal Code section 131(3) – necessity to cite provisions applicable to rape of a child under ten; defective charge as nullity; appellate revision under section 4(2) Appellate Jurisdiction Act; discretion against retrial where delay and child-witness welfare justify release.
6 July 2017
Review dismissed for failure to plead and justify mandatory Rule 66(1) grounds in the supporting affidavit.
Court of Appeal Rules, r.66(1) – review applications must be based on and justified by one of the enumerated grounds in the affidavit; review is not an appeal and is to be exercised sparingly; failure to state particulars of manifest error or perjury warrants dismissal.
6 July 2017
Review application dismissed: review is exceptional and cannot be used to re-argue appeal matters or unsupported complaints.
* Criminal procedure – Review under Rule 66(1) – Review is exceptional and not a substitute for appeal; limited to manifest error, deprivation of hearing, nullity, lack of jurisdiction, fraud. * Evidence – Alleged reliance on hearsay and absence of voir dire – such complaints, if previously considered on appeal, do not ordinarily justify review. * Criminal law – Rape of a child under ten years – statutory sentence of life imprisonment; sentence not excessive where prescribed by law.
5 July 2017
5 July 2017
Failure to cite the child‑rape provision in the charge sheet vitiated proceedings; conviction quashed and sentence set aside.
Criminal law – Charge‑sheet requirements – Non‑citation of the statutory provision (s.131(3) Penal Code) relating to rape of a child under ten renders the charge defective and vitiates proceedings; Appellate Jurisdiction Act s.4(2) – power to nullify proceedings, quash convictions and set aside sentences; retrial may be refused where delay and victim welfare justify release.
5 July 2017
Child’s credible testimony and medical corroboration sustained conviction despite improperly tendered PF3; life sentence upheld.
Criminal law – sexual offence – evidence of child of tender years – section 127(7) Evidence Act; medical evidence (PF3) – corroboration and improper tendering by prosecutor; competency to tender documentary exhibits; expungement of improperly tendered PF3; sentence enhancement under section 154(2) Penal Code where victim under ten years.
4 July 2017
A review application cannot be used to re-argue merits; review limited to specified Rule 66(1) grounds.
* Civil procedure – Review of judgment – Court of Appeal’s jurisdiction under Rule 66(1) – limited to manifest error on face of record, denial of hearing, nullity, lack of jurisdiction, or fraud/perjury – not a substitute for appeal; * Review application must plead and support one of the Rule 66(1) grounds; * Inconsistency between notice of motion and supporting affidavit fatal to review application; * Evaluation of evidence is a matter for appeal, not review.
4 July 2017
4 July 2017