[2019] KEELRC 1242 (KLR)
The court found that there was a clear clerical error in the typed judgment, where the compensation for unlawful dismissal was stated as 5 months' salary but computed as 8 months' salary. Upon reviewing the handwritten judgment, the court confirmed that the intended award was 8 months' salary as compensation. The...
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- [2019] KEELRC 1242 (KLR)
- Parties
- Respondent: Josephine Waithera Kiboi; Applicant: Charleston Travel Limited
- Court
- Employment and Labour Relations Court
- Court Station
- Employment and Labour Relations Court at Nairobi
- Jurisdiction
- Kenya
- Case Number
- Cause 177 of 2013
- Procedural Posture
- Review Application / Ruling on Application for Review of Judgment
- Outcome
- application for review allowed; judgment corrected to reflect 8 months' salary as compensation
- Judges
- HS Wasilwa
- Legal Topics
- Unlawful Dismissal, Compensation Calculation, Review of Judgment, Clerical Error
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Josephine Waithera Kiboi
Respondent
Charleston Travel Limited
Applicant
Procedural Posture
Review Application / Ruling on Application for Review of Judgment
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether there was a clerical or apparent error on the face of the judgment regarding the computation of compensation for unlawful dismissal.
- 2 Whether the judgment should be reviewed to correct the computation error.
Ratio Decidendi
The court found that there was a clear clerical error in the typed judgment, where the compensation for unlawful dismissal was stated as 5 months' salary but computed as 8 months' salary. Upon reviewing the handwritten judgment, the court confirmed that the intended award was 8 months' salary as compensation. The court held that this was an innocent mistake warranting review under the applicable provisions of the Civil Procedure Act and Rules. The judgment was accordingly corrected to reflect 8 months' salary as compensation, and the total award was confirmed as Kshs. 826,467. No order as to costs was made on the application.
Court Disposition
application for review allowed; judgment corrected to reflect 8 months' salary as compensation
Orders
- Judgment at paragraph 20(4) corrected to read: '8 months salary as compensation for unlawful dismissal = 8 x 77,000 = 616,000. TOTAL = 826,467'.
- No order as to costs on this application.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
39 paragraphs
REPUBLIC OF KENYA
IN THE EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR RELATIONS COURT
AT NAIROBI
CAUSE NO. 177 OF 2013
(Before Hon. Justice Hellen S. Wasilwa on 25th June, 2019)
JOSEPHINE WAITHERA KIBOI …...CLAIMANT/RESPONDENT
VERSUS
CHARLESTON TRAVEL LIMITED …...RESONDENT/APPLICANT
RULING
1. The Application before Court is the one dated 19. 3.2019 filed by the Respondent/Applicants herein and filed under Certificate of Urgency through a Notice of Motion application pursuant to Section 1a, 1b, 3a and Section 80 of the Civil Procedure Act CAP 21 of the Laws of Kenya, Order 45 of the Civil Procedure Rules 2010 and all other enabling provisions.
2. The Applicant sought the following orders:-
1. “Spent
2. Spent
3. The Honourable Court be pleased to review paragraph 20 sub paragraph 4 of its Judgment where the Court erroneously computed 8 months’ salary as compensation as opposed to 5 months’ salary that was awarded.
4. This Honourable Court do issue such other orders as the Court may deem just and expedient.
5. Costs of this application be in the cause”.
3. The Application was based on the following grounds:-
(i) THAT on the 18th December 2018 the Employment and Labour Relations Court (Honourable Lady Justice Hellen Wasilwa) entered judgment in favour of the Claimant for Kshs.826,467/= together with costs of the suit plus interest.
(ii) THAT there exists an apparent error on the face of the judgement on paragraph 20 sub-paragraph 4.
(iii) THAT the error appears to be a clerical as the judgment reads that the Claimant is awarded ‘5months’ salary as compensation for unlawful dismissal.’The Court however goes on to compute the same as8 x 77,000=616,000/=’.
(iv) THAT consequently, the Applicant is unable to ascertain the true intentions of the Court as to the actual figure it intended to award.
(v) THAT there is a risk that the Claimant will execute against the Respondent using an erroneous decretal figure.
(vi) THAT this application therefore seeks a stay of execution of the said judgment and the resultant decree pending hearing and determination of this Applicationinter- partes.
(vii) THATthe Applicant stands to suffer substantial loss if the execution of the said execution is not stayed.
(viii) THATunless a temporary order for stay of execution is issued, this review will be rendered nugatory.
4. The main ground for the application is an error as evidenced in the judgement paragraph 20(4) where the Court pronounced itself that 5 months salary was awarded but calculated at 8 months salary.
5. The Respondent in his replying affidavit indicate that only the Court can ascertain the actual figure in regard to this discrepancy.
6. I do agree that there is an error on the record as the typed judgement indicate the error.
7. I have looked at my hand writing judgement where I clearly indicated that the compensation was 8 months salary as compensation but in typing judgement there was an error where 5 was substituted with 8. This is an innocent mistake which I admit warrants review.
8. I therefore correct my judgement at paragraph 20(4) to read as follows:-
“8 months salary as compensation for unlawful dismissal = 8 x 77,000 = 616,000
TOTAL = 826,467”
9. The rest of the judgement remains unaffected. There will be no order as to costs on this application.
Dated and delivered in open Court this 25th day of June, 2019.
HON. LADY JUSTICE HELLEN WASILWA
JUDGE
In the presence of:
Wakhisa holding brief Mumia for Applicants – Present
Kinyua Njagi & Company Advocates for Respondent – Absent