High Court of Malawi - 2008 August

19 judgments
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Results. 19 judgments found.

19 judgments
August 2008
The State must prove why bail should be refused; quantity of drugs and harsh penalty alone do not justify denial.
  • Criminal procedure — Bail — Onus on State to show why release would not be in the interests of justice — Quantity of drugs and maximum penalty alone insufficient to justify refusal — Conditions to secure attendance.
27 August 2008
Short unlawful detentions entitled the plaintiffs to K150,000 each for false imprisonment; pecuniary loss not proven.
  • False imprisonment — Constitution s.42(2)(b) 48-hour rule — assessment of damages for short unlawful detention — requirement to plead and prove special (pecuniary) damages — quantum: K150,000 awarded each.
24 August 2008
Appellant's conviction for pouring boiling water upheld; sentence reduced because mitigating factors were not considered.
  • Criminal Law — Offences Against the Person — Unlawful casting of boiling fluid — Mens rea: intent to maim, disfigure or disable — Section 235(g) Penal Code
  • Criminal Procedure — Admissibility of Medical Reports — Section 180(3) and exclusionary rule in s.184 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code
  • Sentencing — Mitigating factors and first offender status — Discretion on suspension of sentence — Section 340 Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code
20 August 2008
Whether a registrar correctly treated an application as res judicata after the Supreme Court found counsel lacked authority.
  • Res judicata; propriety of legal representation; nullity of acts by unauthorized counsel; review of Registrar’s rulings; setting aside default judgments; stay of execution.
19 August 2008
A defective, unserved notice of appeal was struck out, but an ex parte stay of execution was not vacated absent serious abuse.
  • Civil procedure — defective notice of appeal — requirement to identify appeal/cause number — registry stamp not a cure; Order 2 r.1 remedial powers; ex parte stay under Order 47/1 — service obligations; setting aside ex parte orders under Order 32 r.6.
19 August 2008
High Court upheld dismissal: factual finding of theft and procedural defects caused no prejudice; s61(2) inapplicable.
  • Employment law — unfair dismissal; findings of fact by Industrial Relations Court final on appeal; procedural fairness — prejudice requirement where accused cannot confront accuser; Employment Act s61(2) — equity in dismissal not invoked for serious misconduct.
19 August 2008
Court deferred bail decision, ordering the State to produce the police docket and further evidence within two weeks.
  • Bail — Criminal Procedure s.118; Constitutional right to bail s.42(2)(e) — interest of justice — necessity of police docket and affidavit evidence — prosecution preparedness — adjournment for further material.
19 August 2008
Bail pending appeal requires exceptional circumstances; short custodial sentence likely to be served justifies conditional release.
  • Criminal procedure — Bail pending appeal — "exceptional and unusual circumstances" required — factors include prima facie prospect of success and real risk sentence will be served before appeal — conditions: surrender of travel documents, bond, sureties, reporting obligations.
18 August 2008
High Court may review subordinate proceedings for procedural irregularities; bail revoked without notice restored and property preservation upheld.
  • Criminal procedure — Review under s361/s362 — High Court supervisory jurisdiction (s26 Courts Act) — Bail revocation without notice — Preservation order and release of seized property — Retrial recommendation insufficiency — Limits on court directing replacement of prosecutor.
17 August 2008
Bail pending appeal granted where trial misdirection on burden of proof made appeal likely to succeed and risked sentence being served.
  • Criminal procedure — Bail pending appeal — "Exceptional and unusual circumstances" required — Prima facie likelihood of success and risk sentence will be served — Trial misdirection on burden of proof regarding self‑defence — Prosecution must disprove self‑defence beyond reasonable doubt.
13 August 2008
Anton Piller order maintained against alleged counterfeit traders; defendants’ bona fide purchase evidence found inadequate.
  • Intellectual property — Trademark and design renewal/restoration — Anton Piller (Anton pillar) order — Prima facie cause, risk of destruction of evidence, bona fide purchaser defense, evidential burden for import documentation.
12 August 2008
Belated, unparticularised usury allegations do not establish a defence to set aside a default judgment.
  • Civil procedure — setting aside judgment in default — requirement to show bona fide defence on the merits — belated, unparticularised allegations treated as afterthoughts — applicant must plead particulars and raise defence promptly.
11 August 2008
A court order remains binding until set aside; customary land title disputes cannot be decided on affidavits by originating summons.
  • Civil procedure — validity of court orders until set aside; customary land — sale, title versus user; appropriateness of affidavit/originating summons for customary-title disputes.
11 August 2008
A prior court order must be set aside by appeal or review; complex customary land title disputes are unsuitable for determination on affidavit.
  • Customary land — sale/alienation — customary inheritance rights — finality of court orders — requirement to set aside orders by appeal or review — originating summons/affidavit inappropriate for contested title/user disputes
11 August 2008
Slip rule (Order 20 r.11) allows correction of an assessment omitting terminal benefits where the trial judge’s manifest intention is clear.
  • Civil procedure — Order 20 r.11 (Slip Rule) — correction of clerical mistakes or omissions; assessment of damages — terminal benefits and notice pay; registrar’s jurisdiction to correct orders; manifest intention of court.
10 August 2008
Pending similar theft charges and prior conduct can justify denial of bail where a real possibility of reoffending exists.
  • Bail law — interpretation of "likely" under Bail (Guidelines) Act as a "tendency" or "real possibility" — lower evidential standard in bail hearings — presumption of innocence compatible with bail denial — theft often likely to be repeated — pending similar charges can justify refusal of bail.
10 August 2008
Interim injunction granted releasing an impounded vehicle pending proper justification and leave for judicial review.
  • Interim injunctions — Injunction against the State pending judicial review — Balance of convenience, urgency and equity — Right to interim possession pending explanation of alleged theft — Evidentiary limitation of affidavits.
7 August 2008
A short custodial sentence and a prima facie prospect of success can constitute exceptional circumstances for bail pending appeal.
  • Criminal procedure — Bail pending appeal — Section 355(1) — ‘‘Exceptional and unusual circumstances’’ required — Short custodial sentence and prima facie likelihood of success may justify bail — Conditions for release.
7 August 2008
A short custodial sentence and likelihood of appeal success can constitute exceptional circumstances for bail pending appeal.
  • Criminal procedure — Bail pending appeal — "Exceptional and unusual circumstances" required — Short custodial sentence and prima facie likelihood of appeal success — Conditions for release.
7 August 2008