Institute of Development Management v Tsotsi (C of A (CIV) 17 of 92) [1991] LSCA 95 (2 August 1991)

The appellant's repeated and unexplained failure to comply with the court's discovery order constituted deliberate contempt, justifying the striking out of its defence.

Source-derived case information.

Citation: [1991] LSCA 95
Parties: Appellant: Institute of Development Management; Respondent: Bangani B. Tsotsi
Court: Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Lesotho
Case Number: C of A (CIV) 17 of 92
Procedural Posture: Civil Appeal / Judgment
Outcome: Appeal dismissed with costs.
Legal Topics: Discovery, Striking Out Defence, Compliance With Court Orders
Source Language: en

Civil Procedure Discovery Striking Out Defence Compliance With Court Orders

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Summary, issues, holding and outcome

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Downloadable case file Legal principles 2 Authorities cited 2 Party arguments 2

Parties

Institute of Development Management

Appellant

Bangani B. Tsotsi

Respondent

Procedural Posture

Civil Appeal / Judgment

Legal Issues

1 Whether the appellant's defence was properly struck out for failure to comply with discovery orders
2 Whether the order directing discovery was valid given pending application for amendment

Ratio Decidendi

The appellant's repeated and unexplained failure to comply with the court's discovery order constituted deliberate contempt, justifying the striking out of its defence.

Court Disposition

Appeal dismissed with costs.

Orders

Appellant's defence struck out.
Appellant to pay costs.

Full Case Text

Judgment text and source record

1 paragraphs

C of A ( C I V) 1 7 / 92 In the A p p e al of : I N S T I T U TE OF D E V E L O P M E NT M A N A G E M E NT A P P E L L A NT and B A N G A NI B. T S O T SI R E S P O N D E NT H e ld at M a s e ru C o r a m: M a h o m ed J. P. S t e yn J. A. B r o w de J. A. J U D G M E NT S t e yn J. A. In t he C o u rt b e l ow A p p e l l a n ts d e f e n ce w as s t r u ck out b e c a u se of h is f a i l u re to c o m p ly w i th a C o u rt O r d er c o m p e l l i ng d i s c o v e r y. It a p p e a ls a g a i n st t h is O r d e r. T he r e l e v a nt f a c ts a re the f o l l o w i n g. T he p l e a d i n gs in t h is m a t t er w e re c l o s ed on the 2nd of A u g u s t. 1 9 9 1. On t he 8 th of O c t o b er 1 9 91 R e s p o n d e nt s e r v ed A p p e l l a nt w i th a n o t i ce to d i s c o v e r. A p p e l l a nt f a i l ed to c o m p ly w i th t h is r e q u e s t. On M a r ch 17 1 9 92 a n o t h er n o t i ce of d i s c o v e ry w as s e r v ed on A p p e l l a nt a g a in w i th no r e s u l t. On J u ne 23 1 9 92 R e s p o n d e nt w r o te a l e t t er to A p p e l l a n t 's A t t o r n e ys r e q u e s t i ng t he i m m e d i a te d e l i v e ry of A p p e l l a n ts d i s c o v e ry a f f i d a v i t. On 2 1 st J u ly R e s p o n d e n ts b o th f i l ed of r e c o rd a nd s e r v ed on A p p e l l a nt a n o t i ce to c o m p el it to d e l i v er i ts d i s c o v e ry a f f i d a v i t. A p p e l l a nt g a ve n o t i ce of an i n t e n t i on to o p p o se t he a p p l i c a t i o n. On 2 4 th J u l y, h o w e v er R e s p o n d e nt m a de an a p p l i c a t i on in c h a m b er f or an O r d er on t he A p p e l l a nt ( a) to d e l i v er i ts a f f i d a v it on or b e f o re 3 0 th J u ly 1 9 92 f a i l i ng w h i ch ( b) A p p l i c a t i on w o u ld be m a de to s t r i ke o ut i ts d e f e n ce in t e r ms of R u le 34 ( a) of t he R u l es of C o u r t. W h i l st d i s p e n s i ng w i th t he n o r m al r u l es in r e g a rd to s e r v i ce of p r o c e ss t he p r e s i d i ng J u d ge o r d e r ed t h at t he p a p e rs be s e r v ed on t he A p p e l l a nt a nd t h at t he a p p l i c a t i on w o u ld be h e a rd on A u g u st 3. 1 9 9 2. On t he p o s t p o n ed d a t e, in o p en C o u rt a nd w i th k n o w l e d ge of a p p l i c a n ts C o u n s el t he a p p l i c a t i on w as g r a n t e d. T he o r d er s p e c i f i c a l ly s t a t ed t h at f a i l u re to c o m p ly m i g ht r e s u lt in t he s t r i k i ng o ut of i ts d e f e n c e. O n ce a g a in A p p e l l a nt f a i l ed to r e s p o n d, g i v i ng no r e a s o ns f or s u ch f a i l u r e. On A u g u st 14 t he p a r t i es a p p e a r ed b e f o re M r. J u s t i ce L e h o h la in o p en C o u r t. A p p e l l a nt w as r e p r e s e n t ed by M r. N a t h a ne w ho f i l ed an a f f i d a v it in t he f o l l o w i ng t e r m s: "3 On t he 3rd A u g u s t. 1 9 92 H is L o r d s h ip J u s t i ce K h e o la o r d e r ed D e f e n d a nt to f i le an a f f i d a v it of d i s c o v e ry on or b e f o re t he 6 th A u g u s t, 1 9 9 2. An a f f i d a v it of d i s c o v e ry h ad in f a ct b e en p r e p a r ed a nd s e nt to M R. E P H R A IM L E P E TU S E T S W A E L O. t he R e g i o n al D i r e c t or of D e f e n d a n t, w ho is b a s ed in B o t s w a n a, f or s e t t l i ng s a me as f ar b a ck as J u n e. 1 9 9 2. I a n n ex a c o py of s a me h e r e to a nd m a rk it " H N 1 ". I h a ve on a n u m b er of o c c a s i o ns m a de r e m i n d e rs to D e f e n d a nt to h a ve s a me s e t t l ed s o o n e st a nd r e t u r n ed to us f or f i l i ng in C o u r t. T o - d a te t he a f f i d a v it h as n ot b e en r e t u r n ed to us d e s p i te o ur s u p p l i c a t i o n s. I w a nt to b r i ng it to t he a t t e n t i on of t h is H o n o u r a b le C o u rt t h at f a i l u re to c o m p ly w i th i ts o r d er is n ot w i l f ul b ut we a re u n a b le to c o m p ly w i th s a m e. I t h e r e f o re p r ay . t h is H o n o u r a b le Court, to e x t e nd t he t i me l i m it w i t h in w h i ch t he a f f i d a v it m u st be f i l e d. 1 m a ke t h is a f f i d a v it in o p p o s i t i on of t he p r a y er s o u g h t ." M r. J u s t i ce L e h o h la a f t er h e a r i ng a r g u m e nt g r a n t ed t he o r d er s t r i k i ng o ut A p p e l l a n ts d e f e n c e. T he r u le 34 ( a) p r o v i d es as f o l l o w s: ( 9) If a ny p a r ty f a i ls to g i ve d i s c o v e ry as a f o r e s a i d, or h a v i ng b e en s e r v ed w i th a n o t i ce u n d er s u b - r u le ( 8) o m i ts to g i ve n o t i ce of a l i me f or i n s p e c t i on as a f o r e s a id or f a i ls to g i ve i n s p e c t i on as r e q u i r ed by t h at s u b - r u l e. t he p a r ty d e s i r i ng d i s c o v e ry or i n s p e c t i on m ay a p p ly to c o u rt w h i ch m ay o r d er c o m p l i a n ce w i th t h is r u le a nd f a i l i ng s u ch c o m p l i a n c e, m ay d i s m i ss t he c l a im or s t r i ke o ut t he d e f e n c e ." B o th b e f o re us as w e ll as in t he C o u rt b e l ow A p p e l l a nt s o u g ht to a t t a ck t he v a l i d i ty of t he O r d er of A u g u st 1 9 92 d i r e c t i ng A p p e l l a nt to m a ke d i s c o v e r y. He d id so on t he g r o u nd t h at t h e re w as p e n d i ng an a p p l i c a t i on f or an a m e n d m e nt to t he f u r t h er p a r t i c u l a rs f i l ed by R e s p o n d e n t. C o u n s el f or R e s p o n d e nt p o i n t ed to t he f a ct t h at in t he e v e nt t he a m e n d m e nt w as g r a n t ed by K h e o la J on A u g u st 3 1 9 9 2. a l so t h at t he r e l e v a nt o r d er w as i n t e r l o c u t o ry a nd no a p p e al l ay a g a i n st i t. M o r e o v e r, no a p p l i c a t i on f or r e c e s s i on w as m a d e. An o v e r r i d i ng c o n s i d e r a t i on in my v i ew is t h at t he a m e n d m e n ts s o u g ht w e re b o th f o r m a l, r e m e d y i ng an o b v i o us e r r or f u r n i s h ed by A p p e l l a n t, r e i n f o r c ed o ur v i ew t h at t he C o u rt a q uo w as c o r r e ct in f i n d i ng t h at it, w as o b l i g ed to e x e r c i se i ts d i s c r e t i on in f a v o ur of s t r i k i ng o ut t he d e f e n c e. T he s t ep t a k en by t he C o u rt w as i n d e ed t he i n v o c a t i on of an e x t r e me r e m e d y. T he C o u r ts h a ve h e ld t h at s u ch an o r d er s h o u ld o n ly be r e s o r t ed to if t he f a i l u re to c o m p ly w as d ue to t he c o n t u m a cy of t he p a r ty in q u e s t i o n. In W i l s on v D ie A f r i k a a n se P e rs P u b l i k a s i es ( E d m s) B p k, 19 7]. . ( 3) S . A. 4 55 at 4 6 3. t he C o u rt p er P h i l l i ps A. J. h e ld t h a t: " t h is g r a ve s t ep w i ll be r e s o r t ed to o n ly if t he C o u rt c o n s i d e rs t h at a d e f e n d a nt h as d e l i b e r a t e ly a nd c o n t e m p t u o u s ly d i s o b e y ed i ts o r d er . ..." ( in the c i t ed c a s e, a f a i l u re to d e l i v er f u r t h er p a r t i c u l a r s .) On t he f a c ts in t he i n s t a nt c a se a nd in o ur j u d g m e nt t he A p p e l l a nt w as c l e a r ly in c o n t e m pt a nd h is c o n d u ct c a n n o t, in t he a b s e n ce of a ny e x p l a n a t i o n, be c o n s t r u ed as a n y t h i ng o t h er t h an a d e l i b e r a te r e f u s al to c o m p ly w i th t he C o u r t 's o r d e r. T he C o u rt a q uo c a n n ot in t he c i r c u m s t a n c es of t h is c a se be f a u l t ed in e x e r c i s i ng i ts d i s c r e t i on to s t r i ke o ut a p p l i c a n t 's d e f e n c e. F or t h e se r e a s o ns t he a p p e al is d i s m i s s ed w i th c o s t s. S i g n ed : I agree : I agree : J. H. JUDGE OF APPEAL STEYN I. Mahomed PRESIDENT OF APPEAL J. BROWDE JUDGE OF APPEAL

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