Tanzania Case Law

Hon

Court

TANZLII

The High Court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the petition because the acts complained of—namely, the suspension of the petitioner from Parliament—were conducted within the jurisdiction of the National Assembly under the Parliamentary Standing Orders and did not contravene any mandatory constitutional provisions. Article 100 of the Constitution and Section 5 of the Parliamentary Immunities, Powers, and Privileges Act bar the Court from questioning such parliamentary proceedings. The petition did not specifically challenge the constitutionality of any provision of the Standing Orders but rath…

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• Parliamentary privilege
• Separation of powers
• Judicial review
• Constitutional remedies
• Standing orders
• Jurisdiction

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zitto zuberi ruyagwa kabwe vs job ndugai speaker of the national assembly another 2021 tzhc 9535 7 october 2021

Court

TZHC

The C.A.G.'s immunity under Article 143(6) is limited to actions performed in the discharge of official duties as defined by the Constitution. The statement made during the media interview was not part of an official report or function protected by immunity. Therefore, the Speaker acted within constitutional and statutory powers in summoning the C.A.G. to appear before the parliamentary committee.

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• Parliamentary privilege
• Freedom of expression
• Immunity of public officers
• Separation of powers

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paul revocatus kaunda vs the speaker of national assembly and others 2020 tzhc 4758 3 june 2020

Court

TZHC

The petition is not a pure constitutional issue but concerns procedural and evidentiary matters regarding the Speaker's exercise of statutory duty under section 37(3) of the Elections Act. Since statutory remedies exist under Article 83(1)(b), the constitutional petition is inappropriate, frivolous, and vexatious.

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• Locus standi
• Parliamentary privileges
• Constitutional enforcement
• Procedure for declaring parliamentary seat vacant
• Public interest litigation

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joshua samwel nassari vs the speaker of the national assembly of the united republic of tanzania another 2019 tzhc 15782 29 march 2019

Court

TZHC

The application is incompetent and unmaintainable due to a defective affidavit in violation of section 7 of the Notaries Public and Commissioner for Oaths Act, absence of a reviewable decision by the Speaker, lack of cause of action, and failure to exhaust parliamentary remedies.

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• Judicial review
• Parliamentary membership disqualification
• Natural justice
• Standing orders
• Affidavit defects

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20171030 TZHC Dodoma

Court

TZHC

The High Court struck out a judicial review leave application, holding the supporting affidavit was defective and the pleadings contained fatal date errors.

• Judicial review
• Affidavit requirements
• Parliamentary privilege
• Exhaustion of remedies
• Preliminary objection
• Judicial-review

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20170710 TZHC Dodoma

Court

TZHC

The High Court dismissed a leave application for judicial review of parliamentary suspensions, holding that remedies were not exhausted and the affidavit was incompetent.

• Judicial review
• Parliamentary privilege
• Exhaustion of remedies
• Affidavit competency
• Constitutional challenge
• Judicial-review

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halima james mdee others vs job yustino ndugai the speaker of the national assembly of the united republic of tanzania 2017 tzhc 2245 10 july 2017

Court

TZHC

The High Court at Dodoma dismissed an application for leave to seek certiorari against parliamentary sanctions, holding that remedies were not exhausted and the affidavit was defective.

• Judicial review
• Parliamentary privilege
• Exhaustion of remedies
• Constitutionality
• Affidavit competency
• Judicial-review

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zziwa v secretary general of the east african community application 1 of 2016 2016 eacj 114 18 march 2016

Court

EACJ

The Court held that objections to annexures allegedly obtained without EALA leave would be dealt with in the main application, while the hearing continued.

• Admissibility of evidence
• Privileges of legislative bodies
• Admissibility-of-evidence
• Parliamentary-privilege
• Interlocutory-rulings
• Eacj

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andrew john chenge vs public leaders ethics secretariat others 2015 tzhc 2107 26 june 2015

Court

TZHC

The High Court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the petition as it seeks to challenge National Assembly resolutions and proceedings protected by absolute parliamentary privilege under Article 100(1) of the Constitution. The petitioner had alternative remedies under rule 68 of the Standing Orders and cannot benefit from a court order in a suit to which he was not a party. No cause of action is established against the respondents.

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• Parliamentary privilege
• Separation of powers
• Alternative remedies
• Right to be heard
• Judicial review

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mrema vs speaker of national assembly another 1998 tzhc 7 27 july 1998

Court

TZHC

The Court held that the suspension of the applicant was a matter of internal parliamentary procedure protected by Article 100(1) of the Constitution and the Parliamentary Privileges Act. The Court has no jurisdiction to inquire into such proceedings unless Parliament acts outside its constitutional powers or without jurisdiction, which was not established in this case. The application was therefore unmaintainable.

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• Parliamentary privilege
• Judicial review
• Separation of powers
• Suspension of member of parliament
• Fundamental rights

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