High Court of Tanzania

This is the second level in the Judiciary justice delivery hierarchy. It has both appellate and original powers on civil and criminal matters. It also hears appeals from the Courts of Resident Magistrate, the District Courts, and the District Land and Housing Tribunals in exercise of their original, appellate and/or revisional jurisdiction. The High Court is divided into Zones and specialized Divisions. 

Physical address
24 Kivukoni Road, P O Box: S.L.P. 9004
22 judgments

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22 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
February 2013
Court found the applicant disclosed a cause of action and remitted the matter for merits hearing; striking out was improper.
Cause of action — disclosure; Cause of action — question of fact; Tenancy — oral or implied tenancy; Pleadings — non-disclosure vs merits; Striking out — inappropriate where factual issues require hearing; Remittal to different chairman.
28 February 2013
Appellant's unsupported oral claim failed; documentary evidence and locus inspection supported respondent's ownership.
Land law — ownership dispute; evaluation of evidence — uncorroborated oral claims contrasted with documentary exhibits and independent witness testimony; locus in quo visit — appellate restraint where findings are supported by evidence.
28 February 2013
Appellant failed to prove land ownership; court upheld lower courts’ factual findings based on documents, witnesses and locus inspection.
Land dispute – ownership – burden of proof on balance of probabilities – evaluation of documentary and witness evidence – weight of locus in quo inspection – appellate review of factual findings.
28 February 2013
Extension refused for delay caused by counsel’s negligence; parallel leave-to-appeal application struck out as abuse of process.
Civil procedure – extension of time – section 14(1) Law of Limitation Act – applicant must show sufficient cause for each day of delay; advocate’s negligence not good cause. Civil procedure – dismissal for want of prosecution – Order IX Rule 8, duty of plaintiff to follow up file and demonstrate diligence. Appellate procedure – leave to appeal to Court of Appeal – requirement to seek leave within statutory time or apply for extension under Appellate Jurisdiction Act. Procedure – parallel proceedings and review applications – pursuing review in Court of Appeal while filing parallel High Court application is an abuse of process and renders application incompetent.
26 February 2013
The applicant purchaser of disputed land titles is a necessary intervenor and must be joined; pleadings to be amended.
Civil procedure – Intervention/joinder – Applicant purchaser of company assets with competing claim to certificates of title; necessary party to avoid multiplicity of suits; amendment of pleadings ordered; scheduling order amendment deferred.
25 February 2013
Objection proceedings misfiled under a transferee-execution provision are nullities; trial court must identify matrimonial assets from its record.
Civil procedure – execution – Order 21 r.24 Civil Procedure Code – applicability to transferee Court only – misapplication renders proceedings nullity. Matrimonial law – divorce decree ordering equal division – duty to identify matrimonial assets – failure to identify leaves issue undetermined. High Court powers – calling up record suo motu to direct trial court to determine issues left undecided from evidence on record.
21 February 2013
An expired temporary injunction cannot prevent eviction; the injunction-holder must apply for renewal to preserve status quo.
Land law – interim injunctions – duration and renewal of temporary injunctions under Order XXXVII Rules 2 & 3, Civil Procedure Code – lapse of injunction and duty to apply for extension – eviction after expiry of injunction; abuse of court process vs statutory limits on injunctions.
21 February 2013
Container terminal held liable for theft/damage; plaintiff awarded Tshs.50,000,000 and Tshs.30,000,000; demurrage dismissed.
• Carrier/terminal liability – theft and damage to containerised goods while in terminal custody – terminal held liable. • Evidence – collection note and joint verification sufficient for inventory/verification; absence of receipts weakens valuation claim. • Damages – compensatory and general damages awarded; punitive damages and contractual interest refused. • Demurrage – demurrage counterclaim dismissed; release of undamaged goods ordered free of demurrage.
18 February 2013
Preliminary objection overruled: res judicata not established, plaint not incurably defective, court functus officio on statutory‑notice point.
Civil procedure — Preliminary objection; res judicata — requirements for applicability (same matter, same parties, competent court, final decision); pleadings — Order VI r.14 signature requirement — breach fatal only if miscarriage of justice; Government Proceedings Act s.6(2) — notice requirement; functus officio — re‑litigation of points already decided.
18 February 2013
17 February 2013
Applications were struck out: appeals from Primary Courts need a certificate on a point of law, and procedural defects or time‑bar render applications invalid.
Procedural law – appeals from Primary Courts require High Court certificate on point of law; non‑citation of enabling statutory provisions is fatal; extension to file notice of appeal does not permit out‑of‑time review; time‑bar and abuse of process grounds for striking out applications.
15 February 2013
High Court set aside lower tribunals' orders and allowed appellant to build a fence leaving a three‑foot public passage.
Land disputes – unsurveyed squatter area – necessity of locus in quo and practical solution to preserve access (uchochoro). Ward Tribunal function – secure peace and harmony; duty to mediate and consider oral agreements and local circumstances. Execution of tribunal orders – execution should not proceed where clear irregularities require revision. High Court – exercise of appellate and inherent powers to set aside lower tribunals' decisions and fashion equitable remedy.
15 February 2013
Allegations of fraudulent title acquisition preclude interim injunction preventing rectification of the land register.
Land law – temporary injunction – rectification of land register – allegations of fraud in acquisition of certificate of title – survey plan withdrawn – title void ab initio – suitability of interim relief.
14 February 2013
Court overruled objection and allowed revision where magistrate required contested sum as deposit, constituting material irregularity.
Revision — applicability of section 79(1) Civil Procedure Code; interlocutory vs final orders — section 43(2) Magistrates Courts Act; requirement to deposit contested amount as condition to appear — material irregularity and abuse of discretion; revisional jurisdiction where no appeal lies.
13 February 2013
Primary Courts lack jurisdiction over registered land ownership; failure to decide jurisdiction is an abdication of judicial duty.
Jurisdiction – Primary Courts – No jurisdiction over registered land ownership (Magistrates Courts Act s.18(1)); Land Act s.167 – allocation of land jurisdiction; Probate proceedings – limited to appointment of administrators and not conclusive on registered land ownership; Failure to decide jurisdiction – abdication of judicial duty; Remedy – quashing proceedings beyond jurisdiction.
13 February 2013
A Court of Appeal dismissal of a joinder application operates as res judicata, precluding the same High Court representative application.
Civil procedure – representative proceedings – joinder of representatives – effect of Court of Appeal dismissal of joinder application; res judicata vs subjudice; procedural dismissal for failure to file written submissions under Court of Appeal Rules.
8 February 2013
Defamatory complaints by the defendants caused the plaintiff's removal and entitle him to special and general damages.
Defamation/injurious falsehood – corporate complainants’ malicious communications to government officials – causation of suspension and removal of public officer – absence of privilege – award of special and general damages.
7 February 2013
Plaintiff offered sufficient evidence (testimony and letter) to require the defendant to answer; suit held competent.
Civil procedure — No case to answer — Test is whether plaintiff adduced sufficient evidence to put defendant to defence; oral testimony from managing director and contemporaneous letter held adequate. Competency objections (receivership; lack of board resolution) must be timely raised or will be dismissed if previously overruled. Court may consider late submissions in discretion.
6 February 2013
A defence filed beyond the mandatory extension is incompetent and may be expunged, enabling an ex parte hearing.
Civil procedure — pleadings — competence of written statement of defence — computation and extension of time under Order VIII r.1(2) CPC (as amended) — proviso limits total extension — late defence incompetent and expunged — ex parte proceedings under O. VIII r.14(2)(b).
5 February 2013
A court may strike opinion-based paragraphs from an affidavit but may permit status-quo injunctive relief alongside prerogative orders.
Administrative law – validity of supporting affidavits – Order XIX r.3 CPC – striking out opinionated paragraphs; Public law remedies – prerogative orders (certiorari, mandamus, prohibition) – permissibility of combining conservatory/private relief (maintenance of status quo) with public law remedies.
5 February 2013
Reported
A paragraph of the applicant's affidavit was struck for opinion without disclosed basis; courts may grant status‑quo relief with prerogative orders.
• Administrative law – prerogative orders – certiorari, mandamus, prohibition – permissibility of seeking injunctive/conservatory relief (maintenance of status quo) together with prerogative orders. • Civil procedure – affidavits – Order XIX r.3 CPC – striking out affidavit material that states opinion without disclosure of basis. • Newspapers Act – executive ban on publication – subject to judicial review by prerogative remedies.
5 February 2013
Court struck a defective paragraph from the applicant's affidavit and allowed status‑quo relief to be joined with prerogative orders.
Judicial review; Newspapers Act ban; affidavit requirements under Order XIX r.3 CPC — distinguishing facts from opinion; striking defective affidavit paragraphs; prerogative orders (certiorari, mandamus, prohibition) may be joined with conservatory/injunctive relief (status quo).
5 February 2013