High Court of Malawi - 2004 March

10 judgments
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Results. 10 judgments found.

10 judgments
March 2004
Detinue for wrongful detention of vehicle keys and damages for lost hiring income awarded to the plaintiff.
  • Detinue — unlawful detention of vehicle keys; Trespass — overlapping tort; No conversion established; Measure of damages for loss of use and business loss; Default judgment and uncontroverted evidence
31 March 2004
Court awarded K70,000 for the plaintiff’s pain and K150,000 to the deceased child’s estate for loss of life.
  • Assessment of damages — personal injury and wrongful death — medical evidence limits compensable injuries — use of comparable awards and currency adjustment — award of K70,000 for pain and suffering and K150,000 for loss of expectation of life
31 March 2004
Assessment of wrongful death damages: calculation of loss of expectation of life and dependency using the multiplicand‑multiplier method.
  • Damages — wrongful death — loss of expectation of life; Damages — loss of dependency; Multiplicand and multiplier formula; Default judgment and uncontested evidence; Apportionment and safeguarding minors’ shares
31 March 2004
Assessment of damages for assault, false imprisonment, defamation and special damages; no separate constitutional award.
  • Tort — Assessment of damages after default judgment — Assault causing bodily harm; false imprisonment; slander — quantum guided by comparable awards and currency depreciation — special damages awarded; separate constitutional damages declined
31 March 2004
First defendant convicted on one bribery count; second defendant convicted on another; other counts resulted in acquittals.
  • Corrupt Practices Act s24(2) — burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt — assessment of witness credibility — circumstantial evidence — res gestae and conspiracy exceptions to hearsay — conviction for offering/promise of gratification to a judge
29 March 2004
Application for expedited election hearing adjourned for failure to effect adequate service; presidential immunity to be argued next.
  • Constitutional/election petition — service requirements for inter partes hearing — substituted service — adequacy of service — preliminary objection of presidential immunity — adjournment — costs in the cause.
27 March 2004
Adjournment for proper service; important issue of presidential immunity reserved for full argument.
  • Constitutional law; election petitions under s100 Parliamentary and Presidential Elections Act; service of process; interlocutory procedure; presidential immunity from suit; expedited hearing requirements.
27 March 2004
Court upheld discretion to require inter partes hearing for discharge of an ex parte injunction; failure to meet conditions causes lapse.
  • Civil procedure — Ex parte interim injunctions — Order 29 RSC — interim nature and limited duration — undertaking as to damages — applicant’s duty to file inter partes application — court’s discretion to hear discharge application ex parte or inter partes
25 March 2004
Prosecution evidence sufficed to raise a prima facie murder case; accused must be called to enter her defence under section 254.
  • Criminal procedure — No-case submission — Section 254 Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code — Prima facie test (Lord Parker Practice Direction) — Whether a reasonable tribunal could convict ('could' v 'would') — Hostile witnesses treated as no evidence — Mid-trial assessment distinct from proof beyond reasonable doubt — Sufficiency of linkage/causation evidence
24 March 2004
An action on dishonoured cheques succeeds despite a resale-condition defence; seized items must be returned and costs awarded to the plaintiff.
  • Negotiable instruments — Dishonoured cheques — Right of action accrues upon dishonour and notice; Defence of conditional payment (resale) not available in action on cheque; Counterclaim dismissed for no evidence; Return of seized property ordered; Costs to defendant.
1 March 2004