[2021] KECA 377 (KLR)
The court found that although the applicant cited provisions of the Civil Procedure Rules that do not apply to the Court of Appeal, this procedural technicality was not fatal to the application. The court relied on Article 159(2)(d) of the Constitution, which mandates the exercise of judicial authority without undue...
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- [2021] KECA 377 (KLR)
- Parties
- Appellant: Gladys Riziki Nyamawi; Appellant: Johnson Nzai; Appellant: Benson Mandu; Appellant: William Charo; Appellant: Florence Nzingo; Appellant: George Wanje; Appellant: Mohamed Mwacharo; Appellant: Margaret Luvuno; Appellant: Kanze Safari; Respondent: Registrar of Titles, Mombasa; Respondent: Percy Dalrymple Townsend; Respondent: Robert Lunan; Respondent: Gwendolyn Agnes Brandy; Respondent: George Taylor; Respondent: Joseph Lewart Torr; Respondent: Agriculture Handling Services Ltd; Respondent: Mtwapa Holdings Limited; Respondent: Weisbaden Dream Villas Limited; Respondent: Lawis Muchai; Respondent: Omar Salim Chengo (substituted for Juma Chengo Kashaha, Administrator of the Estate of Chengo Kashaha Mangi)
- Court
- Court of Appeal
- Court Station
- Court of Appeal at Mombasa
- Jurisdiction
- Kenya
- Case Number
- Civil Appeal 133 of 2018
- Procedural Posture
- Civil Appeal / Application for Leave to Cease Acting
- Outcome
- Application allowed. Leave granted for counsel to cease acting for the appellants.
- Judges
- KI Laibuta
- Legal Topics
- Leave to Cease Acting, Court of Appeal Rules, Procedural Technicalities, Notice of Motion
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Gladys Riziki Nyamawi
Appellant
Johnson Nzai
Appellant
Benson Mandu
Appellant
William Charo
Appellant
Florence Nzingo
Appellant
George Wanje
Appellant
Mohamed Mwacharo
Appellant
Margaret Luvuno
Appellant
Kanze Safari
Appellant
Registrar of Titles, Mombasa
Respondent
Percy Dalrymple Townsend
Respondent
Robert Lunan
Respondent
Gwendolyn Agnes Brandy
Respondent
George Taylor
Respondent
Joseph Lewart Torr
Respondent
Agriculture Handling Services Ltd
Respondent
Mtwapa Holdings Limited
Respondent
Weisbaden Dream Villas Limited
Respondent
Lawis Muchai
Respondent
Omar Salim Chengo (substituted for Juma Chengo Kashaha, Administrator of the Estate of Chengo Kashaha Mangi)
Respondent
Procedural Posture
Civil Appeal / Application for Leave to Cease Acting
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether counsel for the appellants should be granted leave to cease acting for the appellants in the civil appeal.
- 2 Whether the procedural rules cited by counsel are applicable to the Court of Appeal.
- 3 Whether procedural technicalities should prevent the grant of leave to cease acting.
Ratio Decidendi
The court found that although the applicant cited provisions of the Civil Procedure Rules that do not apply to the Court of Appeal, this procedural technicality was not fatal to the application. The court relied on Article 159(2)(d) of the Constitution, which mandates the exercise of judicial authority without undue regard to procedural technicalities. The relevant provision for ceasing to act in the Court of Appeal is Rule 23(2) of the Court of Appeal Rules. The court granted leave for counsel to cease acting for the appellants, effective upon service of the order on all appellants.
Court Disposition
Application allowed. Leave granted for counsel to cease acting for the appellants.
Orders
- Counsel for the appellants is deemed to have ceased acting for the appellants upon service of this order on all appellants.
- There shall be no orders as to costs.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
44 paragraphs
IN THE COURT OF APPEAL
AT MOMBASA
(CORAM: DR. K. I. LAIBUTA, J.A. (IN CHAMBERS)
CIVIL APPEAL (APPLICATION) NO. 133 OF 2018
BETWEEN
GLADYS RIZIKI NYAMAWI...........................................................1stAPPELLANT
JOHNSON NZAI............................................................................2ndAPPELLANT
BENSON MANDU...........................................................................3rdAPPELLANT
WILLIAM CHARO.........................................................................4thAPPELLANT
FLORENCE NZINGO.....................................................................5thAPPELLANT
GEORGE WANJE............................................................................6thAPPELLANT
MOHAMED MWACHARO............................................................7thAPPELLANT
MARGARET LUVUNO....................................................................8thAPPELLANT
KANZE SAFARI.............................................................................. 9thAPPELLANT
AND
REGISTRAR OF TITLES, MOMBASA ........................................ 1stRESPONDENT
PERCY DALRYMPLE TOWNSEND........................................... 2ndRESPONDENT
ROBERT LUNAN........................................................................ 3RDRESPONDENT
GWENDOLYN AGNES BRANDY.............................................. 4THRESPONDENT
GEORGE TAYLOR....................................................................... 5thRESPONDENT
JOSEPH LEWART TORR........................................................... 6thRESPONDENT
AGRICULTURE HANDLING SERVICES LTD............................ 7thRESPONDENT
MTWAPA HOLDINGS LIMITED................................................. 8thRESPONDENT
WEISBADEN DREAM VILLAS LIMITED................................... 9thRESPONDENT
LAWIS MUCHAI .......................................................................10thRESPONDENT
JUMA CHENGO KASHAHA
(Administrator of the Estate of ChengoKashaha Mangi) (both deceased – substituted by)
OMAR SALIM CHENGO........................................................... 11thRESPONDENT
(Being an application to grant leave to cease from acting for the AppellantsinMombasa Civil Appeal No 133 of 2018)
******************
RULING
By a Notice of Motion dated 2nd October 2019 and made under Order 9 Rule 13 and Order 51 Rule 1 of the Civil Procedure Rules, counsel for the Appellants, M/s.
Steve Kithi & Company Advocates, seek leave to cease from acting for the Appellants. Their application is supported by the affidavit of Stephens Kithi Ngombo sworn on 2nd October 2019 and is made on grounds set out on the face of the Motion.
I have read Mr. Kithi’s supporting affidavit and appreciate its contents. It is not clear on what grounds Order 9 Rule 13 and Order 51 Rule 1 of the Civil Procedure Rules are invoked. The same apply to proceedings in superior courts and are of no relevance to these proceedings. I need not take issue with this procedural technicality, which I am inclined to overlook on account of the provisions of Article 159(2) (d) of the Constitution under which I am mandated to exercise my judicial authority without undue regard to procedural technicalities.
The relevant provision is Rule 23(2) of the Court of Appeal Rules,which requires an advocate who desires to cease acting for any party in a civil appeal or application, to apply by Notice of Motion before a single Judge for leave to so cease acting, and such advocate shall be deemed to have ceased to act for such party upon service on the party of a certified copy of the order of the Judge.
Accordingly, I hereby order and direct that –
(a) counsel for the Appellants be deemed as having ceased to act for the Appellants on service upon all the Appellants of this order;
(b) there be no orders as to costs.
Dated and Delivered at Nairobi this 23rdday of July, 2021.
DR. K. I. LAIBUTA
.....................................
JUDGE OF APPEAL
true copyIcertifyofthe thatoriginal.this is a
DEPUTY REGISTRAR