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.

305 judgments
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305 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
June 2021
28 June 2021
Court granted winding-up petition after finding insolvency and procedural compliance, appointing an official liquidator.
Companies Act – Winding up – Insolvency (unable to pay debts) – Proof via audited accounts. Companies Insolvency Rules – Requirement to advertise petition and file certificate of compliance. Appointment of official liquidator – statutory powers and duties; filing final accounts and report. Costs – no order as petition was unopposed.
25 June 2021
Default judgment entered against 1st and 3rd defendants for unpaid overdraft; plaintiff entitled to recover debt and realize securities.
Commercial law – Default judgment under Rule 22(1) – substituted service and publication – proof of claim by affidavit and annexures. Banking / secured lending – overdraft facility – personal guarantee – debenture, liens and chattel mortgage – realization of securities upon default. Remedies – decretal sum, contractual and post-judgment interest (17% to judgment; 7% thereafter) and costs. Procedure – conditions on execution of decree requiring publication under Rule 22(2).
25 June 2021
A belated EFD receipt together with a prior invoice can validate taxed instruction fees; taxation upheld and reference dismissed.
Taxation of costs – instruction fees – proof of payment – role of tax invoice and Electronic Fiscal Device (EFD) receipt; Interaction between Advocates Remuneration Order and Income Tax Regulations – timing of EFD issuance; Champerty – evidential burden to prove illegality of legal fee arrangement; Review of Taxing Officer’s ruling – appellate interference limited absent error.
25 June 2021
Suit to enforce DRC judgment dismissed because an ICC award registered as a Tanzanian decree restrains enforcement.
• Enforcement of foreign judgments – attempted enforcement of DRC Commercial Court judgment vs. settlement agreement • Arbitration – ICC award concerning settlement interpretation and anti‑suit injunctions • Registration of foreign arbitral award – award registered as decree of Tanzanian High Court; legal effect • Functus officio – registered decree precluding re‑litigation/further enforcement in same court • Locus standi – plaintiff required to prove interest despite earlier permissive ruling • Corporate veil/piercing – pleaded but not determined due to dispositive maintainability ruling
25 June 2021
24 June 2021
18 June 2021
Limitation for leave to file a third‑party notice is not computed from filing the defence; objection dismissed.
Civil Procedure – Order I r.14 – Third‑party notice – leave required – sub‑rule (2) requires stating stage proceedings have reached – Limitation law (Item 21, Part III, First Schedule to Law of Limitation Act) – time for leave application not pegged to filing of defence – preliminary objection dismissed.
18 June 2021
Default judgment entered after plaintiff proved supply and outstanding debt; court awarded principal, interest, damages and costs.
Commercial law – Contract for supply of goods; Default judgment under Rule 22(1) High Court (Commercial Division) Procedure Rules; substituted service and proof of service; evidentiary sufficiency of affidavit and original documents to prove claim; award of principal, interest and general damages; publication requirement before execution under Rule 22(2).
18 June 2021
Court registered parties' Deed of Settlement under Order XXIII Rule 3 and entered consent decree; suit marked settled.
Civil procedure — Order XXIII Rule 3 CPC — Recording and registration of Deed of Settlement; Consent judgment — court obligation to record lawful agreement and enter decree; Reference to Court of Appeal authority on settlements.
15 June 2021
15 June 2021
14 June 2021
11 June 2021
11 June 2021
4 June 2021
3 June 2021
2 June 2021
2 June 2021
1 June 2021
May 2021
Court recorded parties' lawful settlement under Order XXIII Rule 3 and entered a consent decree, marking the suit settled.
Civil Procedure – Order XXIII Rule 3 CPC – Recording of lawful settlements – Court required to record and pass decree in terms of compromise. Consent decree – Incorporation of deed of settlement into court’s order and finality of settlement disposing whole suit. Settlement – Effect of recorded settlement is to mark suit settled and terminate proceedings to that extent.
31 May 2021
28 May 2021
28 May 2021
28 May 2021
27 May 2021
A foreign arbitral award cannot be registered where a prior court order revoked the arbitration submission clause underpinning it.
Arbitration — Registration and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards; Procedural requirements for challenging awards — petitions under Regulation 63(1); Validity and enforceability where domestic court revoked arbitration clause — Regulation 66(3)(b); Conflict between arbitral award and prior domestic court order; Functus officio and limits on a court revisiting its own unappealed orders.
26 May 2021
25 May 2021
24 May 2021
24 May 2021
24 May 2021
21 May 2021
20 May 2021
18 May 2021
Whether EFD receipts are required to prove instruction fees where costs were incurred before the 2015 legislation.
Advocates' instruction fees — taxation of costs — requirement of EFD/receipts — effect of timing and retrospectivity of Advocates Remuneration Order, 2015 and Tax Administration Act, 2015 — application of old rules where cause pre-dates new laws — scale (3%) for liquidated claims.
17 May 2021
17 May 2021
17 May 2021
12 May 2021
12 May 2021
12 May 2021
11 May 2021
11 May 2021
11 May 2021
10 May 2021
10 May 2021
10 May 2021
7 May 2021
7 May 2021
7 May 2021
7 May 2021
Court recorded and adopted parties' Deed of Settlement as a consent judgment under Order XXIII Rule 3 CPC.
Civil Procedure – Consent settlement – Deed of Settlement – Order XXIII Rule 3 CPC – Court power to record and adopt lawful compromise as judgment and decree – Consent judgment enforcement.
6 May 2021
6 May 2021