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
32 judgments

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32 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
August 2015
Bank obtained ex‑parte judgment for loan default and misrepresentation of collateral, awarding principal, high interest and damages.
Civil procedure – ex‑parte judgment – loan default and misrepresentation of security; Contract/Banking law – breach of loan and overdraft agreements; Remedies – principal, compounded interest, damages for distress and reputation, daily financial loss, costs; Enforcement – attachment/sale of charged property.
31 August 2015
Breach of loan agreement by misrepresentation of security; plaintiff awarded damages, interest and attachment remedy.
Contract law – Loan and overdraft – Breach by default and misrepresentation of collateral; Credibility of bank records, valuation and demand notices; Remedies – damages, compounded contractual interest, costs and attachment/sale of secured property; Civil procedure – substituted service and ex-parte judgment.
31 August 2015
Order XXII Rule 3(1) requires leave before a deceased plaintiff's legal representative is made party to subsequent proceedings.
Civil Procedure — Order XXII Rule 3(1) CPC — legal representative of deceased plaintiff — meaning of "suit" includes subsequent/execution proceedings — leave required before being made a party — non-compliance justifies striking out application.
31 August 2015
An equivocal plea and defective plea-taking procedures rendered the conviction unsafe; conviction quashed and immediate release ordered.
Criminal law – Plea-taking – Equivocal/ambiguous plea of guilty – Procedural requirements for reading facts and proper allocutus – Sentencing reserved before conviction – When conviction is unsafe and retrial is inappropriate due to time served.
31 August 2015
High Court lacked original pecuniary jurisdiction; specific monetary claim (TZS 50m) determines jurisdiction, so suit struck out.
Civil procedure — Pecuniary jurisdiction — Determination by substantive (specific) claim, not quantified general damages; Magistrates' Courts Act s.40(2); Our Lady of Usambara applied — Defamation actions not per se within High Court original jurisdiction where specific claim falls below statutory threshold.
28 August 2015
Defendant wrongly repossessed without prior written notice; both parties breached the MLA; plaintiff awarded value of stock (Tshs.14,000,000/=?).
Contract law – Marketing Licence Agreement – Mandatory written notice for termination – Repossession and stock‑taking requirements; Proof of special and expectation damages – requirement for contemporaneous accounting records; Breach for failure to meet minimum purchase volumes; Relief limited to proven value of stock taken over.
28 August 2015
Court awards plaintiff USD 670,000 for fuel supplied; defendant’s forgery and guarantor defence rejected.
Civil procedure – contract for supply of fuel; dishonoured postdated cheques as proof of indebtedness; corporate veil/guarantor issues; forged document (handwriting expert evidence); remedies – judgment for debt, interest and costs.
27 August 2015
21 August 2015
Temporary injunction dismissed: wrong registry filing and failure to meet Attilio v. Mbowe injunction requirements.
Civil procedure – Temporary injunction – Requirements in Attilio v. Mbowe (serious question; irreparable injury; balance of convenience) – Maintainability — filing in correct registry for land matters – Prior sale and possession and substantial respondent investments as grounds to refuse interim relief.
21 August 2015
Court found equal contributory negligence, dismissed unproven special damages, awarded subsistence and general damages with interest.
Tort — Negligence — Contributory negligence — Equal apportionment of liability where employee with supervisory control failed to take precautions and employer failed to replace worn rails; Workmen's Compensation Act — effect of prior compensation payment and burden to prove inadequacy; Special damages — requirement of strict proof.
21 August 2015
Both plaintiff and employer were contributorily negligent; specific damages were not strictly proved, but subsistence and general damages awarded.
Negligence – contributory negligence where both employee (Permanent Way Inspector) and employer share responsibility for accident. Workmen's Compensation Act – interplay between statutory compensation and civil claims; requirement to prove calculations and entitlement. Damages – special (specific) damages must be specifically pleaded and strictly proved; general damages may be awarded for pain and suffering. Evidence – accident reports and medical records relevant but insufficient to displace a prior compensation payment without supporting proof of calculation.
21 August 2015
An application supported by an affidavit containing legal arguments and prayers is incurably defective and will be struck out.
Civil Procedure – Affidavit admissibility – Order XIX r.3 CPC – Affidavits must state facts, not legal argument or prayers; Application for temporary injunction struck out where supporting affidavit incurably defective; Reliance on Uganda v. Commissioner of Prisons ex parte Matovu [1966] E.A.
21 August 2015
Administrator’s letters revoked for failure to file inventory and mismanagement; heir appointed as new administrator.
Probate law – Revocation of letters of administration – Grounds include failure to file inventory and mismanagement/squandering of estate; Appointment of heir as replacement administrator; Court power to order surrender of letters and delivery of estate property.
18 August 2015
The plaintiff proved loss from a ministerial policy reversal; court awarded reduced damages and restored the original sisal-bag directive.
Administrative law – Ministerial directives affecting industry; reliance on regulatory directives and economic loss; mitigation of loss; quantum of damages; declaratory relief nullifying later directive and restoring earlier policy.
18 August 2015
A petition under the Arbitration Act need not be accompanied by a separate verifying affidavit; preliminary objection dismissed.
Arbitration Act and Rules – petitions – verification – whether a separate verifying affidavit is required; interpretation of procedural rules; application of Judicature and Application of Laws Act s.2(3) to cure alleged lacunae; competence of petition verified like a plaint; dismissal of preliminary objection.
17 August 2015
Plaintiff's suit struck out as res judicata because the same cause had been finally decided by the lower court.
Civil procedure – Res judicata – Section 9 Civil Procedure Code – finality of judgment and bar to multiplicity of suits. Jurisdiction – Land Act s.167 – what constitutes a land dispute; security over land does not necessarily convert contractual claims into land disputes. Procedure – Preliminary objections – Order VIII Rule 2 – separate filing permissible where objection raises jurisdictional/vital legal points.
17 August 2015
Court granted extension, holding 90-day appeal period starts on receipt of certified judgment copy.
Limitation law – appeals under the Civil Procedure Code – 90-day limitation period (Part II item 1, Law of Limitation Act). Computation of time – exclusion of period awaiting certified copy – section 19(2) Law of Limitation Act. Extension of time – discretionary relief – requirement of good and sufficient cause; promptness and explanation for delay relevant. Civil Procedure – interplay between Law of Limitation Act and right to appeal.
17 August 2015
Court struck out and dismissed repeated land claim as precluded by Order 23 and time‑barred.
Land law; abuse of process; preclusion under Order 23 Rule 1(3) CPC; limitation—Part I item 22 Law of Limitation Act; undivided registered parcel and section 83 Land Registration Act; court’s power to curb vexatious litigation (section 95 CPC).
17 August 2015
Plaintiff’s repetitive suit on an undivided registered plot is precluded, time‑barred and an abuse of process.
Civil Procedure – preclusion under Order XXIII Rule 1(3) CPC; Limitation – Part I item 22 Law of Limitation Act; Abuse of process – repetitive suits dismissed; Land law – requirement to divide registered parcel under s.83 Land Registration Act before claiming part thereof.
17 August 2015
Preliminary objection that appeal was time‑barred dismissed; memorandum filed within time when waiting period for certified copy excluded.
Limitation of actions – appeal time‑bar – application of Law of Limitation Act section 19(2) (discounting time awaiting certified copy) – institution of appeal when memorandum filed under section 3(2)(b) – preliminary objection dismissed with costs.
14 August 2015
Unexplained delay and uncorroborated counsel omission do not constitute sufficient cause to extend time to appeal.
Extension of time – discretionary power under section 11(1) Appellate Jurisdiction Act – requirement to show sufficient cause – unexplained delay and lack of corroborating affidavits fatal – advocate’s duty as officer of court – merits of intended appeal not decisive.
13 August 2015
Court granted 14-day extension to file Notice of Appeal, finding a technical defect constituted good cause.
Appellate procedure – extension of time – section 11(1) Appellate Jurisdiction Act – requirement to show good cause. 'Technical delay' where an appeal lodged in time is struck out for defective/incomplete record can constitute good cause for extension. Standard of assessment – objective inquiry into whether sufficient cause exists; prompt institution of application supports relief.
7 August 2015
Court granted 14-day extension where appeal was struck out for defective record, treating the delay as technical good cause.
Appellate procedure – Extension of time under s.11(1) Appellate Jurisdiction Act – Good cause and objective discretion – Technical delay where appeal rendered incompetent by defective record (Fortunatus Masha principle) – Striking out by Court of Appeal for incomplete record – Relevance of collateral complaints about estate administration.
7 August 2015
Court granted 14‑day extension to file notice of appeal where appeal was struck out for defective record, finding good cause.
Civil procedure — Extension of time — Section 11(1) Appellate Jurisdiction Act — Technical delay where appeal struck out for defective/incomplete record — Good cause requirement — Prompt institution of extension application — Jurisdictional limits concerning administration of deceased estate.
7 August 2015
Application dismissed for want of prosecution was restored where the advocate’s absence constituted sufficient cause and opposing counsel suppressed material facts.
Civil procedure – restoration of suit dismissed for want of prosecution – Order 9 Rule 9(1) CPC – sufficient cause for non-appearance; Advocates’ duties – disclosure and honesty – section 66 Advocates Act; Role of court clerks – facilitators not substitutes for advocates; Effect of opposing counsel’s failure to rebut allegations; Jurisdictional argument where notice of appeal filed.
7 August 2015
Failure to appear caused by counsel’s engagements and bereavement, coupled with rival counsel’s concealment, constituted sufficient cause to restore the suit.
Civil procedure — restoration of suit dismissed for want of prosecution — sufficient cause under Order 9 Rule 9(1) CPC; Advocates’ duties — section 66 Advocates Act — duty not to mislead court; distinction between deliberate absenteeism and excusable non-appearance; role and limits of court clerks in communicating advocates’ excuses.
7 August 2015
Court restored application dismissed for want of prosecution, finding sufficient cause and criticizing opposing advocate’s nondisclosure.
Civil procedure – restoration of suit dismissed for want of prosecution – Order 9 Rule 9(1) CPC – sufficiency of cause; Advocates’ duties – section 66 Advocates Act – duty of candour to court; conduct of opposing counsel – suppression/concealment; role of court clerks – facilitative not substitutive; jurisdiction – prior notice of appeal does not automatically oust High Court power to restore.
7 August 2015
Lack of notice of an ex‑parte hearing/judgment can constitute sufficient reason to extend time to appeal.
Civil procedure — Extension of time to appeal — Section 14(1) Law of Limitation Act — Failure to give notice of ex‑parte hearing/judgment — Breach of Order 20 Rule 1 CPC — Alleged illegality/procedural irregularity as sufficient reason to extend time.
7 August 2015
Extension granted where trial court failed to notify defendant of ex‑parte hearing and judgment.
Civil procedure – extension of time to appeal – s.14(1) Law of Limitation Act – requirement of sufficient cause – failure to notify defendant of ex‑parte hearing and judgment – breach of Order 20 Rule 1, Civil Procedure Code – discovery during execution – illegality/irregularity as ground for extension.
7 August 2015
An affidavit with an undated, incomplete jurat is incurably defective and renders the supported application incompetent.
Notaries Public and Commissioners for Oaths Act, s.8 – jurat of attestation must state place, date and whether Commissioner knew or identified the deponent. Affidavit formalities – failure to state date or identification particulars renders jurat incurably defective. Civil procedure – preliminary objection – defective affidavit supporting interlocutory application – consequence is striking out the application.
5 August 2015
Application for injunction struck out because supporting affidavit’s jurat failed statutory requirements and was incurably defective.
Oaths and affidavits – Jurat of attestation – Requirement to state place and date and whether Commissioner knew deponent personally (s.8, Notaries Public and Commissioners for Oaths Act, Cap 12 R.E.2002) – Non‑compliance renders affidavit incurably defective – Application struck out.
5 August 2015
Court ordered forced entry and inventory of respondent's shop to execute prior order after non-compliance.
Execution of judgment – appointment of auctioneers – forcible entry and inventory of goods – enforcement of prior court order – misnaming of party not fatal to execution – ex parte execution permitted where respondent absent.
4 August 2015