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.
17 judgments

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17 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
November 2001

(From the conviction ofthe High Court ofTanzania at Tabora, Korosso, J. dated 15 c November 1995, in Criminal Sessions Case No. 83 of 1990) Evidence - Confession - Retracted confession - - Trial Court relied on retracted confession - Whether conviction is sustainable. D Evidence - Confession - Voluntariness of confession - Confession made at gun point and after considerable and unexplained lapse of time - Whether confession voluntary and admissible.  Evidence - Confession - Retracted confession - Admissibility of retracted confession - Trial within trial not held - Whether confession admissible.

19 November 2001
Reported

Civil Practice and Procedure - Ex-parte judgement - Application for extension
of time to apply to set aside ex-parte judgment and (b) setting aside -
What the Court must consider in the application.

19 November 2001
Reported

Family Law - Matrimonial Property - Contribution to the acquisition of &
matrimonial property - Whether contribution by the wife must be direct
and monetary.
Family Law - Matrimonial Property - Division of matrimonial properties -
Property acquired through proceeds from the businesses of both spouses
- Whether the wife has a right to such property.
Family Law - Matrimonial property - Division of matrimonial properties -
Proportion of the property that the wife may be entitled to.

19 November 2001
Reported
A wife in a polygamous marriage was held entitled to a share of properties acquired from joint spousal contributions.

* Family and property law – polygamous marriage – entitlement of a wife to share in properties acquired during marriage through monetary contribution and wifely services. * Evidence – credibility findings – reliance on corroborating witness testimony to establish joint acquisition of assets. * Remedies – award of monetary share in lieu of joint ownership – appellate interference only if award lacks basis in pleadings or evidence.

19 November 2001
Appellate court upheld that the respondent contributed to joint property acquisition and dismissed the appeal with costs.
Family law – distribution of matrimonial/joint property – proof of contribution to acquisition; credibility of witnesses; appellate review of factual findings; monetary award based on pleaded property value.
19 November 2001
A court may convict on a retracted extra-judicial confession if it is voluntary, credible and corroborated by circumstances.
* Evidence – Extra-judicial confessions – Retraction and corroboration – A retracted confession may support conviction if the trial court is satisfied of its voluntariness and truth. * Evidence Act s.33(1) – Confession of one co-accused admissible against another. * Procedure – Irregularity in Justice of the Peace’s certificate – omission to record that statement was read not necessarily fatal. * Circumstantial evidence – discovery of weapon and property to corroborate confession.
19 November 2001
A third-party payment and supervisory role do not confer contractual privity or a right to sue on the original repair contract.
Contract law – privity of contract; agency – change of mode of settlement creating agent role; delivery note and contractual terms; payment of excess by third party does not confer party status; procedure – suing in trade name (Order 29 rule 10).
19 November 2001
Reported
Invalid rule 83(1) certificate and failure to serve a directly affected company rendered the appeal incompetent and it was struck out with costs.
Civil procedure — Court of Appeal rules — rule 83(1) certificate must be issued after preparation and delivery of record; a future-dated certificate is invalid — rule 77(1) requires service of notice of appeal on persons who seem directly affected (including third parties who acquired title) — non-compliance is fatal to appeal.
19 November 2001
Reported

Civil Practice and Procedure - Appeals - Record of appeal - Certificate of 
delay that must be contained in the record of appeal — Certificate issued
before preparation and delivery of a copy proceedings to the appellant
- Whether proper - Rule 83(1) ofthe Court ofAppeal Rules.

Civil Practice and Procedure - Appeals - Preliminary Objection to an Appeal - 
Application to amend kcord of appeal made after a preliminary objection
has been made against the competence of the appeal - Whether such
application may be entertained.

Civil Practice and Procedure - Appeals - Notice of Appeal — Parties that are to 
be served with the Notice of Appeal - Section 77(1) of the Court of Appeal
Rules 1979.
Natural Justice - Principles of natural justice — Right to be heard - A party to
be directly affected by an appeal but was not a party to proceedings at the

19 November 2001
Stay of execution granted pending appeal due to alleged irreparable non‑monetary harm from attachment of applicant’s residence.
* Civil procedure – Stay of execution pending appeal – Allegation that appeal has overwhelming chances of success is insufficient ground for stay. * Stay of execution – Irreparable harm – Attachment of residential house occupied by applicant and family can justify stay. * Evidence – Particulars of irreparable loss ideally in affidavit but oral particulars at hearing may be considered; respondent should seek adjournment or file counter‑affidavit if in doubt.
19 November 2001
Respondent’s claim to land reallocated during Operation Vijiji was time‑barred; allocation to appellant upheld and prior judgment restored.
* Land law – villagisation (Operation Vijiji) – allocation of land by Village Land Allocation Committee – validity where original occupier vacated during villagisation. * Possession – continuous occupation – requirement to establish uninterrupted occupation to resist reallocation. * Limitation – claim for recovery of land – effect of uninterrupted adverse possession and time‑bar under the Law of Limitation Act. * Appellate review – misdirection by trial court in assessing occupation and failure to address limitation issue.
19 November 2001
Reported
Striking out a suit for non‑compliance with the Government Proceedings Act amounted to a decree appealable as of right; High Court order set aside and matter remitted.

Civil procedure — striking out for non‑compliance with Government Proceedings Act s.2(2) — rejection of plaint construed as decree — appeal as of right under s.5(1)(a) Appellate Jurisdiction Act — duty to hear chamber application to "perfect" order — appellate power to set aside and remit.

19 November 2001
Reported

Civil Practice and Procedure — Plaint - Striking out an incompetent plaint -
Power to strike out an incompetent plaint - Whether striking out such
plaint amounts to rejection in terms of Order VII, rule 11(c) of the Civil
Procedure Code 1966.
Civil Practice and Procedure - Rejection of incompetent plaint - Power to reject
an incompetent plaint - Whether rejection plaint may give rise to decree
as defined under section 3 of the Civil Procedure Code 1966.
Civil Practice and Procedure - Appeal - Right to appeal - Decision made under
Order VII, rule 11(c) of the Civil Procedure Code 1966 - Whether appellable
as of right or by leave.

19 November 2001
Reported
Delay of three days to seek setting aside of ex-parte judgment excused where appellant promptly acted on learning of judgment.

Civil procedure — Extension of time — Order IX Rule 13 CPC — Setting aside ex-parte judgment — Sufficient cause and diligence — Trial judge's misdirection by addressing merits rather than delay — Remittal for hearing.

14 November 2001
Application for leave to appeal dismissed: no point of law and new issues raised for first time on appeal.
Civil procedure – leave to appeal – requirement of a point of law of sufficient merit – compromise recorded in revision proceedings – inadmissibility of raising new issues on appeal – sale of property during deceased’s lifetime.
14 November 2001
An extension of time to appeal is premature until leave to appeal is granted and the appeal record is supplied; application dismissed, no costs.
Court of Appeal — extension of time to appeal — prematurity where leave to appeal not granted; application should await grant of leave and supply of record — no costs where respondent duly served but absent.
1 November 2001
Extension application dismissed as premature because leave to appeal had not yet been granted.
Civil procedure – Extension of time to lodge appeal – Application premature where leave to appeal from lower court not yet granted – Right to appeal accrues only after leave – Costs: no costs where respondent duly served but absent.
1 November 2001