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
1,821 judgments

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1,821 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
June 2025
6 June 2025
5 June 2025
4 June 2025
Reassignment recorded properly; respondent proved breach of oral contract; general damages award upheld.
Civil procedure – Succession of magistrates – Order XVIII Rule 10(1) – successor may proceed where predecessor unable to conclude trial; reasons for reassignment must be on record; no prejudice required. Evidence – Burden and standard – civil cases decided on balance of probabilities; corroboration by witness and bank statement; failure to cross-examine accepts testimony. Damages – General damages – discretionary award must be supported by reasons; appellate interference only if award arbitrary, excessive, or based on no evidence.
4 June 2025
2 June 2025
2 June 2025
May 2025
Insufficient description of unsurveyed land is a fatal pleading defect; DLHT proceedings and judgment quashed.
Land — Pleadings — Description of immovable property — Regulation 3(2)(b) GN No. 174/2003; Order VII Rule 3, Cap. 33 — Insufficient description of unsurveyed land is fatal — Failure to disclose cause of action — Remedy: amend or reject plea — Revisional powers under s.43(1)(b) Cap. 216 to quash proceedings.
30 May 2025
27 May 2025
Reference allowed: taxing officer erred under Order 48 by awarding taxation costs after disallowing over one-sixth.
Advocates Remuneration Order, GN No. 263 of 2015 – Order 48 (one-sixth rule) – failure to exclude instruction fee under proviso bars award of taxation costs when more than one-sixth is disallowed; Order 55(3) – fees for attending taxation must be placed at end of Bill and may be left blank for Taxing Officer; Order 64 – advocates from same firm treated as same advocate for drawing bill; High Court intervention in taxation decisions limited to errors of law or misapplication of principles.
27 May 2025
Primary Court’s refusal to admit electronic evidence and proceeding to judgment breached the appellant’s right to be heard; proceedings quashed.
Primary Courts – Evidence – admissibility of electronic evidence – Primary Courts apply GN No.22/1964 and lack mechanisms to admit electronic evidence; procedural irregularity and breach of right to be heard where court declines such evidence but proceeds to judgment; correct remedy is to strike out or halt proceedings and advise action before competent court; appellate court cannot uphold tainted proceedings.
27 May 2025
Proceedings quashed because the suit failed to provide a sufficient, specific description of the disputed land.
Land law; description of suit land—pleadings must give clear, specific identification of immovable property (Reg 3(2)(b), Order VII r.3); acquisition provisions of Cap 288 apply to formal land acquisition, not allocation/trespass; Government Proceedings Act amendments apply to suits against the Government and are not retrospective; failure to describe land is fatal and renders proceedings a nullity.
26 May 2025
Court quashed dismissal and ex parte judgment where advocate's illness constituted sufficient cause and tribunal misdirected itself.
Land disputes – setting aside dismissal order and ex parte judgment – good cause: advocate's illness – representation of corporate parties – application of GN No. 174/2003 (Regulations) vs Order XXVIII CPC – preliminary objection on filing fees not a pure point of law.
23 May 2025
23 May 2025
Prisoners' confinement and delayed access to court records can justify a limited extension of time to lodge an appeal.
Criminal procedure – extension of time to file notice of intention to appeal – Section 359 & 361 Criminal Procedure Act – good cause – prisoner confinement and delayed access to judgment – ignorance of law ordinarily insufficient but contextual difficulties may justify extension.
23 May 2025
20 May 2025
16 May 2025
16 May 2025
16 May 2025
Court granted probate and appointed the petitioner executor after required will verification and publication obligations were met.
Probate law – Grant of probate – Compliance with section 55 Cap. 352 and Probate Rules (Rule 34). Testamentary formalities – Sworn witness verification satisfying section 57(2). Public notice – Citation published in Official Gazette and newspapers; lapse of 14‑day caveat period (Rule 76). Executors – Appointment of nominated executor; obligation to file inventory and final accounts.
15 May 2025
12 May 2025
9 May 2025
9 May 2025
9 May 2025
9 May 2025
8 May 2025
Suit struck out as prematurely filed after objection dismissed for want of prosecution; res judicata objection requires factual inquiry.
Civil procedure – preliminary objection – res judicata – whether objection constitutes pure point of law; Order XXI Rules 57–62 CPC – objections to attachment – duty to restore dismissed objection before filing fresh suit; premature institution of suit and abuse of court process; overriding objective cannot cure fundamental procedural defects.
6 May 2025
6 May 2025
2 May 2025
April 2025
30 April 2025
30 April 2025
30 April 2025
30 April 2025
30 April 2025
30 April 2025
29 April 2025
29 April 2025
29 April 2025
29 April 2025
29 April 2025
17 April 2025
4 April 2025
3 April 2025
March 2025
28 March 2025
28 March 2025
27 March 2025
26 March 2025
Failure to describe immovable property in the plaint nullifies proceedings for lack of cause of action.
Land law – Pleadings – Requirement under Order VII Rule 3 to describe immovable property sufficiently; failure to describe land – legal defect amounting to failure to disclose cause of action under Order VII Rule 11 – proceedings vitiated and judgment quashed; locus in quo and joinder issues raised but unnecessary where plaint is fatally defective.
25 March 2025
25 March 2025
Applicant failed to account for each day of delay; extension of time to file revision dismissed.
Extension of time – good and sufficient cause – necessity to account for each day of delay – technical/e‑filing delay requires evidence – discretionary exercise of court’s powers – dismissal for failure to account.
25 March 2025
25 March 2025