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
23 judgments

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23 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
March 2014
No binding contract existed between plaintiff and defendants; plaintiff was supplier’s agent and claim dismissed with costs.
Contract formation — letters of intent and MOU — invitation to treat vs binding offer; essential terms and materiality; agency and privity of contract — consultant/agent for supplier not government; burden to prove breach and causation for damages.
31 March 2014
Failure to cite the specific enabling subrule rendered the revision application incompetent and it was struck out.
Labour law – Revision – Requirement to cite specific enabling provision – Non‑citation or wrong citation of Rule 28(1) (Labour Court Rules) renders application incompetent – Procedural rules mandatory where they go to root of matter.
28 March 2014
28 March 2014
28 March 2014
Application struck out for failure to join the Attorney General as required by Section 10 of the Government Proceedings Act.
Government Proceedings Act s.10 – mandatory joinder of Attorney General in civil proceedings by or against Government; Applications for extension of time/admission of appeals treated as civil proceedings; Practice in land-title appeals does not override statutory requirement.
27 March 2014
An application challenging a government officer’s decision must include the Attorney General; omission renders it incompetent.
Government Proceedings Act s.10 – requirement to institute civil proceedings by or against the Attorney General – scope includes suits, applications, appeals and revisions; non-joinder of Attorney General in proceedings against Registrar of Titles renders application incompetent.
27 March 2014
The applicant’s failure to join the Attorney General in proceedings against a government officer rendered the application incompetent and it was struck out.
Government Proceedings Act s.10 – mandatory joinder of the Attorney General in civil proceedings by or against the Government – includes applications and appeals against decisions of government officers (Registrar of Titles). Administrative law – challenges to decisions of the Registrar of Titles are proceedings against the Government requiring proper party joinder. Civil procedure – failure to join statutorily required party is fatal and warrants striking out the application.
27 March 2014
Applicant’s failure to specify s.79 ground rendered the revision application incompetent and it was struck out with costs.
Civil procedure – Revision – High Court’s revisional jurisdiction under s.79 Cap.33 – Requirement to specify which s.79(1) ground is relied upon. Inherent powers – s.95 Cap.33 – available only where no specific statutory remedy exists. Non‑citation of enabling provision is a jurisdictional defect warranting striking out the application.
26 March 2014
Application struck out for failure to specify the enabling subsection of s.79 Cap.33; s.95 not available to cure the defect.
Civil procedure – Revision under s.79 Civil Procedure Code (Cap.33) – Applicant must specify which subsection of s.79 relied upon; failure is fatal. Inherent powers s.95 – not available where specific statutory remedy exists. Jurisdictional defects – point may be raised at any stage and justify striking out.
26 March 2014
Internal election and membership disputes in a voluntary society are private matters not subject to judicial review.
Administrative law – Judicial review – Availability of prerogative orders (certiorari and prohibition) against private voluntary associations. Public vs private function – Whether internal elections and membership decisions of a statutory voluntary society have public-law character. Natural justice – Alleged breach of procedural fairness in internal governance – remedy lies in private law where function is private. Stare decisis – Persuasive earlier decisions of the same court on similar issues relevant to departure.
26 March 2014
Prerogative public law remedies unavailable for internal election and membership disputes of the Tanzania Red Cross Society.
Judicial review – Availability of prerogative orders (certiorari, prohibition) against internal decisions of statutory non‑governmental bodies; Public v private function – whether internal elections and membership decisions of a society constituted under statute have public law consequences; Stare decisis – persuasive value of prior High Court authority on the Tanzania Red Cross Society’s status; Remedy – appropriateness of private law proceedings for internal disputes.
26 March 2014
Court granted departure from expired scheduling order and allowed a bona fide amendment of the amended plaint, refixing the case on a new speed track.
Civil procedure — Scheduling orders and speed tracks — Departure from expired scheduling order and refixing on new speed track; Amendment of pleadings — Order VI r.17; amendments to determine real questions in controversy; bona fide amendment; negligence in procuring documents does not automatically bar amendment.
18 March 2014
Pecuniary jurisdiction not ousted by a pleaded sum for general damages; post-takeover joinder by amendment allowed.
Civil procedure – Preliminary objection – Pecuniary jurisdiction – Quantum of general damages does not determine jurisdiction; substantive claim governs. Civil procedure – Amendment of pleadings – Order VI r.17 – Joinder of successor defendant who inherits rights and liabilities permitted. Tort – claims for false imprisonment, defamation and malicious prosecution relevant to jurisdictional assessment.
14 March 2014
Court refused prosecution adjournment and discharged the accused due to inordinate delay and unfair‑trial concerns.
Criminal procedure — Adjournment applications by the prosecution — Delay and right to a fair and speedy trial — Powers of trial court to refuse adjournment and to dismiss and discharge accused — Distinction between discharge and acquittal; DPP’s power to re‑charge.
13 March 2014
Failure to prove medical negligence defeats wrongful-death claim and precludes vicarious liability of the employer.
Medical negligence — alleged failure to attend pregnant patient; proof of negligence and causation; admissibility and weight of witness evidence; vicarious liability of municipal employer; administrative investigations exonerating staff.
10 March 2014
Application for out-of-time review dismissed; court found counsel conceded functus officio and no error on the record.
Civil procedure – review – application for leave to file review out of time – requirement of showing error on face of the record. Civil procedure – preliminary objection – defective affidavit and functus officio – effect of in-court concession by counsel. Advocacy – duty to state clearly which objections are conceded – counsel’s failure attributable to counsel, not court. Review grounds – concession as not constituting an error on the face of the record.
10 March 2014
The court granted the applicant an extension to file a review application despite unexplained delay, citing the interests of justice.
Civil procedure – enlargement of time – application for review – unexplained delay – discretion exercised in interests of justice – weight of large disputed sum; absence of signed agreement to prove payments.
7 March 2014
Enlargement of time granted to file review despite unexplained delay because the matter involves a substantial sum.
Extension of time – Application for enlargement to file review – Delay unexplained despite garnishee order – Ex parte hearing and absence of counsel – Interest of justice and substantial sum justify granting extension – Costs each party to bear.
7 March 2014
Court granted limited extension to file review despite inadequate reasons, citing interest of justice and large monetary stakes.
Civil procedure — enlargement of time to file application for review — delay and explanation — ex parte proceedings and awareness via garnishee order — recognition of payments absent signed agreement — exercise of discretion in the interests of justice.
7 March 2014
Court granted extension to file review despite unexplained delay, exercising discretion in the interest of justice given the large sum involved.
Civil procedure – extension/enlargement of time – application for review – requirement to show good cause – court’s discretion to grant extension in the interest of justice where substantial sums are at stake and despite unexplained delay. Civil procedure – ex parte hearing and subsequent garnishee order as notice of judgment – delay in taking steps after awareness.
7 March 2014
The appellants' convictions were quashed because night‑time identification by candle/torchlight was unreliable.
Criminal law – Visual identification – Night‑time identification by candle or torch light – necessity to consider duration, distance, light intensity, and prior acquaintance. Evidence – Standard of proof – case must be proved beyond reasonable doubt; every reasonable possibility of mistaken identity must be excluded. Criminal procedure – Unsafe identification leads to quashing of conviction and setting aside of sentence.
5 March 2014
Appellants' convictions quashed because visual identification by candle/torchlight was unsafe and unreliable.
Criminal law – visual identification – identification at night by candle or torch light – necessity to state duration, distance, intensity of light and prior acquaintance; Standard of proof – prosecution must exclude reasonable possibility of mistaken identity; Family-member witnesses – competence acknowledged but not determinative where identification is unsafe; Conviction unsafe where visual identification in poor light is unsupported by particulars.
5 March 2014
Conviction quashed due to defective charge and procedural irregularities in admission of medical and other evidence.
Criminal law – Rape – Charge must disclose essential elements; paragraph of s.130(2) must be specified. Criminal procedure – Section 240(3) CP A – PF.3 (medical report) tendered: accused must be informed of right to summon author. Evidence – Cautioned statement requires formal admission as exhibit before being acted upon. Judgment requirements – Section 312(1) CPA: points for determination and reasons mandatory; failure may render conviction unsafe.
4 March 2014