19931102 TZHC Dar es Salaam
The conviction cannot be sustained because the appellant was not of sound mind at the time of the plea, making the plea equivocal and invalid.
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- 19931102 TZHC Dar es Salaam
- Parties
- Appellant: Luhomlo s/o Juma; Respondent: The United Republic
- Court
- TZHC
- Jurisdiction
- Tanzania
- Judgment Date
- 2 November 1993
- Procedural Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Appellate Judgment
- Outcome
- Conviction quashed and sentence set aside; appellant to be released unless lawfully detained for another cause.
- Legal Topics
- Plea of Guilty, Conviction, Mental Capacity, Sentencing
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Luhomlo s/o Juma
Appellant
The United Republic
Respondent
Procedural Posture
Criminal Appeal / Appellate Judgment
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the appellant's plea of guilty was unequivocal given his mental state
- 2 Whether the conviction and sentence should stand in light of new psychiatric evidence
Ratio Decidendi
The conviction cannot be sustained because the appellant was not of sound mind at the time of the plea, making the plea equivocal and invalid.
Court Disposition
Conviction quashed and sentence set aside; appellant to be released unless lawfully detained for another cause.
Orders
- Conviction quashed
- Sentence set aside
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
1 paragraphs
. . . \ ,· ~ :··.·: '.. . . .i .: . '· ..., . ' ·- . : '. - . ". .. (2]':com ozi.c,,.,.i:nal C:;:,i.::.unal Cc,cc :.:o, 1:;2 o:Z 1.992 of the Dist:t'iot Co~"T-~ of J38{;'~oyo D:i.T~::-io·t ~1.~ B~amoyo) I.Ul~.:OJJ'"t.i .s/o J '--'-~-.f.tl~.,, .J; 1."' o , ,l , o ( , .. v" •• ., ".Ii. -cll.PPELLANT \ ( Original Aooused) vers;_;_s T:({E. UNII'ED ):1J}a'(JJLIC 4 • • • < ~ ( • • < , a • <t I < I t <o t • • .RESPON'DEl\JT '"()T,1; - ~ - . .if:u!t.i:1w., J...i. 7 T'.,ie a"'Pell,;J:1.·t. ""- ~ I1a.'..1c--:.rnudn s I /() u\ • □.,.·-•~ 1-ra.s o.b.a2::--A- ~ _.; .. .._th tmlmn:\.tl po0f:1eosio11. of "b).lal.1(sn 8/; 2C)), Ca.p.134 of the P.rohibitio11 o:Z J.To::io:'.s Plc~lJ~s, · .:J ::na::.1dad by Act Uo.4/1987 • Ee was 0-011vioJLied ~)Y ·t;.1e Di::rb:io·~ ;:Jo·,'l;:'Jv of Bagrunoyo 011 his . 01-111 plea o-: rru.:Ut ro1d u2,s senJ;i{l:.;.o:::d. -~o 3 ya~s -jail impri- sonme:.1t.. AJ~ia-vGd ~JY the coi:-vioJ.;:;.on ::rild. aenteltee he appealed. ·~o -~J.lis ootU't. I:1 ::•.is meu10-..:- ..,ac1.,o e:.? 2.ppeal he set ~u.t 5 ,'.;l'otmc~s J)t'!.t gro:.r,'l.d 11i.:mbm.' o~:.c ::.:i.a o/,r:;:,aoted the sei--ve ~ the DP.P, and i.ldaed o:Z. t>. is co1rri ·;;o ao:.1sii0I' and' deOide wheth81' or not t:l.e appellani made u:;ie~.r: i•ro.:i:;J. plea lJeforJ the ~ial 0 oeni~ distl'io•b Ilaci::r~-rn:~e 1 L.T -i :.:..,J.e'. :ela. 011 this g,;ound -~>.e appellant u18.ims i:1.a:'c :no 1urobl;:nn -:;~_1a·~ eminated ·fl'om hi,.s 07. .i.lct-: ..ood. is -~he almo:-c.Qiali-'i;:" "::: >.io :u:i.nd. aia e - v ~ by .-ti~ c::x;:-:,·;io and :.1.:1::>011.:~ll~ :)G>.a.•11io~u:- -r.owa.rda the membefa t::C 1mci;;·~-, Z.1.at in SLtp~-~ o:f ·:i'.:is 21e did not knp ~ihe~ :_i0lioc :::omtc1 :'.i:J ,r:Lth l)hatlg t,I'_ oi_::~i;;:-~n;ttesa 011 the ~ d ,:ro;.:,1J. o:~ '- Ilj_).;: ~i ~-le dan:i.e-d li.:-i:v~~ "-7.<lm. tt.ea." before the t:1al .,. •' •· • -'-,, •'• _,:.C-..,'J.Su.,.:uC •••••• ••• • ., __ ._:. ., .. e • ~ ,-T,c.S .;,, ..... r•~ , .... ~ ,._. 1 po..,..,o,_,.,.,_.....,_1 o ....0 -~-""l;;IJ., ~• _,.,_1,_,,.,.,., ,. , C11,1.•+L~.µ· adr.ai:.i;·ood 10.at J.:..Q awl:aa 0~~2.-:;.foa~ O:n the 5th g:cound he stated t:'J.at 71e i::; a psyo:ria;iil'io ·:,::.;~i3i.1t. and in euppert tf t:Jis he attao;1ad. a medical ~ .j,;:;·;.a::y .r;,s a ~ ,t .hie ~ . and e:rr~o mau:;al beha"ifi~. 1J 2 "I 'tL011 -~>is matte;c ,ms placed beio:re hir1 ~o~u.o:u.p 1 tlle late Ju.s-~ioe Ik'.1J::una, on ~:2/3/1993, t:.'.6 Learned P-.d11.o.ii)2J.· S·~ate Attorney subnri:tted -r~ns:- 11 E.ie Repu.blio does not suppo::1-'i; oo:r✓io·aon~ .Appellant was EJ.6J.Y~ally sic;.:, ·..:i:~o:.·c is 6Videnoe t:10t'.[,'h ;.1ot p:rofu1.oed c:l.~ina -~ial- psyohia·:zrio pc,ti0i.1t, The oen-:;e~1oc o2 3 yea.rs is exoe ssive l }j:0 :us served ai:: r:uut}.1s al- ready and ma f:i.ncl t:iat is mi.1:Zioio:rli pe:riod~ 11 As I hce;re i.ndioa·lied above, l.Iiss Lwasi 1 Le,,,r_1ed ~J-'.Jaile Attorney, is in tSa.l.l :Zo1.u.1s'U in support wi•:;J1 -:;J. .0 pre-viou.s a-~-r.br.ti.sdo11::1 made by he:t' 1 Lea:rmcd ao.llaC(:,<'.l'll, Hr. Tencl'trn.. Indeed I 2i.:-]. ;:.:i:l.c12i..!l of the faet that seo·;;j_cn 3Go( 1) of the C:r:iroi;Jal P.rooedut'6 Ao~.;, 198G makes it illegal to allOir a;.1 appeal in t:le oasa o:l aJ.'\>7 a.oo~:.r.:Gd per so:;:1. who has pleaded gi.tllt;1 ~;ld h.c1.s been oonvioted on su.oh pJ..02, 1):~ 2, ::rc.b.l[i:dina-'i;e court e::roept_ e:::oept as to t;1e extent o:;:, legality o:? ~~:.c sen·benoe • H.oweve:r, sinoe 11:-.e llcpublio is :..1ow mreI'e of new mc';~SJ'.'ijJ. f'D.Ot, wbich u.nfo:rtu..'Yl.a,- foly dicl aoJ.; oome to tlle:i.x b.101rledge at t\e ·t::.:.10 atJ01..1.sod was arrested, ohal'a<:id n::.11 oonvioted 011 :1is 01m plea 0~1 t>£ f'~:.0-ts, wl1ich material f a.ot a□ Dell' t:10 medical :repoz~ is in oom.1etio~:. 1d·~\ the aooused ts unso:1.:1d.11as □ o:? mind, i-.t is now t~ the :LJ.1-~eI'cr.r~ of justice to re-consider that 11c1r no;~c:rial :faat or evidence and cleoid.o e:1 1i:.at is justioeable i.J1 -'tiJle o~se ~ Today when i:.10 c.ppellant 1-ms. ~J:;:c·.1.c{1-!1 to me I had the aclvau-'oage o:l Jwa:ring from hL1 a:3 1-i!1eJGher :. .0 :::.101,a 1l1at h~pened to him.I> 1 Apa.rt ~0::.1 :J.ea.ring bis a11mrers I 81.so ob □Gj_"VGd ~lia demeanour~ I am saJGidie~ as it seems to have appeared ·ha r.'.18~ J,f-.o,t ~e is not mentall,y alr~}1ti ::e has admitted -:io r.1s t!1at Ji;I1e trinl oo~'!I'-b properly convicted , . :un· J.J. .".'o-• J... J.: -•c .J... .... ~ -4'la°'(i 3.,a,;,v..LJ. L,:· J',·e .... .,._T..," oa;·irr',t r-t Cl°I:.,l•i(:y'. ..'. \"• t'1 •--n.· •· l!J·,~-v,· J.~"l,;, t =1: is statement oontradio-m what :~e. L1.a:;1ooed in, his me~andum of appeal il io'.:. oonolud.es thus, 6 I.I.ohnJJOd ;;';.,;.L is defina;ooly psyohiatric. ba;.1.'.':;i p:r.70:1oais, u F.rom thj,e state;:.iont_ -~:~o:.i.ch medical ope1ti.on 1 I am p~::r~:.ad.od -~o believe that the appel:..c:.1·b clid not know Hl1.at I.te ;.1ad or what :.,o iTa3 do:i,J.-ig at -'Ghe time poltce a.rrec;·~od ::1.:..11- L:i1cswisa ha was not very lil:nl,:- -~ ;.Qtow that what he was. daL--ie ir::.o 1r.2 o:1g, Conser.[l..Wnt 1.i.po~1 ·bha la-'1;-~a~ p::c:.1ise ·the ·appellant might not hr:'vo apj_Xi:.'ecia·~ed ·i;.'.,.e fao-t 'lf1at J1a -iras ~:r-.c-o-..:c::b be.:ZQI'e a. court o:f la.w - • -. 3 and was reql~ccl ~ ·lie plead on. t:ia ~Ya.:.100 1rith 1 i ~ l'.O a~d ~ In the oi:ro-:.-:.r.J.Si;n;;:1.-es it is not moJ:'c ola9.:r whethe:i: ·:c~o ,Plea of the a.ocui:,ed before -~:1e trial ooUTt .-ms t'.11Gy_1,tlvooal o:.te Qj:' not. Tharef'o,:te. the oonv:iptio:.i a..-;a:L"'lSt the appellant oa.nnot be f!.1.at~ii:tcd and as suoh I uphold -t::.a il'G.i_Jti.blio I s ·-,ray~ to cri.1..;i.s!J. J.,;h.e oonviotio~ and .set a.aid.a the sentenoo iJ,1s:::cd against t:.1e ap:pellai.7.t. In t:1.e re sul-'i:. ho should be released 10=-t:1.-rrith. unless he is detained for o-'11.:.0:r la1-rtul oause, . A.C .lIREMI.I. ,JUDGE 2/11/1993 Judga~.,~r'.; clPlivared: in tba abea~ of the prcr-'i,i.ea. '!1:io ebauJd ~ notified f'~U:;Jti.~, in chamberG •t;;.11s 2nd day ot Hove~, 1993 at Dar es Sal8.cl,11l.,. J'UTIGE 2/11/1993.