Tanzania Judgment

TZCA

NA TZCA Dar es Salaam4

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Professional case brief

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Source document

01

Holding and result

The evidence did not establish beyond reasonable doubt that the appellant was guilty of dangerous or reckless driving causing death. The magistrate's conclusion was not justified on the facts, and the conviction could not stand.

Court disposition

appeal allowed, conviction quashed

Orders

  • Conviction for dangerous driving set aside
  • Appellant acquitted

02

Material facts

Parties

C.LnY·ee:- Cau.f:tin,;, t'Ic.:r.:Lh.

Appellant Counsel: Mr. Parikh

State

Respondent

Amounts and remedies

  • Imprisonment Sentence (original): months 18

03

Procedural history

  1. Posture

    Criminal Appeal / Appellate

04

Questions and positions

Legal issues

Party arguments

Applicant
The appellant argued that when the motorcycle turned, he braked and swerved to his right to avoid a collision, but the motorcycle came towards his side and hit the edge of the road. He denied reckless or dangerous driving.
Respondent
The respondent contended that the appellant was driving at a great speed, did not observe a proper lookout for other road users, and was reckless, resulting in the fatal accident.

05

Court’s reasoning

  1. 01

    Section 44(1)(A) as amended by section 45 of the Traffic Ordinance No. 1/64 of 70 Cap. 168

    A conviction for dangerous driving requires proof that the accused drove in a manner dangerous to the public, having regard to all the circumstances, including the nature, condition, and use of the road and the amount of traffic at the time.

  2. 02

    General criminal law principle

    The standard of proof in criminal cases is beyond reasonable doubt; if there is reasonable doubt, the accused must be acquitted.

06

Ratio, limits and disposition

Ratio decidendi

The evidence did not establish beyond reasonable doubt that the appellant was guilty of dangerous or reckless driving causing death. The magistrate's conclusion was not justified on the facts, and the conviction could not stand.

Obiter and limits

  • The sketch plan produced by the police officer was not very helpful and rather the reverse.
  • There was no evidence that the appellant's vehicle was being driven at excessive speed or without proper lookout.

Court disposition

appeal allowed, conviction quashed

  • Conviction for dangerous driving set aside
  • Appellant acquitted

Source and reliance status

TZCA

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Judgment text

The complete available source text.

Source document

TZCA

Judgment

NA TZCA Dar es Salaam4

( Ori~in'"'.L Orimin,11 G~o.:ie Ho. 13? of 1969 of the Digtr.ict Court 0f ~,nn,:.;e'-'- ;}i;::;t:;. :i.ct ;_ct ;:;ox;,:;,c,,). I ':..}J~.:, .1.t...::1~tJH.:.:1lC •· • ~ ~ ·• _, (! t l Q ',1 it'J .. ;i ·:.)NjJ._:~. /Jt I C.LnY·ee:- Cau.f:tin,;, t'Ic.:r.:Lh. l:i~ ren!::1$sB ~r tl;:.1n::~eroJ.F; ctriving c/s 44;. (J.) (A) t,r1 ,1,10:Jdcd by ooc.tion J_5 ol:' 'I'n,f/ic Gr(iiHn1c(.: 1w. 1/64 0f 70 Cap.

168. B.l.!7.Ci.'., ,T. TJie E:1l)p,3,,Ll1....nt l•·/t.te co1rvi -ted. o:f ct:.v.rJin.t.. <:l\l1-1·-!;.d D;/ d.1..int~'cr.ou.~ d1:•i v:i.nL . .1d he ,~ '- neitteJ!Ce;_-t to i,ap.~iso!l .He t fo2 {jit,·htGe . 1 ri1o~itl1:~.. tic is noi-; <lJ).., •C!~~linr.510 I I 12±10 .1).rocc~tlinL;:.; i.: ..ro ccu1J.l).Di11w in t1,,e e ..ttro,1d 1 ~ . nd i:t' ~1yt11in,. 1 the conf\wion. hi ,1orne ooi1i'0..:.rke'1 b;;t t11c1 1;ketc4, .Pl en prodw.::ed b;v "' police o.i"ficc~r wl10 t-:rr:Lve ..J fJcon. c:t.J.'"·r,..:;i." tJ'ie <-~tcci.,1ent$ ~11d, a..-j iJi.11 oe not,.:oct., mat:ic•t;r . . . te ta tjuti.r~Jmen t, is 11ot ver-:; l1e.:.p:t.'ul, but r""t;1e:r~ t-.n.0 r:evurue. 'l'he 1r.nt,.irL,J t ~,ct ..; of ti,G C~H;o in so f f1r :rn they cari. be e;•tr::ot .., ..: fro1n tl.:-C ;_.1.rocet:Hlin\_ c, ~lf:~ v.~'.r-t]tl{~. r,,iy b..;tl-.1. learned rrtt.ttO dtto.t'i'16Y ·...1,tt ~1r. 1 f'ari.Lb.~r1 1-,l1u &J)pehx·o(l :for thn ,. 1.PJ:"~--11~.:Lt 1 etrEf- d.n f:ollow£1,i- ?hti ap,1E•1L-.n·c, uho in a driver e;:1ployJll by Comv1or.<";.f; w.H::.: 1 m0i.tl1'.!:ial the cii/ t:i.r:iH, Llriv:i.PG a ,Jedfoni lor·.ry beloni-:,in,::.· to Co,nwork,; and 1.,:.; 1.; s c,.irr~.'ir1fC fol.lo~-1-ei~·,pl,,;{ee:r, 1 r..;0110 of 1,-,.rl1om ·we1 e ut t11t. bt-.c~: of "tl10 lv.i:-~·:v W'fL!..Ci. hHt:, 1 w-:;. or.11rn (HW.. In front of tto t,pJ•{i11.,nt 's , ch:i.cl.0, goine, ill t1.,<i r.:iame ,_lir..:cticn, v::tu s

mo"t,0.1:-cscL, .rivon by t,ne Socep.l1 1 witL u pillion 11u~;sent;cr 1 l);t ~~b. e .u~~i!G- or ~3e.le.ma,ni. 'I J1c--; n1oto~-c~rclf' ~ ~~~llutl. It i.s n.ot v~1r.;. clear 1 ho,,; th0 1·ider 1;u",, it .i:•e-:.:.t;.,rt"i<l. 9 UJ .... ot. ir: i:l.1JJh.1r,;mt; f'.t·tur: Iii. o,:n :pilU.,,n ;,d';;:;;QL ,:,;r 1 :; 0viJ~1:.(:8 after l:li.i.,l' .,J2,r~·stV _,_r,in.,~ he tu;•nc,! ro:uhi. ill -r,hr, fi(i.;.dle of tho road in tLo pi.1th of the cmcomil.i{, lor·:r·;y ,tri vc,n by U!e i..,ppelJ.. r1t. The .:),p,t:;cJ..1.Lni~ 1J:rnk.e(l an\..l r1;-1e:-::v·cd. to .his ri&,;I'lt tlppa··ror1 \~l~i ct1tiJ.;:i.n{~ u?~ci r;oir.:t;:; over "(i CMOU'!.kment. 1 t1,0n he t..:..:--,rnc', ·to t1.e l~"·t e .. i..!.i.-:_ i.tp on hi:.i pro1)e.1: ..• ir1e r----·.._._, of t.be ro:,,d. but di;.:gon,:illy to "tfo::: J'o,-..d. '.l'hn rno·J;or-c;y G1c i i;~;1:,J.t rie;J, ,et1 to have {Hhh:i::\ l.•:- in c:. tL·,dn. !!either vehicle 1,,uo ,,r, .. ,t-.:'ent1zi dmnnc0-i hut an employee t J / of Go ... :-:Or ,:o uho \E, 1:JittiI,i., at the bu::1: oi' tJJO lorry at the "tinm, w..,_c thrown .nu,t of ·-t.ti.e ·ve.t.~ic-~o 1• n;)JJ~.Pcn til'J w~. en it }Jtr;..tGk. tL.c t~1not.1.11.1:mcn.'t.. ~'l1.~! ·,.rehit:lo ti:1<-;r, rc.n oVe1' h:Un {;,\iunini.; ccriotrn iri,juci<':H3 fr.r;w1 ,•1.tiicl1 11<;: $,.Jme•,1uon tly di(~d. r if •r1111,) appdll~!..nt 11 in hj~c <l,{?f·~11ce, ,ne.rel~/ :1tt..tted til1t1.1: when Poe u»n.t'I

tt.1(;, m.oto.r:'t-~oy-ole tt1.1~n rouw\, l'.c Dou.n;.;,cd 11:i.J hcn•n, but the r:wt~.r-c;;cle upp~rc,utl;v c..;.c1t, to,n,rda hii:; tii!.lo t he tt.01.~ i:niarved i..nd hi -t tl.e od. u of th.ti :l'.'1:> .:d., • •;1 l A<HH'.lt•diut; to the di::.otch plan p.t·cd.twod by the pol:i.Gt': Q:f:'i"ioez', -.I'ter rrt:riJ,ing tho e,~f!<.J of thn :r.'(:ic1dt tLe vt1hh,lli ,•J(Ht't b.::iok.,.;m~dtJ, .~111,., :.J1.1.1 magirstrc.te in hif~ .Ji-1.d.grner1·t cx:r,:r.c:;f.t'.i.y (!Ci nt,a.ted.. But 5. t io impor.H;i:i.ble ;bo t.:ii:H~ h.CN thi,13 .,-, coul1i .hnve b~)en. e.c. Th~ m~e:i.strc.te in h:t. 1:.· ju .tgmeni;, .o.t:·1;e1: eta.tint;: that the l d.eceeu.r.ed. wi,,1 :rtlrl .()ve:r:' b;y th. vohi.ole drivc.ai. by the r:rppell.:.rnt, Hh~rn, .s:1.,s P-ilr(,Hld.3 r~m;;,i,rktHi, it ,,ant b~ck~1ardo, ~,ent on to lhty in the third JHH';.g;raph of 11.in j.itmord,, 1.,nd I quote:.- "There is :d~10, \"lithou.t th0 court Wur5'tin 0 a. lo-c o:t' \ -t:ime in su:mn.:ri i:ii,:.&· ~,he evidence 1 :.::,mpJ.e ovidr.nwe which the (l(.)l..U:'t 1HH3 aocep·Lo,;, t11.;.;.t tui; liCC:J.:CO.i. :.rt 't,i.e timo W8.fJ (i!'i vine reckle rrnly. He wr.rn rec.itlei;s in that w) .ic.:3 t1,:ci v:i.n.i ,,1.t u grc.:-i't speed ,.ind. did. not obse:rve a p:rcl1·ier lookout :i:or otlrn:r· :r·ond twers •••• •t'• \ __j .,,...,.,, ..,.., .,..,,. ..,,.... .,.., ... ..,"'.1.u1:, ~u-- -;;;y..1.,.... 1.1.:.,-,u J.H ttuim:: uu1o

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Source wording is retained. Consult the source document for its original formatting and pagination.

Authorities

Authorities used by the court

Cases, legislation, regulations, and constitutional provisions identified in the available record.

Traffic Ordinance No. 1/64 of 70 Cap. 168, section 44(1)(A) as amended by section 45

Legislation

Legislation referenced in the available case record.

Section 47 of the Traffic Ordinance

Legislation

Legislation referenced in the available case record.

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