20020627 TZHC mBEYA
- Citation
- 20020627 TZHC mBEYA
- Status
- Judgment
- Jurisdiction
- Tanzania
- Court
- TZHC
- Decision
- 27 June 2002
- Posture
- Criminal Revision Application / Ruling on Application for Revision
- Language
- English
More details
- Court
- TZHC
- Decision
- 27 June 2002
- Posture
- Criminal Revision Application / Ruling on Application for Revision
- Language
- English
On this page
Professional case brief
Research organized from the available case record
01
Holding and result
Application for revision dismissed as applicants failed to cite statutory provisions entitling them to recall witness or reopen defence, and supporting affidavit contained fatal irregularities and hearsay; application is a nullity.
Court disposition
application dismissed
Orders
- Trial court's record to be remitted thereto to conclude the trial
02
Material facts
Parties
Linanine Mwaisumo
Applicant Counsel: Mr. NaaliFreddy Mwafungo
Applicant Counsel: Mr. NaaliNiboth Mwamalundi
Applicant Counsel: Mr. NaaliGilbert Mwambembele
Applicant Counsel: Mr. NaaliThe Republic
Respondent Counsel: Mr. Mulokozi03
Procedural history
Posture
Criminal Revision Application / Ruling on Application for Revision
04
Questions and positions
Legal issues
- 01
Whether the trial magistrate should be disqualified for alleged bias
- 02
Whether the applicants are entitled to recall a defence witness
- 03
Whether the supporting affidavit is valid
Party arguments
- Applicant
- Applicants allege bias by the trial magistrate and seek revision of orders refusing magistrate's withdrawal and recall of defence witness, claiming miscarriage of justice and incorrectness in the record.
- Respondent
- Respondent submits the application is misconceived, not maintainable in law, and applicants failed to prove any distortion in the record or cite proper procedural law for reopening defence or recalling witness.
05
Court’s reasoning
Legal principles
- 01
Evidence Act, section 147(4)
Discretion to recall witness must be exercised fairly and judicially, with reasons given.
- 02
Case law: Mbeya Rv. Auto Parts & Transport Ltd v. Christina Gessse Mayaya, N.P.C. v. Judge Meghji, Eddie Manyi v. NBC & Another
Applications must cite correct procedural law; failure to do so renders application a nullity.
06
Ratio, limits and disposition
Ratio decidendi
Application for revision dismissed as applicants failed to cite statutory provisions entitling them to recall witness or reopen defence, and supporting affidavit contained fatal irregularities and hearsay; application is a nullity.
Obiter and limits
- A mere statement that the advocate was to prepare a proper defence is not good cause to recall a witness.
- No court will act on an affidavit sourced from information provided by third persons if those persons do not swear affidavits themselves.
Court disposition
application dismissed
- Trial court's record to be remitted thereto to conclude the trial
Source and reliance status
TZHC · 27 June 2002
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.
TZHC
Judgment· 27 June 2002
IN THE HIGH COli!{T OF. TANZ.\NIA · ·, , .. · . .,JtT MBEYA· ,j .. .:';;r-rrsc. · CRUITNAL 1\PPLIC.-lTION NO .. 10, OF .200; ·-··. ·:.-: -( 'Ori'ginal • Crimina,l .. .. .. ·.-r Caqe No. ~ 1 of · 2000 . of the District C°.W.::t of Rungwe a,-t 'l'ukuy1;t) 1. - ii.LI.NANINE. MWAISUM0 ) 2. :FREDDY MWAFUNGO .· · ·•. ) · 3• N,IB0TH MWAM;\.LUl:)'I ) • • • • • • :.• ..•.:.•:);\PF'LICAN~~S ·...).
4. GILBffiT M1~AMBEMBELE) VERSUS·.
THE REPUBLIC .,, ... ·-· ..i,
RULING .').' :., • Jj / ,. • • • ' . •,' The applic'n.nts stand 'trial jointly on a' charge of .disturbi:1:-g a rel:i,pious I • .:.(, • :, • ,• • ~ssembly c/s 126 o'f. the Peha1:.-.Co_de. Having iosf _faith in the learnect·,t;r:-ial District Magi~tr&t~ on allege. d bias·, tiley ha.vi/applied for a reyision~ order ~. . •,.,,. , by which thk''t~ia1:co-urt 1s·order'm~y be undoh:~· Mr. Naali, learned counsel, • • : 1 : acts for thein.i · ... •, The record of proceedings shows .that the prose~u'ti~n clb's'ed :their-=cnse r 'J: :,. . - . on 14th Sept~mb~r,. 200~j:: ~e~Er.~fter ·t~e accu~~:a/perso~s wer'e · chl:1-eu. -upon to make their def enc~,. which .they did on ·3rd. Octob-~r·, 2002,.: They .. cal~d one . I • •. • .::'·,. witness',' hnbukege Mwa.ngosf· (DW.5)., to· teEtify':·in:· their· delence.: · The :record sho· . ! • furth~r that Er. Naali, learned counsel, was instructed to defend 'the .appli- c~t~ nfter DW.5 ·had testified'~·· Irrfm~aia'tely after· t9.king up· the ·conduct of the defence :Vir."Naali appli';.ed; for and was SUppJiH~o. 'with,' a -cdpy 'of the' reo,)rd of proceediI~:g°~. That ~pon receiving the copy :iof;t.he :trial court's record of - proceedings ·~ir.' ·Naili applied for the disquillifico:tion of the trial magistrate on grounds of bia;s because, having read the· -prOGeedings ;~e claimed-. that his clients were .disputing the ·correctness of -that.re"cori:L,
None . . 0f them . 'filed an o.ff:Ldavi t fo sho-w which; part of tl{e· record was wanting.- As the learned J trial magistr-'.lte says jn Jri.s ruling, r~. Naali did not lead:.evidence to show which part of the record had been 1 ,doctored ... '. • In the end _t,he applicµtion was dismisse,d, . \ . \ . •. • •• /2. Soon after the applicatioi:/was d.ismi'Sjied Mr. Naali indicated that he was 1 going to appeitl~ ':.of c8rtrsc h~ ought to'1iave known ~t'fu:rt his clients have no right to appeal ag'ains't ~\i.nterim,.order in. a criminµ]_ proceeding. So he has brought this appliba'hon so.that the order_;by which the trial magistrate refused to stand down from the trial P,$, 'revised<$O also"the.order of trial ' . ! ~... . '.--,~•-:,--t··_i.:_ ...• :..~ L_.~-:i~ -J:: .. ., !i ~ • court refusing to recall m-1•. 5·/ ·. - '·•i~~;: _ ., : __ ---\~•!. ·... i .... . .-! *~~}- . Ji-· Mr. Naali contends in his finttl submissi6ns that the application has been ') '.~--; ,• brought to. forest s:111 miscarriage of justice because th,e, applicants do not \J,., . ·_ .··:-}.i<'."~'.L·~- -~ • ••!•#__\ .. ~~:#·•JI>•~ ~ ........ -: • • :.~ ' • . 1--;_ ·_:_:. believe that they will receiV"e:~UEi°tice··from· ·the learned trial District Magistrate. On his part !'fir~ Mulokozi 1 learned Senior State Attor.n.e;y,t·. sulomi ts that the 4PPJ.~c,'3,:!;i'ion i 9, a.s. . mis,conee.ivecl,'.as •. "i :\,t.J
i~,9~ntenab-le . ' . in . law •. ·,He contends that the purpose, .... of section$ '. 43 an.,ct_~44 '/. ... .. . o;f the :t1~6 istr,ate.s : Courts: . 1i.ct and \,'', ~:ection 372 o;f ,tr;i~ Criminal • : •. -~. -··. '!.. ' .. I?rocedype : ' • ' ' . '. / 11ct.:ar-'-e not unlimi te<h Ac.cording to j • jurisdiction of the High Court for purposes of "• • • satisfying itself as to the correctness ,,::-,legality qr proprie,ty of- roi.y. finding t sentence or order •••' • ,1', ' .. / ' . . .and as to the regularity qf any pro,c;eedings ... ~''• It is .his further• sub- . ' '.. ·.. ,i · mission _that •. a m.p.g~strate. trying a c;3.se has di.spretion to· withdraw or not ·, where hip positio:µ:) . s .impugn_e,d. In .. sum ~J is.Jhe, Republic I s submission that nothing vva9 done th.at justified .~· '. gr~ting .. tl~i,:, applicant's desire·'to have him . . . :. ~ ' withdraw frQm the-.;.tr:ial of .the. cas~•- . Nor .wcIB: the.re any.. incorrecthess, · (", . irregular:ity orI t,Illpropriety. ......... . ;T~at .... the. ·.. applicants , . ,., . haviJ;;J.g , •... · ' • closed their ·. defence . whether at that st1;J.ge. it:v,1:ci.1;,.ne.cessary, .. . . to re,fall .. ·ii.°witrt'iss. .. " . ,•. . Ji: mere statement ' tha:t the advocate ;y1as to pi'eP.are'. a· pto:pt::\r, defence was no_t ,_good cause to have the defence stca-t. -2-2.~• It is also :learned Senigr .State .:ittorney' s contentiop.
i;hat ·the.- c;1:pplicant~ .have not .prov:ed any-.distortio.ns in_ the record of p.r.oceedi.ngs~ .r:. •··. 00 ./3 • , 3 ..... ·, I affidavit of Mr'o :tugustin6 Raj ab Mohamed Na~L,\ learned counsel for. the . 'l' {If: applicants. That af:fide,vit is not free froni, fatal irregularities •.. I will •' •, .... point them out. Firstly\ he swe:irs in paradtaph 3 that "•••· I was informed l.i . .that the evidence of DW.5 one AMBlJ1CTLE M~JAN<.1eSI: was faulte-d 11 • Dvl.5 did not. swear an affidavit to verify if ·his testimony was incorrectly recorded or if 13,nyth:iing. he said was not recorded. Po.ragraj:)h 3 is, therefore, hearsay. ~ BGcondly 1 he swears in· paragraph 14 that. "• u _the accused persons told me of .'.· ., . t.hE;:i.r- discontent ••• 11 ;-· ·· None-"6-.t tbo.§e ac.<:::\!§.~d persons swore . to verify o.nd disc,on_tent. the~ had~ if at all~,' .7.I~~.i}?.- not~settled law. that no court in this . · - . . · ·r t _ countr:f·w±n . cict-'·on. -·an·' -a-ffid-a'iFi,t_Rb.i.i;ili .is . . . ..... . sourced . " ,. . . . from inforl]lation: . . . .. provided . .) b/ third ·persons i:f those persons do ·not .s\1eai- affidavits ;f. t,heir own on ,· In paragraph 7 ivir.,,. Naali swdars that• :if, the decision· oJ the tri.al c~u,rt i, ·.· is upheld it may oc~asion grave· trii:::i'carriag~ -of' justic.e as the applicants - i.-: ,.,............"™- ~,.,_... will be condemn~d.
un.he·ard. Well tnts,·. arg~ent lacks.merit because the ...applicant-~ · ' gave evidence in their .. d·~ifence and called to that effect. I DW.5 Eve- .. if they. had not been: ·given the opportunity to -be heard; paragrapl:).. 7 is a submission on a point of law, it is not a fact which can be contQine~ in an . affidavit,. Similarly; paragraph 9 contains legal arguments!' Paragraph 10 is a prayer, not a fact, .• What remains of the supporting affidavit, therefore, .::u-e paragraphs 5 ~d 6 regarding the· right· to recall DW.5 and the allegation that the trial court il'. ', ' -; )' . t omi .tifti,/o record citations of section 147 (4)_ 'Of the .l!i'vidence ii.ct, 1967\ and secH ... .;..J -1~·~., • ·;,,__~; ..,' of the Criminal Procedure -:,ct; • :1 ·!.,· .. 1985, ··• . ..... I t ,.,, There is no controv~rsY:at; ai1:~1ttfit,.'section 1-47: .( 4) 'c9f t,hc -~v;_i,dence Act bestows discretion-~ a ~rial court to grant p e r m ~ ~ - witness be recalled either:Lfbr further examin&tion-in-chief or for further cross-cxamina- tion. Of course the e,?.t_ef<:_ise of any discretion shall not be capricious; discrE•-· tion must be exercised fairly and judicially. Reasons must be given in all cases the court accepts or declines to exercise tt. In the instant case the •••/4 • j 4 .,;. trial court di6liri~d to exc-:r;cise its discretion because Vire· Naali '-did not cite an; procedurcD. -law.iha,t
entitled his: clients to re~~pen their defence in ;;a'~/\;gr~~all ·DW.5. /That being an application, it matters not that it was m~de :ir"ifi.1' 1diMrted ~o~s6t i'3-S required to ·cite the procedural law whi~c_h empowers ;··ttiE1.1 b6&:t t; re•open the defence for purp6~~s of ~ec6.lling a witness·.·· ·:(f-'fk rnoW 1';se'ttled 1hv/ that: an' appli\:~cmt' niust ci.te;~~rrecf l~w unden.. which he 'cirlng,f ~ts<;pplica.ti°o~•, faifin'.g. which the application shall' not be J ente~tainJa:'. ~Jbeya~R~v.a /i.ut~parts·: &. Trhnspqrt ·.1:,td: v~.:~~~t_ina__g_e.,oss;e M\.J~,Y2~ Nd~· 45 of 2002; N.,1?• c. i.!_§.~.9£.ud~E :Meghji ( CA) Civil ( C~)- ·Civii' ,~ppeal 1\ppli~"~tlon No. ~o of 1977 and 19-m~~-lddie M~nyi v. N,B,c. & Another (CA) Civil '. .i·': ~\.pplicaifon No. 88 of 1998. It :fallows that since learned' counsel for the applicants did not cite any statutory provisions which entitted him to put the . . . . provisions of s. 147 (4) of the 'Evid~~ce Act into •p~ay, t.kl~ appl;ic::',tion was a ::)."•· . nullity. Since the applicati;n· before me 18 for an ~icfat tb. revise a nullity_, it is itself a nullity as weii; it wou14 fail . .. as a i~esult, '. The application for revision is dismissed for reasons contained herein, ·:.i:•. ,d {,t .· . ' .. . It is directed the trial court's recol:'.d . be remitted thereto to conclude,-t;J:1e _,- ~-,,. trial • .. ,_, Deliver~d •. Sgd. Jo Mo :Yu\CK1\NJit -·.·JUDGE 27/6/2002 Mr o Boniface, s, A. : • F.GJr_.; D.P •p • I. Certified true copy~{ the original :. \ --· "._ ,.- .,.·, . l
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