R v Mzine (CRI/T 46 of 85) [1986] LSCA 129 (19 September 1986)

C R I / T / 4 6 / 85 IN THE H I GH C O U RT OF L E S O T HO In t he M a t t er of : R EX v S E H L O HO M Z I NE R U L I NG D e l i v e r ed by t he H o n. M r. J u s t i ce B. K. M o l ai on t he 19th d ay of S e p t e m b e r, 1 9 8 6. T h is is a r u l i ng on w h e t h er or n ot t he c r o wn c o u n s el can be a l l o w ed to lead a d d i t i o n al e v i d e n ce at t he t r i al a f t er t he P r e p a r a t o ry E x a m i n a t i on h as b e en t a k e n. On 4th S e p t e m b e r, 1 9 8 6, d u r i ng t he c o u r se of t h is t r i al t he c r o wn c o u n s el a p p l i ed f or an a d j o u r n m e nt to c o n- s i d er t he q u e s t i on of m a k i ng an a p p l i c a t i on to call as a w i t n e ss t he i n v e s t i g a t i ng o f f i c er w ho did not t e s t i fy at t he P r e p a r a t o ry E x a m i n a t i on p r o c e e d i n g s. T he a p p l i c a t i on f or p o s t p o n m e nt w as n ot o p p o s ed by t he D e f e n ce c o u n s el and t he h e a r i ng w as a c c o r d i n g ly p o s t p o n ed to 5th S e p t e m b e r, 1 9 8 6, w h en t he c r o wn c o u n s el s o u g ht a f u r t h er p o s t p o n m e nt to e n a b le h im to f u r t h er c o n s i d er t he q u e s t i on of a p p l y i ng f or l e a ve to c a ll t he i n v e s t i g a t i ng o f f i c er w ho had n ot t e s t i f i ed at t he p r o c e e d i n gs of P r e p a r a t o ry E x a m i n a t i o n. w as a g a in n ot o b j e c t ed to and t he h e a r i ng a c c o r d i n g ly p o s t- p o n ed to 16th S e p t e m b e r, 1 9 8 6. T he a p p l i c a t i on W h en t he h e a r i ng r e s u m ed on 16th S e p t e b m e r, 1 9 8 6, t he c r o wn c o u n s el r e f e r r ed t he c o u rt to p a ge 8 of t he t y p ed r e c o rd of P r e p a r a t o ry E x a m i n a t i on p r o c e e d i n g s, w h e re t he m a g i s t r a te w ho p r e s i d ed o v er t he p r o c e e d i n gs has n o t ed t he f o l l o w i n g: " U n d er S e c. 2 73 of C . P .& E. t he a c c u s ed h as a d m i t t ed in c o u rt t h at he has b e en a r r e s t ed to t he p o l i ce at M o u nt M o o r o si and N o. 2 0 86 L / N k h o l i s e ." 2/ W h a t e v er t he -2- W h a t e v er t he m a g i s t r a te m e a n t, it w as t he c o n- t e n t i on of t he c r o wn c o u n s el t h at t h at a m o u n t ed to t he in- v e s t i g a t i ng o f f i c er h a v i ng g i v en e v i d e n ce at t he P r e p a r a t o ry E x a m i n a t i on p r o c e e d i n g s. W h e r e f or he ( c r o wn c o u n s e l) w as e n t i t l ed to call h im as a w i t n e ss in t h is t r i a l. It m ay w e ll be c o r r e ct t h at t he a c c u s ed d id a d m it b e f o re t he m a g i s t r a te at t he P r e p a r a t o ry E x a m i n a t i on p r o- c e e d i n gs t h at he had b e en a r r e s t ed by t he p o l i c e m an N o. 2 0 8 6, N k h o l i se of M o u nt M o o r o si police p o st and s u ch a d m i s- s i on m ay r i g h t ly be r e g a r d ed as p r o v en f a ct in t e r ms of t he C r i m i n al P r o c e d u re and E v i d e n ce A c t, 1981 of w h i ch S. 2 7 3 ( 2) p r o v i d e s: " ( 2) An a d m i s s i on m a de by an a c c u s ed or h is r e p r e s e n t a t i ve in h is p r e s e n ce at a p r e p a r a t o ry e x a m i n a t i o n, w h i ch t he m a g i s t r a te p r e s i d i ng t h e r e at n o t ed on t he r e c o r d, m ay be p r o v ed at t he s u b s e q u e nt t r i al of t he a c c u s ed by t he p r o d u c t i o n, by a ny p e r s o n, of t he d o c u m e nt p u r p o r t i ng to c o n s t i t u te t h at r e c o r d ." H o w e v e r, t h at d o es n o t, by any s t r e t ch of i m a g i- n a t i o n, m e an t h at t he a d m i s s i on by t he a c c u s ed p e r s on a m o u n ts to t he p o l i c e m an t e s t i f y i ng at t he P r e p a r a t o ry E x a m i n a t i on and he c a n, t h e r e f o r e, be c a l l ed to g i ve e v i d e n ce in t h is t r i al w i t h o ut m u ch a d o. All t he w i t n e s s es w ho t e s t i f i ed at t he P r e p a r a t o ry E x a m i n a t i on p r o c e e d i n gs h a ve t h e ir de- p o s i t i o ns r e c o r d ed in t he r e c o r d, and t h e ir n a m es a re l i s t ed in t he i n d e x, t h e r e o f. N o. 2 0 8 6, N k h o l i s e, f e a t u r es n o w h e r e. If he w e re to t e s t i fy in t h is t r i a l, N o . 2 0 8 6, N k h o l i s e, ( a s- s u m i ng he is t he i n v e s t i g a t i ng o f f i c er c o n t e m p l a t ed by t he c r o wn c o u n s e l) w o u l d, in my o p i n i o n, be an a d d i t i o n al w i t n e ss c a l l ed to do so a f t er t he P r e p a r a t o ry E x a m i n a t i on had b e en t a k e n. N o w, in R ex v. P h o k o j oe R a m p i ne a nd A n o t h er C R I / T/ 5 9 / 78 ( u n r e p o r t e d) M o f o k e ng J. had t h is to s ay on t he i s s u e: "A p r a c t i ce has g r o wn up w h e r e by t he c r o wn m a k es a p p l i c a t i on to lead a d d i t i o n al e v i d e n ce at t he t r i a l, b ut t h en u s u a l ly t h e re a re c o g e nt r e a s o ns w hy s u ch e v i d e n ce w as n ot led d u r i ng t he p r e p a r a t o ry e x a m i n a t i o n. In s u ch c i r c u m- s t a n c e s, p r o v i d ed s u f f i c i e nt n o t i c e, to w h i ch 3/ t he -3- the intended e v i d e n ce is a n n e x e d, is served on the d e f e n ce c o u n s el and he is g i v en s u f- f i c i e nt t i me to c o n s u lt w i th his c l i e nt and p r e p a re his d e f e n ce in view of t he a l t e r ed c i r c u m s t a n c es and t h e re is no o b j e c t i o n, it is usually g r a n t ed at the c o u r t 's d i s c r e t i o n ". I e n t i r e ly a g r e e. In the i n s t a nt c a se no c o g e nt reason h a ve h o w e v er been a d v a n c ed why the i n v e s t i g a t i ng o f f i c er had not been called to t e s t i fy at the P r e p a r a t o ry E x a m i n a t i o n. I n d e e d, as has been p o i n t ed out e a r l i er the c r o wn c o u n s el takes the view t h at for the r e a s on he has g i v en t h e re is not e v en a need to m a ke a p p l i c a t i on for leave to lead t he e v i d e n ce of the i n v e s t i g a t i ng o f f i c e r. I am u n a b le to a g r ee with such v i e w. From the f o r e g o i ng it is o b v i o us t h at in my view the c a l l i ng of the i n v e s t i g a t i ng o f f i c er in t he trial will a m o u nt to c a l l i ng an a d d i t i o n al w i t n e ss a f t er t he P r e p a r a t o ry E x a m i n a t i on has been t a k e n. T he c r o wn c o u n s el c a n n ot be a l l o w ed to do so u n l e ss a f o r m al a p p l i c a t i on has been m a de and s e r v ed upon t he d e f e n ce c o u n s el in good t i me to e n a b le him to weigh his next m o ve in the light of t he a l t e r ed c i r- c u m s t a n c e s. T he q u e s t i on I h a ve e a r l i er posted v i z. w h e t h er or not the c r o wn c o u n s el can be a l l o w ed to call at t he t r i a l, a w i t n e ss w ho did not t e s t i fy at the P r e p a r a t o ry E x a m i n a t i on m u s t, in the c i r c u m s t a n c es of this case be a n s w e r ed in the n e g a t i v e. B. K. M O L A I, J U D G E. 19th S e p t e m b e r, 1 9 8 6. For C r o wn : For D e f e n ce : M r. K a m b u l e. M r. M o k h o bo