19881125 TZHC Dar es Salaam

IN 'l'Hl!,; HIGh CvU.f<T 0F ThI\iZAIHA (PC) CIVIL AP~~AL NCo79 OF 1987 k.bhA bAll.J (A:MlN1i. ATB.UI>.ii.NI) • •••••••• oAFPELLANT versus 'l'Wli.Hlhl bi-.Il.J Pt,z.I. •••••••••••••••••• HZi.:.,Pl:NDENT J U Li G M B N T MAINA, J. 'l'he prim""ry court appoin-ed the res pendent, Twahiri Saic.i Pazi, the administr&tor of the estate of the deceased Kitabu Saidi Fuzi. Am0ng the pruperti~s alleged to belong to th~ decea~ed is a h0us~ at Zigua Street in Lares Salaam. There was a dispute later as to the ownership cf the house. The prim~ry Court held th: t w&s part of this estate of the deceJscd wh0 cwnetl it jointly with her sister Mwumrisho. Un ap~e&l that d8cision w~s reversed ly th~ district cuurt. 'l'he app.::,~l L :=.g~inst the. l.t-Cisic,n of th1:: district c,.urt. / Th8 fir~t Gruund uf G}pe-1 is t~.t the prim2ry Court la~ked jurisJ.icti0n in the matter. Dr. k.mwc::.i submitied thut the house sutj~ct m&tt0r 0f tha proce~uings was hel~ und0r c0rtific&te of Occupancy No. 29108 an~ th~r~for~ it being land registered un~er the LanJ Wegistratiun Ordinance, the primary Court had no jurisJicticn to hear the applic~tion. Learned counsel cited section 18(l)(a)(i) .of~the MaBistratee 1 Cuurts Act which provid~s as under:- " •• lbtl). A primary court shall have anJ exercise jurisaiction - (a) in all procee~in~s of a ciyil nature - (i) where the law applicable is customary law or lsl&mic (anG; Proviued that no primary court shall have jurisdiction in any proceedings affecting lancl registered under the Land .kegistration Ordinanc,e. 11 It seems t0 me th~t the above provision of the Magistrates' Courts Act is clecal.r. A:,l->rimary Court has no jurisdiction in proceedings affecting land which is registered under the Lend Registrati0n 0rdin""'nce. It is true, as Mr. Maira s&icJ., that the law applic~ble in this case is Isl~mic l~w. But Mr. Maira conceded that the hcuse in<-cn register&cl land, and therefore a Pri.m£..ry Court would have:: ne; jurisctiction. In th.:: c.:. e of Moh ... med Yusufu v. 1'unoa Kussim 1966 HC1 n. 487 Georges, C. J. said:- . "• .un._.:: th,a:: l&nd is registered, the, 1-'rimary ·court ht:.s no juris~icticn, and th~ prup~r course is to non suit the plcintiff ~nd to ~dvise h0r to prusue her remedy in the l.Jistrict Cc,urt or the Hibh Court, uepencling on the value of tht:: prup-.:rty invc..l v1::c:. 1; .... _/;.., . - 2 - Si~ilarly, in the present case, since the land is registered, the Primary Court h~d no jurisdiction to hear the application for the appoint~eh~ of the a<lmini~trator. -Mr. k~ira concedes that the Primary court had no jurisuicti6n. The proceedings before the i primary Court were a ~uliity. The district court erred in law in failing tu find that the 1-'rimery Court had no juriscliction. Having found th~t the Prim~ry Court lacked jurisuiction 1 I do not find it necessary to consi~~r the alternative ground of appeal, ~r. Lamw~i quite properly <leclined to argue the secon~ ground of ap~eal which is based on th~ facts cf the case. 'l'his api..ec.l is allowed with costs. The proceedings of the :Primary Court are c;_u&i,.heu anl.,. the orders mude by th&t cour·t and the district ~ourt are set asitle. .... _ The r,sponGent m~y file a fresh application in the district court or the High Court. W. J. MAINA JUl.JG-B 25th November, 19bb. ur. Lamwai fur the Appellant Dr. Lamwai for l"lc.tira for the Respondent. This is the certified true copy of the original. SENIOR 1~PUTY REGISTHAR