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Tanzania Judgment

TZHC

NA TZHC Dar es Salaam 1

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Source document

01

Holding and result

The court held that the DPP's decision to discontinue criminal proceedings instituted by a private prosecutor under Section 90(1)(c) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1985, cannot be challenged or rejected by the courts, and the DPP is not required to specify which statutory factors were considered or to provide reasons for the decision.

Court disposition

appeal allowed

Orders

  • The DPP's discontinuance of criminal proceedings is upheld.
  • Courts have no authority to challenge or reject the DPP's decision under Section 90(1)(c).

02

Material facts

Parties

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)

Appellant

Yusufu Mzee

Respondent

Vedastus Musimizya Warioba

Accused

03

Procedural history

  1. Posture

    Criminal Appeal / Appellate

04

Questions and positions

Legal issues

Party arguments

Applicant
The DPP exercised statutory powers to discontinue private prosecution and is not obliged to provide reasons or specify factors considered under Section 90(3).
Respondent
The DPP's decision to discontinue should be subject to judicial scrutiny, and reasons or factors considered must be disclosed to ensure transparency and fairness.

05

Court’s reasoning

  1. 01

    Section 90(1)(c), Criminal Procedure Act, 1985

    The Director of Public Prosecutions has exclusive statutory authority to discontinue criminal proceedings, including those instituted by private prosecutors, under Section 90(1)(c) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1985.

  2. 02

    Section 90(3), Criminal Procedure Act, 1985

    The DPP is not legally bound to disclose reasons or specify factors considered when discontinuing proceedings under Section 90(3).

06

Ratio, limits and disposition

Ratio decidendi

The court held that the DPP's decision to discontinue criminal proceedings instituted by a private prosecutor under Section 90(1)(c) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1985, cannot be challenged or rejected by the courts, and the DPP is not required to specify which statutory factors were considered or to provide reasons for the decision.

Court disposition

appeal allowed

  • The DPP's discontinuance of criminal proceedings is upheld.
  • Courts have no authority to challenge or reject the DPP's decision under Section 90(1)(c).

Source and reliance status

TZHC · 23 May 1987

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Judgment reading view

Judgment text

The complete available source text.

Source document

TZHC

Judgment· 23 May 1987

NA TZHC Dar es Salaam 1

· I-N THE HIGH COURT OF TAJlltANIA AT DAH ES' bALAAM AP!-':t;Ll..AT~ JURISDICTION HIGH CvUHT C~IMINAL Al-'~~AL N0.68/87 u.t<Iull~AL GfilMINAL Gilli£ No.533 OF 1987 UF Tlili DIBTHICT CuUHT uF ILALA DISTRICT AT KLSUTU ·. b.tiFUlti; L• HUbBA Lb~., ru::sI)ENT MAGD:iThAT~ ;~1 ~t~~ liPP. • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• • A..PPELLAN T (Original Prosecutor) versus y Ub u:ru M;::..i;.;.t; •••••••••••••••••••••••••••.}{i!;bPONDENT (Original Accused) KYA.l'UJ0 1 J. . ' . ! The issues raised by this a~p~al are purely•ieg~l· i.e. (1) ·.-.! whether a decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the exercise of powers con'rerred upon him by Section 90(1)(c) of the criminal Procedure "'Act (CPA), No~ 9 of ll.985, to discontinue crimizfai"""proceedings institut•d by a. private prosecutor• can be challanged and rejected by courts, and (2) whether the DPP in deciding to discountinbe such ·proceedings ii:r bound to explain in his ; decision what factor ~r factors among the three stipulated in ihe second1 sub-section (3) of oecti·on · 90 · of the. Criminal Procedure Act he has ha·d regard to, or even give reasons for his decision. The respondent Yusufu Mzee had instituted criminal proceedings age.inst one Vedastus Musimizya warioba consisting of five counts of libel contrary to ~ections 38 and 47 of the Newspapers Act, 1976. He instituted the proceedings ,.in the District Court of I_lala ·at .l\ivukon~ and· instituted them as a private prosecutor. By a Notice "Cwtich the lower court termed a c·ertificate) dated 23rd May:, 1987 to 1~ the court and q:ipied to the respondent, the lJ:PP. discontinued those proceedings, The Notice statefr:.:.. "IJII Tm; DISTHICT CvURT

AT KIVUKONI CHIMINAL CA.'.:i.1!: ·NU. 533 OF 198? YU.'.:iUFU Mt~t ..••••.•.••••• PHIVATE PHOSECUTOR Vi:DAl::iTUo MSIMIZYA wARIOBA. ~·•••••••• ACCU.'.:iED . ~~ DThCUNTINUATILiN OF ClUMINAL PHUC1:J;;DING.'.:i UNDER SECTION 90( 1) OF THE I, .t:.HN.t;bT LA'.6AHO K.tiMBJ£LA ·MWIPOPO, the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in the United ½epublic of 'Eanzania, having become· aware of the proceedings instituted in respect of the a-bove-mentioned case by way cfr Private l-'rosecut ions by Mr. Yusufu f1zee and having considered. the cii>cumstances of thHase i do hereby in terms of S~ftion 90( 11.;(c) -~·-.E c•: .. ~ :,.;~~:.:..: i11~l :·J..· i.. ... ::~·~•-:: \!:.:: 1;···:;'! ··.:,. ;c~~- .: ...·. . /2. ' .. ,· :~1~·~ IN THE HIGH COURT OF TANZANIA . AT DAH BS .SALAAM AP.l:'.l!.:LL,AT.I!.: JURISD;I:CTION . HIGH CvU.t1T Ckil'iINAL AP.r!bAL N0.68/87 Ukllill~AL C.tHMINAL CAt>B N0.533 OF 1987 UF Tlli: l.JLSTklCT CuUHT uF ILALA DISTRICT AT KLSUTU B.!!.:Fukr.; ~. liU6BA ~6~., ~ENT MAGWTHAT~ l.JPP a o • o o o c, o o • • o • • •·• • • • • • • • o o ~ o o o • • o • • • APPELUNT (Original Prosecutor) \rersu.s YU.S UFU HLii:.;.I!.: •••• • •••• • ••••••••••••••••• :H,t;b PO NDENT · (Origina,1 Accused ) KYA~l.J0 1 J. The issues raised by this appeal are purely iegal i.e. (1) :~ whether a decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) "' in the exercise of powers con'ferred upon him by

Section 90(1)(c) ~tl of the criminal Procedure "'Act (CPA), No. 9 of iJ..985, to discontinue ciiminal""'proceedings instituhd by a private prosecutor, can be . challanged and rejected by courts, and (2) whether the DPP in deciding to discountinhe such proceedings is bound to explain in his decision what factor~~ factors among the three stipul~ted in ~he second; sub-section (3) of .Section 90 · of the Criminal Proc.e.dure Act he has had regard to, or even give reasons for his decision. fhe respondent Yusufu Mzee had instituted criminal proceedings against one Vedastus Musimizya warioba consisting of five counts of libel contrary to ~ections 38 and 47 of the Newspapers Act, 1976. lie instituted the proceedings in the District Court of Ilala at 1i.ivukon;i. and· instituted them as a private prosecutor. By a Notice ~(wpich the lower court termed a dertificate) dated 23rd May, 1987 to ·(~ \ the court and copied to the respondent, the DPP. discontinued those proceedings, The Notice states:- "IN THE DISTJ:UCT CvURT

AT KIVUKONI CHIMINAL CA~.!!: NU. 533 CiF 1987 YUbUFU ML.;Bt •••••••••••••• PRIVATE PHvSECUTOR Vi:DA.STU.S MSIMIZYA wARIOBJ.i. .• ~ •••••••• ACCUbED Dlb CUN'rINUhT IVN (.JF CHIMINAL PHliC~,t;DING.S UNDER. SEc~r'IoN 90( 1) OF THE CRIMINAL Pi<UC,t;lJURt:; ACT, 1985 ".. I, t;.J:{N.l!.:bT LAL'..AHO KiMBJ!;LA ·MWIPOPO, the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in the United l:fepublic of ·ranzania, having become aware ~ of the proceedings instituted in respect of the above-mentioned case by way Jr :Private Prosecutions by Mr. Yusufu M.zee and having considered the ciFcumstances of th~ase 1 do hereby in terms of S~19tion 90(l~;(c) _,,.. \ -~··J: ~ ·,_,._. .,.;:,~~- :.nc;;.l _·J.· -~.- ~:L~·-:; ~\~ · 1;·~·.:;~ ··.:·. _:c~..: _; ·-~--/2.

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Authorities

Authorities used by the court

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

Criminal Procedure Act, 1985

Legislation

Legislation referenced in the available case record.

Newspapers Act, 1976

Legislation

Legislation referenced in the available case record.

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