19850124 TZHC Dar es Salaam
- Citation
- 19850124 TZHC Dar es Salaam
- Status
- Judgment
- Jurisdiction
- Tanzania
- Court
- TZHC
- Decision
- 24 January 1985
- Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Appeal Against Sentence
- Language
- English
More details
- Court
- TZHC
- Decision
- 24 January 1985
- Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Appeal Against Sentence
- Language
- English
On this page
Professional case brief
Research organized from the available case record
01
Holding and result
Imprisonment should not have been imposed on a young, first offender for possession of a small amount of bhang where the law allows for a fine and there were no aggravating circumstances.
Court disposition
appeal allowed
Orders
- sentence reduced to term already served resulting in immediate release
02
Material facts
Parties
Oshen Kiraro
Appellant Counsel: Mr. MwingiraRepublic
Respondent Counsel: Mr. BaltilaAmounts and remedies
- Amount of Bhang Found: 1
- Original Sentence (months): 7
- Time Served (months): 2
03
Procedural history
Posture
Criminal Appeal / Appeal Against Sentence
04
Questions and positions
Legal issues
Whether imprisonment was an appropriate sentence for a first offender convicted of unlawful possession of bhang where the statute allows for a fine or imprisonment
Party arguments
- Applicant
- The appellant, a young first offender and student, should not have been sentenced to imprisonment for possession of a small amount of bhang where the law allows for a fine and there were no aggravating circumstances.
- Respondent
- The State Attorney declined to support the sentence, agreeing it was inappropriate.
05
Court’s reasoning
Legal principles
- 01
Bakari s/o Amisi v R 1969 HCD n. 311
Where legislation provides both fine and imprisonment as punishment, a fine is normally appropriate unless there are aggravating circumstances.
- 02
Houssein v R 1969 HCD n. 234; Omari Said v R 1969 HCD n. 42
First offenders should not, as a rule, be sent to prison where there is opportunity to mix with seasoned criminals.
06
Ratio, limits and disposition
Ratio decidendi
Imprisonment should not have been imposed on a young, first offender for possession of a small amount of bhang where the law allows for a fine and there were no aggravating circumstances.
Obiter and limits
- The appellant being a student and first offender should not have been sentenced to imprisonment.
- The sentence was inappropriate and not supported by the State Attorney.
Court disposition
appeal allowed
- sentence reduced to term already served resulting in immediate release
Source and reliance status
TZHC · 24 January 1985
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Judgment reading view
Judgment text
The complete available source text.
TZHC
Judgment· 24 January 1985
IN 'I'IIJJ EIGH COtntT CRIMDTAL APP_:J.LL lTC, 21 OJ? 1984 ., ·;\ir···;-r,·,- •·r,·r ( o.a.IGINA.iJ CRI,-ilh.t .. D r-(/•"i'',j 'vi-,,.:,_,::, T·T .:-0. • .••• 0 83 1L~24 O..cTl 19 •••••••
KISUTU OF THE DISTRICT COurtT O.::' ••• "~~t-:i_J; ••• DISTRICT AT •••••••• VS· Oshen Kiraro was convicted of br~i:r.-J.,::;:; in unlawful possession of bhang contrary to se:ctj_on 2 (b) of the Cultivation of Noxious I'lan-t:J (Erohj_bitiou) OJ~,.:,inance Cap. 134 of the LawG. he ;,,-3_,;3 se;:1t anc;ed. to seven months imprisonment. This -'":1.]J_p,:! J.1 is &ga,::11ic:~t the f,entence. 0 The amount of bhm1g :f:ound. i:.'1. the 2,1):pf;llant 's possession was examined by tJH3 Government Chemist and it weighed one gram only. The c:,,ppel~_an-t is a young man aged twenty four years and he is a studantc He was a first offender. 'rho o:tienco of vrhich t:.10 apr::ll.a:n:t was convi0.ted is punishable with fin~. or im:prisonmont .. In ]iakari §/p.Jiamisi · V& 1969 HOD 11. 311 the appellant was convicted of dangerous uriving and .s;,;ntonced- to_ eighteen months imprisonment_. _On appc:z:l to thi_;::; court, Georgesg C.J. (as :he then was) - said that whore t~~e 1E,.,-;r _:c:n.d::n~ ·which a person is convicted lays dmm , -i:loth a t::;:2i:-1. . cf imprisonment and a fine as a method of punishmcmt t}1'.:-.-c would :i11di.cate that this was the type of off enc:) j_n ;irl':: icJ·: ;:-1. fine 1,rnuld normally be appropriate. In th1::1,t Gace tho sontonc6 of imprisonment was altered to a fine-11 ..... /2 I ', ' 1 2 Similarly, in tJ:10 1971 HCD n·. 144; th.u court reduced the sentenc)
.of imprisonment for ·unlawful possession of Moshi to immediate • release of the appellant, for the same reasons as in the Bak§:.B ca.se. With respect I agree that where the legislature envisaged that a fino should be the principal mode of punishment, imprisonment should not normally be •awarded, unless, of course, there are aggravating circumstances. There were none i..,v1 the present case. There is a further point. The appellant was a young first o•ffender. As Georges C .J. said in H0tts!P... V& 1969 HCD n. 234. "It is generally agreed that first offenders should not, as a rule, be sent to prison where there is . .'_,,. ' '•. apportunity to mix with, and learn bad habits from, more se.asoned1 criminals 11 • TJ:-18.t was also -che view· of :i:3iron, J. • in Qmari _Sa.J.d ·\G.. g 1969_ ECD n.
42. In the p~~esent case, the appellant being a young, first off ender .,ir;d a. student, should not have been sentenced ' ·, . . to imprisonmant. ' ~ ' The learned State Attorney declinGd• to support the sontE-;;nce. With re~rect, I agree i·J'i th both counsel, :~~at. the sentence was inappropriate. This a.P.l)eal is allowed. 'rhe appell&nt f..k\S a.lr,:,;ady served two months imprisonment. That is .:.::nough punishment for him. ·', . l •, The sentence of the trial·court is reduced to such a term of imprisonment as "Will result· in: thG 3,ppella,.'1..i; 1 B ~irm11ediate I release. I· I ' If . . I I I ) .i. . ( ,. ! .. ! : , ~ ! :· ·. . W~-J ~ Ma,iria 1 JmJn· r.:,-;::, ~-...:!~
DAR ES SALAAM 24th January, 1985 Mr. Mwingira for the appellant Mr. 8alti.la for the He·publj.<:.
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