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.
35 judgments

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35 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
November 2024
Court allowed the appellant to correct procedural irregularities in labor appeal with multiple decrees.
Labour law – unfair termination – procedural irregularity – multiple decrees from same judgment – Court's approach to substantive justice over procedural technicality.
12 November 2024
October 2024
Non‑compliance with statutory recording rules for cautioned statements rendered the confessions inadmissible and convictions unsustainable.
Criminal procedure — Admissibility of cautioned statements — Mandatory compliance with sections 50, 57 and 58 CPA (time of restraint, commencement/completion times, question‑and‑answer format) — Section 169 CPA discretionary admission — Retracted/repudiated confessions and need for corroboration — Confession of co‑accused not sufficient to convict others — Adequacy of summing‑up to assessors.
4 October 2024
September 2024
The court overturned a conviction for armed robbery, citing procedural errors and unreliable visual identification.
Criminal Law – Armed robbery – Evidence – Certificate of seizure not read out – Visual identification reliability – Doctrine of recent possession.
23 September 2024
Improper legal procedure invalidated the appeal's transfer from the High Court to the Resident Magistrate's Court.
Criminal procedure – appeal jurisdiction – transfer from High Court to Resident Magistrate's Court – improper citation of legal provisions.
17 September 2024
Victim's reliable testimony upheld in a 30-year rape sentence appeal, dismissing claims of misidentification and intoxication defences.
Criminal Law – Sexual offences – Identification of accused in low light conditions – Reliability of victim's testimony in sexual assault cases; Evidence – Admissibility of cautioned statements; Defenses – Intoxication as defense in criminal responsibility.
17 September 2024
Stay of execution granted due to demonstrated substantial loss and security undertaking pending appeal.
Civil Procedure – Stay of execution pending appeal – Substantial loss and security undertaking required for stay.
12 September 2024
Court of Appeal supports original ruling favoring appellant due to inconsistencies in land ownership claims.
Land Law - disputed ownership - identification and occupation of disputed land - principles of adverse possession.
11 September 2024
Appellant's attempt to conjoin distinct discrimination and unfair termination claims was dismissed as improperly merged.
Labour law – separate handling of discrimination and unfair termination claims – CMA's discretion in amendment of pleadings – estoppel in legal advocacy.
11 September 2024
Procedural irregularities and insufficient identification led to the reversal of murder convictions.
Criminal Procedure - admissibility of evidence - procedural requirements - evidence tendered during trial without proper notice and compliance - identification evidence sufficiency
6 September 2024
August 2024
The appeal is struck out as time-barred due to procedural non-compliance, limiting the court's jurisdiction.
Civil Procedure – Jurisdictional issues – Revisional powers – Time-barred appeal – Procedural compliance in appeals.
28 August 2024
Invalid transfer order under wrong legal provision rendered resident magistrate's appeal judgment void.
Criminal Procedure – Transfer of Appeals – Invalidity of Transfer Orders – Jurisdiction of Resident Magistrate with Extended Jurisdiction
28 August 2024
Appeal struck out for time-bar under procedural rules; appellant failed to lodge within statutory period.
Civil Procedure – Appeals – Failure to comply with procedural timelines – Time-barred appeal in labor context.
23 August 2024
High Court's suo motu determination of land ownership in extension of time application was procedurally flawed.
Civil Procedure – Preliminary objections – Scope of suo motu jurisdiction – Improper determination of ownership during application for extension of time.
23 August 2024
Improper transfer of Criminal Appeal due to jurisdictional errors; High Court to lawfully handle the case.
Criminal Procedure – Transfer of cases – Jurisdiction of Resident Magistrate with Extended Jurisdiction – Proper statutory provision under Magistrates' Court Act
23 August 2024
The appeal highlights procedural errors in admitting confession evidence, leading to the quashing of murder convictions.
Criminal procedure – admission of evidence – procedural irregularities – confession statements – relevance and reliability.
23 August 2024
Transfer of appeal to Resident Magistrate with Extended Jurisdiction was void for using the wrong legal provision.
Criminal Procedure - Transfer of Appeals - Jurisdictional Errors - Appropriate Provision for Transfer - Section 45(2) of the Magistrate's Court Act.
22 August 2024
Conviction quashed for reliance on improperly admitted evidence without committal compliance.
Criminal Law – Evidence – Admissibility of caution statements – Fair trial rights – Procedural compliance in trials
22 August 2024
Court of Appeal remits case for execution, disregarding unrelated third-party claims to rightful land ownership.
Property Law – Execution of Judgments – Impact of Third-party Disputes on Execution – Role of Pleadings and Relief.
22 August 2024
Trial nullified due to procedural irregularities and jurisdictional defects, acquitting the appellants.
Criminal Law - extended jurisdiction - procedural irregularities - evidence mishandling - jurisdictional defects in trial
22 August 2024
Court of Appeal considers procedural failings and doubts in evidence to quash murder conviction, ordering release.
Criminal Law – Defense of alibi – Procedural non-compliance – Weight and truthfulness of extra-judicial statements – Doubts on evidence leading to murder conviction.
22 August 2024
Improper recording of cross-examination evidence violated fair trial rights, resulting in retrial order.
Criminal Procedure - Fair Trial - Cross-Examination - Evidence Recording - Retrial Ordered
21 August 2024
Appeal dismissed; conviction for rape upheld based on credible victim testimony despite procedural issues with evidence.
Criminal Law – Appeal on convictions – Rape – Consent, credibility of victim's testimony, and procedural handling of evidence.
16 August 2024
The court highlighted the necessity for mental health evaluation when indications of insanity arise in a murder trial.
Criminal Law – Murder – Defence of insanity – Judicial requirement for mental competence assessment in determining criminal liability.
16 August 2024
June 2024
Extension of time granted for appeal due to explained short delay and alleged illegality denying right to be heard.
Extension of time — Rule 10 Tanzania Court of Appeal Rules — good cause — accounting for delay — short/technical delay in obtaining certified records — diligence — illegality apparent on face of record — right to be heard (natural justice) — grant of 60 days to file memorandum and record of appeal.
27 June 2024
Applicants failed to show good cause for delay; extension of time for review denied, discretion exercised correctly.
Criminal law – Armed robbery – Application for extension of time – Review grounds under rule 66(1) – Procedural discretion by single Justice.
14 June 2024
Appellant's conviction for child rape upheld due to victim's testimony and appellant's confession.
Criminal Law – Rape – Admissibility of confessions in court – Evaluation of evidence in rape cases involving minors.
14 June 2024
The Court dismissed the application for review, highlighting lack of jurisdiction to entertain matters beyond manifest error in its own judgment.
Criminal law - review of judgment - manifest error - jurisdiction of the Court under Rule 66(1) for review.
14 June 2024
The appellants successfully contested the ownership claim and compensation order in a representative suit over land.
Land Law - Trespass and ownership - Burden of proof in representative suits - Compensation inappropriately ordered - Certificate of title as evidence of ownership.
14 June 2024
Court nullified trial judgment due to the violation of natural justice principles and unframed issues' decision.
Civil procedure – natural justice – right to be heard – issues not pleaded – court's decision a nullity.
13 June 2024
Petition for divorce invalid due to missing certificate from the Marriage Conciliation Board, rendering lower court's proceedings null.
Family law – Divorce proceedings – Requirement for certificate from Marriage Conciliation Board – Jurisdictional prerequisite for filing divorce petition.
13 June 2024
The court affirmed the appellant's conviction for armed robbery based on reliable witness identification.
Criminal Law – Identification Evidence – Evaluation of evidence in armed robbery and grievous harm – Minor inconsistencies in witness testimonies.
11 June 2024
Conviction quashed due to inadmissible confessions obtained through misconduct and lack of corroborative evidence.
Criminal Law - Murder conviction - Admissibility of statements - Voluntariness and certification - Insufficient independent corroboration.
11 June 2024
The court quashed a rape conviction due to insufficient evidence and credibility issues affecting the victim's testimony.
Criminal Law – Rape – Credibility of victim's testimony – Impact of delayed reporting – Role of material witnesses.
11 June 2024
Application for extension of time was dismissed for lack of sufficient cause and improper procedural approach.
Criminal Procedure - Extension of Time - necessity for good cause and accounting of delays - Misapplication of procedural rationale for review.
10 June 2024
The appeal was quashed due to being based on non-existent originating proceedings, leading to a nullity.
Civil procedure - appeal process - jurisdiction - nullity of proceedings - revisional powers of the appellate court
6 June 2024