High Court Commercial Division

The Commercial Court was officially inaugurated on 15th September, 1999. The Government of Tanzania endorsed the recommendations in 1997. It is a division of the High Court of Tanzania. The difference with other High Court Registries is that this court specializes in the determination of commercial disputes only.

12 judgments
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12 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
November 2008
Extension of time refused where counsel’s lack of diligence caused an appeal’s incompetence, not a court error.
Extension of time – discretionary relief – requirement to give sufficient reasons – counsel’s negligence/ignorance of procedure not acceptable ground – defective decree rendering appeal incompetent – "interest of justice" must be particularized; illegality as special ground.
25 November 2008
September 2008
Court reduced taxed instruction fee from 3% to 1%, holding section 30(1) CPA gives taxing masters wide discretion overruling scale limits.
Costs – Taxation – Scope of taxing master’s discretion under section 30(1) Civil Procedure Act vs Advocates’ scales; whether 3% scale is minimum or maximum; judicial interference limited to error of principle or manifest excess; reduction of instruction fee from 3% to 1% where case decided on preliminary point; substitution of party name following statutory restructuring.
22 September 2008
Registered trade mark "POA" confers exclusivity; similar marks by competitor caused passing off, justifying injunctions and damages.
* Trade marks – Registration confers exclusive right (Trade and Service Marks Act, s.31) – Use of identical or similar mark in same trade may constitute infringement and passing off. * Passing off – Likelihood of confusion assessed by reference to the nature of the goods and ordinary consumers – essential/strike word may dominate overall mark. * Administrative procedure – Applicant must respond to Registrar’s conditions or application deemed withdrawn (Trade Marks Rules, r.29). * Remedies – Injunctions, delivery up/destruction, special, general and punitive damages and costs.
15 September 2008
August 2008
Arbitral award set aside where State lacked Attorney General-approved representation, denying fair hearing and exceeding arbitrator’s authority.
Arbitration law – validity of award – public respondent’s representation without Attorney General’s approval – breach of Civil Service Standing Orders – denial of fair hearing – arbitrator exceeding authority by apportioning costs – court’s supervisory power to set aside award even after filing as decree.
15 August 2008
July 2008
Court granted extension of time and stay of execution after appeal struck out due to defective decree, finding applicant diligent.
Civil procedure — extension of time to file notice of appeal — defective decree and appeal struck out — due diligence and Limitation Act — leave to apply for stay of execution out of time — considerations: irreparable harm, balance of convenience, security.
23 July 2008
A plaint must disclose facts connecting a defendant to the alleged wrong or the defendant's name may be struck out.
Civil procedure – Pleadings – Cause of action must be disclosed in the plaint; material facts connecting defendant to alleged wrong are mandatory; failure to plead such facts permits striking out under Order VII r.11/12; preliminary objections to be raised early (Order VIII r.2); corporate personality – company’s separate legal identity distinguishes liability of company from its agents/directors.
22 July 2008
A taxing master may judiciously depart from prescribed fee scales under S.30; taxed costs affirmed.
Advocates' Remuneration and Taxation of Costs – taxation of bills – interplay between prescribed scales and S.30 Civil Procedure Act – taxing master's discretion to depart from scales where exercised judiciously; factors to consider (value, complexity, conduct, access to justice); allowance of instruction fee above scale; reasonableness of omnibus charges and absence of receipts.
16 July 2008
Taxing officer allowed most costs, disallowed four items, and upheld secretarial fees, taxing the bill at Tshs. 10,514,000.
Costs taxation – bill of costs reviewed by taxing officer; disbursements and attendances allowed as presented; secretarial/clerical fees treated as allowable direct costs without separate receipt; specific items (2, 24, 27, 30) taxed off; taxed total Tshs. 10,514,000.
10 July 2008
May 2008
High Court lacks jurisdiction to continue proceedings after a Notice of Appeal to the Court of Appeal is filed.
Jurisdiction — effect of filing a Notice of Appeal — High Court lacks jurisdiction to proceed once appeal to Court of Appeal instituted (Aero Helicopter precedent); stay of proceedings; withdrawal of application; remission of record to Court of Appeal.
30 May 2008
A bill of costs filed after the 60‑day statutory period is out of time; formal application required for any extension.
* Taxation of costs – time limit – bill of costs must be filed within 60 days (s.21, Part III Limitation Act). * Extension of time – formal application required; informal concession or rejoinder insufficient. * Jurisdiction – court cannot tax a bill filed after statutory period without proper leave.
8 May 2008
April 2008
Commissioner’s Mining Act jurisdiction is limited; minerals excluded from land jurisdiction; defective verification is curable.
* Mining law – s.101 Mining Act – scope of Commissioner for Minerals’ jurisdiction; commercial disputes over options to purchase mineral rights not automatically referable. * Land law – definition of "land" excludes minerals; disputes concerning minerals not necessarily within exclusive jurisdiction of Land Division. * Civil procedure – Order VI r.15(3) CPC – verification clause omission is procedural and curable; leave to amend under Order VI r.17. * Preliminary objections – may be decided on legal merit; not all objections are properly preliminary if dependent on evidence.
23 April 2008
February 2008
A document filed after the plaint but produced at first hearing is admissible under Order XIII Rule 1; objection dismissed with costs.
Civil Procedure — production of documentary evidence — Order VII Rule 14 (documents to be filed/ listed with the plaint) — Order XIII Rule 1 (production at first hearing of documents not already filed) — admissibility and leave — first hearing as cut-off — non-production thereafter requires good cause.
18 February 2008