Elisha Victor Msimbe
- Citation
- Elisha Victor Msimbe
- Status
- Judgment
- Jurisdiction
- Tanzania
- Court
- TANZLII
- Decision
- 1 January 2024
- Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Judgment
- Language
- English
More details
- Court
- TANZLII
- Decision
- 1 January 2024
- Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Judgment
- Language
- English
On this page
Professional case brief
Research organized from the available case record
01
Holding and result
The trial court failed to comply with section 312(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act by not specifying the punishment and not recording mitigation before sentencing, necessitating remittal for proper procedure.
Court disposition
appeal allowed
Orders
- Case file remitted to trial court for compliance with section 312(2) of the CPA
- Trial magistrate to consider aggravating and mitigating factors before sentencing
- Appellant to remain in custody pending sentence
02
Material facts
Parties
Elisha Victor Msimbe
Appellant Counsel: Ignas PungeThe Republic
Respondent Counsel: John Mkonyi03
Procedural history
Posture
Criminal Appeal / Judgment
04
Questions and positions
Legal issues
Whether the trial court complied with section 312(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act regarding sentencing and recording mitigation before sentencing
Party arguments
- Applicant
- Appellant did not object to the recourse suggested by the respondent, agreeing that the trial court failed to comply with mandatory sentencing procedures.
- Respondent
- Respondent argued that the trial court failed to comply with section 312(2) of the CPA by not sentencing the appellant and not recording mitigation before sentencing, and requested the appeal be allowed and the case remitted for proper procedure.
05
Court’s reasoning
Legal principles
- 01
Section 312(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act
Mandatory duty to specify the offence and punishment upon conviction
- 02
Masoiwa Samwell v. Republic, Criminal Appeal No. 206 of 2014 (CAT)
Mandatory compliance with sentencing and conviction procedures
06
Ratio, limits and disposition
Ratio decidendi
The trial court failed to comply with section 312(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act by not specifying the punishment and not recording mitigation before sentencing, necessitating remittal for proper procedure.
Obiter and limits
- The trial magistrate must consider both aggravating and mitigating factors before sentence is entered.
Court disposition
appeal allowed
- Case file remitted to trial court for compliance with section 312(2) of the CPA
- Trial magistrate to consider aggravating and mitigating factors before sentencing
- Appellant to remain in custody pending sentence
Source and reliance status
TANZLII · 1 January 2024
This page organises the available record for research. Confirm quotations, current status, and subsequent treatment against the official source before relying on the case.
Judgment reading view
Judgment text
The complete available source text.
TANZLII
Judgment· 1 January 2024
IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA (MOROGORO SUB REGISTRY)
AT MOROGORO CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.64 OF 2023 (originating from Criminai Case No.97 of 2023 in the District Court of Mvomero at Mvomero)
ELISHA VICTOR MSIMBE APPELLANT
VERSUS
THE REPUBLIC RESPONDENT Date of Last Order: 10.06.2024 Date of Judgement: 10.06.2024
JUDGEMENT MAGOIGA,J. The appellant, ELISHA VICTOR MSIMBE aggrieved with the decision of MVOMERO District Court in Criminai Case No.97 of 2023 (the trial Court) appealed to this court armed with 8 grounds of appeal but for the reasons to be apparent in this judgement will not produce them herein. When this appeal was called on for hearing,the appellant was represented by Mr. Ignas Punge, learned advocate ready for hearing. On the other hand, respondent, the Republic, was represented by Mr. John Mkonyi and Ms. Monica Matwe, learned State Attorneys ready for hearing. However, the learned Attorneys considering grounds of appeal number 6 and 7 and what transpired in the record of appeal, it is obvious that, the trial failed to comply with section 312(2)of the CPA by failure to sentence the appellant and failure to record mitigation before sentencing the appellant. These two omissions, according to the learned Attorneys, were crucial in the administration of justice, insisted. In the circumstances, Ms. Matwe prayed that this court allow the appeal on these two grounds and remit the case file to trial court to first record mitigation factor and aggravating factors, if any, and proceed to sentence the appeliant in accordance to the dictate of the law. Mr. Punge, learned advocate for the appellant, without much ado, had no issue with the recourse suggested by the learned Attorney, in
this appeal. Having considered the record of appeal and grounds of appeal number 6 and 7 and as correctly argued by both learned trained minds for parties, no dispute that after conviction of the appellant, the record is silent of what happened. The provisions of section 312(2) provide for mandatory procedure in case of conviction of an accused person. For easy of reference the said section provides; "Section 312(1) NA (2)I the case nf conviction the ludpement shall specify the offence of which, and the section of the Penai Code or other written iaw the accused person is convicted and the punishment to which he is sentenced." (Emphasis mine). Going by the wording of the iiterai wording of the above quoted sub section 2 of section 312 of the CPA, the mandatory duty to specify is not oniy iimited to the offence which the accused is convicted but, in my respective opinion, it goes specify the punishment which the accused is sentenced. No doubt,this was not done in this appeai. The triai magistrate ended up at page 8 of the judgement to convict the appeiiant as charged but punishment was specified to have been imposed to the accused person as required by iaw. In the case of Masoiwa Samweii Vs. Repubiic, Criminai Appeai No. 206 of 2014, (CAT) the highest Court of the iand insisted the importance and mandatory compliance of that section, in particular, the specifying of the section
of conviction and sentencing and ordered a retrial where there was both problematic conviction and sentencing. Guided by the above decision, and in the light of the foregoing shortcoming in this appeai, and for the interest of justice, I hereby allow the appeai on those two grounds of appeai and direct that, this case file be remitted back to the triai Magistrate and dutifully comply with mandatory provisions of section 312 (2) of the CPA. More directions are that the trial Magistrate must also consider both aggravating and mitigating factors before sentence is entered. The appellant shall In the meantime remain in custody awaiting his sentence. It is so directed and ordered Dated at-Mfir^ogoro this loth day e, 2024 OORT 0^ C ■5: UJ z v— S.M. MAGOIGA
JUDGE 10/06/2024 COURT: This judgement delivered under my Hand and Seal of this court In chambers this 10^ day of June, 2024 In the presence of Mr. Ignas Punge learned for the appellant and Mr. John Mkonyl, learned State Attorney for <r o Q> :2r > S.M. MAGOIGA
JUDGE 10/06/2024
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