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
42 judgments

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42 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
December 2020
30 December 2020
8 December 2020
November 2020
16 November 2020
16 November 2020
14 November 2020
13 November 2020
6 November 2020
Applicant failed to prove good cause for extension after lengthy delay and inadequate proof of court-caused delay.
* Land Disputes Courts Act s.38(1) – extension of time to file appeal; * Delay in supply of certified copies – possible ground for extension but requires proof of timely request, follow-up, collection, and immediate filing; * Burden of proof lies on applicant; * Failure to apply before expiry is relevant; * Evidence from court registry (affidavit/certificate) may be necessary to substantiate court-caused delay.
6 November 2020
5 November 2020
October 2020
30 October 2020
Alleged illegality and misnaming justified extending time for the applicant to appeal an execution order.
* Land law — extension of time to appeal — alleged illegality as sufficient cause to extend time (Principal Secretary v Devram Valambhia). * Execution — whether execution can be enforced against a person not party to original proceedings due to misnaming. * Civil practice — effect of name discrepancies on party status and appeal rights.
26 October 2020
26 October 2020
Applicant granted leave to seek judicial review over alleged unfair and possibly unlawful university discontinuation.
Judicial review – Leave to apply for prerogative orders; Grounds: illegality, procedural unfairness, irrationality; University disciplinary decisions – fair hearing and proper composition of decision-making organ; Certiorari and mandamus remedies.
22 October 2020
Conviction for grave sexual abuse quashed where prosecution failed to prove 'for sexual gratification' element beyond reasonable doubt.
Criminal law – Sexual offences – Grave sexual abuse (s.138C Penal Code) – Essential ingredients include 'for sexual gratification' and lack of consent – Prosecution’s burden and proof beyond reasonable doubt – Failure to prove purpose of touching warrants quashing conviction.
22 October 2020
Sickness occurring after the 60-day appeal period expired does not ordinarily constitute good cause to extend time to appeal.
* Land law — Extension of time to appeal under section 38(1) Land Disputes Courts Act — 60-day appeal period. * Civil procedure — Good and sufficient cause — burden on applicant to produce relevant material; illness after expiry not sufficient. * Evidence — post-deadline events (sickness/accident) cannot ordinarily justify extension of statutory appeal time.
21 October 2020
Guilty plea and prosecution facts omitting victim's age made the plea ambiguous; conviction quashed.
Criminal law — guilty plea — plea must be clear and admit all material elements; statutory rape — victim's age is a material element; appeal after guilty plea — exceptions where plea ambiguous or admitted facts cannot sustain conviction; conviction quashed where prosecution facts omitted age.
20 October 2020
20 October 2020
Applicant granted extension to file revision because conflicting tribunal judgments raised apparent illegality.
Limitation — extension of time — Section 14(1) Law of Limitation Act — alleged illegality apparent on face of record — conflicting tribunal judgments and suo motu correction — revision procedure — court’s duty to inquire into illegality.
19 October 2020
Court extended appeal time, excluding period spent diligently prosecuting an appeal later struck out, and granted 60 days.
Land Disputes Courts Act, s.38(1) – extension of time to appeal; computation of limitation – exclusion of time spent diligently prosecuting a subsequently struck‑out appeal; sufficient cause for extension; authorities considered: Selina Chibango, Yusufu Same, Transport Equipment Ltd v Valambhia.
15 October 2020
September 2020
Extension application struck out for wrong statutory citation; overriding objective cannot cure procedural mis-citation.
Land appeals — extension of time to appeal from District Land and Housing Tribunal — correct statutory provision: section 38(1) Land Disputes Courts Act — wrong citation of general Limitation Act section 14(1) is fatal — overriding objective cannot cure procedural mis-citation; affidavit formalities.
25 September 2020
Extension of time refused where claimed illness was insufficiently substantiated; no costs ordered due to ex parte proceedings.
Land appeal time-limits; extension of time under section 41(2) Land Disputes Courts Act — "good cause" must be proved; illness as ground for extension requires proper medical particulars; substituted service by publication and ex parte proceedings.
3 September 2020
August 2020
27 August 2020
Acquittal in criminal proceedings does not preclude civil liability; respondent proved claim on balance of probabilities.
Civil v criminal proceedings – acquittal/withdrawal in criminal case not an absolute defense in civil claim; standard of proof – balance of probabilities; appellate review – limits on re-evaluation in second appeal; weight of evidence and general denial.
19 August 2020
Rape conviction quashed where uncorroborated complainant evidence and material contradictions created reasonable doubt.
Criminal law – Rape – One‑on‑one allegation – Need for corroboration where only complainant and accused witnessed the act; Material contradictions among prosecution witnesses; Medical examination showing no injuries or spermatozoa; Insufficient police investigation; Burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt.
18 August 2020
14 August 2020
June 2020
Extension of time refused where illness unproven and alleged lack of locus standi not apparent on the record.
Extension of time – requirement of good and sufficient cause – unsupported illness insufficient; Illegality as ground for extension – must be obvious on face of record; Locus standi in land disputes – intermeddling/member of household constitutes sufficient interest; Ward Tribunals access – any person who reasonably believes rights infringed may complain.
22 June 2020
May 2020
Wrongfully issued Letter of Offer to an unregistered transferee can be validly revoked; original customary entitlement prevails.
Land law – customary right of occupancy – acquisition and survey – compensation by re-allocation of plots – wrongful issuance of Letter of Offer – revocation of unregistered offer – no presidential action required where interest not registered.
21 May 2020
18 May 2020
Indecent assault conviction quashed for failure to prove elements beyond reasonable doubt; offences should have been charged alternatively.
* Criminal law – Sexual offences – Rape – Proof of penetration – medical evidence showing intact hymen/anus may negate penetration. * Criminal law – Sexual offences – Indecent/sexual assault (s.135) – elements: intent to cause sexual annoyance and act/gesture/word/object intended to be seen or heard – must be proved beyond reasonable doubt. * Criminal procedure – Charging – Where a single act constitutes multiple offences they should be charged in the alternative to avoid double punishment (s.21 Penal Code). * Evidence – Failure to call an identified witness may leave material gaps undermining prosecution case.
12 May 2020
Bail pending appeal denied where claimed family hardship was not exceptional and appeal lacked overwhelming prospects.
Criminal procedure – Bail pending appeal – s.368(1)(a)(i) Criminal Procedure Act – Tests: exceptional and unusual reasons or overwhelming probability of appeal success – family/financial hardship not automatically exceptional – matters proper for appeal consideration – balancing liberty and administration of justice.
4 May 2020
March 2020
23 March 2020
Filing a memorandum instead of the statutory petition for a second appeal renders the appeal incompetent and liable to be struck out.
* Land law — Appeals — Requirement under s.38(2) Land Disputes Courts Act for petition of appeal to High Court from District Land and Housing Tribunal in appellate/revisional jurisdiction. * Civil procedure — Distinction between memorandum of appeal (first appeal/original jurisdiction) and petition of appeal (second/appellate or revisional jurisdiction). * Procedural mandatory requirements — "shall" denotes mandatory compliance; substantial compliance and overriding-objective/constitutional doctrines cannot circumvent mandatory procedural provisions.
13 March 2020
Concurrent findings on boundaries and possession upheld; appellant failed to prove adverse possession or superior title.
Land law — boundary disputes and ownership — proof of boundaries; adverse possession/limitation — weight and credibility of witness evidence; appellate review of concurrent tribunal findings.
13 March 2020
An appeal filed more than 60 days from the tribunal’s decision is time-barred; certification of judgment does not extend the period.
* Land Disputes Courts Act s.38(1) – sixty-day appeal period to High Court – limitation runs from date of tribunal decision, not certification of copy. * Extension of time – proviso to s.38(1) permits extension for good cause; failure to obtain copy may justify application but does not validate late filing without leave. * Law of Limitation Act s.3 – mandatory dismissal of proceedings filed after prescribed limitation period whether or not limitation pleaded. * Civil procedure – preliminary objection on limitation – appeal dismissed and costs awarded.
11 March 2020
Applicant's illness and diligence justified court's discretionary grant of extension of time to file an appeal.
Extension of time – discretionary exercise – factors: reason for delay, length of delay, diligence, prejudice – illness as sufficient cause – appeal time limits under Land Disputes Courts Act/Civil Procedure Code.
11 March 2020
Secretary's name in Coram does not prove participation; concurrent factual findings on ownership affirmed; appeal dismissed.
Land disputes — Coram and role of Ward Tribunal secretary — Secretary is record-keeper, not member; appearance in Coram does not prove participation; Quorum governed by Ward Tribunals Act s.4(3); Tribunal composition under Land Disputes Courts Act s.11 relates to formation not Coram particulars; Appellate interference with concurrent factual findings limited — misapprehension required; Burden of proof in ownership disputes — s.119 Evidence Act places on party denying ownership.
9 March 2020
An execution order that finally determines a matter is appealable, but the appellant’s appeal was time-barred under the 45-day limit.
Civil procedure — Execution orders — appealability: execution orders that finally determine the suit are appealable under s.74(2) CPC; Limitation — where no specific appeal period prescribed, 45-day limit under the Law of Limitation Act applies; Appeal struck out as time-barred.
9 March 2020
An omnibus, conflicted and time‑barred labour application was struck out on preliminary objections.
Labour law — omnibus/competency of application; preliminary objections — improper/multipronged reliefs in one summons; limitation — s.91(1)(a) ELRA (six weeks) and jurisdiction; conflict of interest and locus of representative; striking out incompetent proceedings.
6 March 2020
Appellant failed to prove title by execution sale or auction; tribunal's decision upheld and appeal dismissed.
Land law – proof of title – requirement to prove execution and auction by showing taxed bill of costs and court orders; evidential sufficiency of documents and oral testimony in land disputes; appellate review of factual findings and procedural irregularities.
2 March 2020
February 2020
Court recorded party-membership settlement but held it does not automatically restore council seats.
• Constitutional/Administrative law – party internal disciplinary actions – court’s role in recording settlements between party members; • Civil procedure – recording deeds of settlement as court decrees – objections by necessary but non-contracting parties; • Electoral law – reinstatement to elective office requires compliance with statutory procedures and is not automatic upon party retraction.
20 February 2020
District Court properly exercised jurisdiction over a commercial dispute ≤ TShs30 million; written contract established appellant's liability.
Commercial law — jurisdiction of Magistrates’ Courts — interaction between section 18 (Primary Court pecuniary limits) and section 40(3) (District Court commercial jurisdiction); Documentary evidence — Evidence Act s.100(1) — written contract prevailing over oral claims; Liability — contracting party liable despite involvement of third party.
19 February 2020
January 2020
Allocation by local authority and long occupation upheld respondent's title; appeal dismissed with costs.
Land law – title by allocation – letter of offer and payment of land rent as evidence of allocation; probative value of historic tax/ground rent receipts not linked to specific surveyed plot; long occupation and improvements as supporting possession; insufficiency of mere payment receipts to prove ownership; first appeal obligation to re-hear evidence.
27 January 2020