High Court of Malawi - 2019

224 judgments
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Results. 224 judgments found.

224 judgments
January 2019
20 January 2019
On intestacy, property inherited by a deceased's child passes to that child's children, not to the deceased's sibling.
  • Deceased Estates Act 2011 — intestacy — succession to immediate family — property inherited by a deceased child passes to that child's descendants; appellate review of factual findings.
19 January 2019
Assessment of general damages for road-traffic personal injuries and order that the defendant personally pay K2,305,000 as insurer was wound up.
  • Personal injury — quantification of general damages (pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of amenities) — assessment by reference to comparable awards — insurer wound up; defendant ordered to pay personally — costs of assessment.
18 January 2019
Whether an employment contract was formed by conduct when the applicant continued working and was paid revised salary.
  • Employment law — Contract formation by conduct — Renewal of fixed-term contract — Acceptance by allowing continued work and paying revised salary and benefits — Wrongful/unlawful termination — Damages to be assessed.
17 January 2019
Court rectified earlier ruling to record dismissal, set aside plaintiffs' leave to amend, and awarded costs to defendant.
  • Civil procedure — striking out pleadings — Order 18 r.19 RSC — striking out Statement of Claim versus dismissal of action — rectification of court ruling — leave to amend after striking out — costs.
17 January 2019
Claimant awarded non-pecuniary damages for workplace fracture, reduced by prior workers’ compensation payment.
  • Tort — Employer negligence — Personal injury; Assessment of non-pecuniary damages — Pain and suffering; Loss of amenities of life; Workers Compensation Act s63(a) — Deduction of prior compensation; Quantum — reliance on comparable cases.
16 January 2019
Claimant awarded K4,813,350.00 for pain, loss of amenities and proved special damages; disfigurement not proven.
  • Personal injury — assessment of damages for pain and suffering and loss of amenities; disfigurement must be proved; special damages must be pleaded and proved.
16 January 2019
Unlawful arrest and public parading by police constituted false imprisonment and defamation; damages to be assessed.
  • Tort — False imprisonment — Unlawful arrest without probable cause; Defamation — Public parading in handcuffs as publication injuring reputation; Civil standard of proof — balance of probabilities; Assessment of damages ordered.
16 January 2019
Plaintiff failed to prove false imprisonment, malicious prosecution or defamation where defendant merely reported missing cattle to police.
  • Tort—False imprisonment: distinction between reporting an offence and laying a charge; liability requires undue pressure or instruction to arrest
  • Tort—Malicious prosecution: acquittal insufficient; plaintiff must prove lack of reasonable cause and malice. Defamation: requires false publication injuring reputation; lawful police investigation/prosecution negates defendant liability. Evidence: written admission and DVD recording; civil standard—balance of probabilities
16 January 2019
Assessment of non-pecuniary damages for multiple foot fractures and chest injuries due to negligent driving.
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16 January 2019
16 January 2019
14 January 2019
Assessment of damages for soft-tissue injuries: quantum for pain, disfigurement, loss of amenities and special damages.
  • Personal injury — Assessment of damages — Pain and suffering; disfigurement; loss of amenities of life; special damages — Use of comparable awards — Weight of medical report on permanent incapacity.
14 January 2019
Assessment of quantum for soft tissue injuries and scarring; court awards K1,793,500 plus costs.
  • Personal injury — assessment of damages for pain and suffering, loss of amenities and disfigurement; weight of medical report on permanent incapacity; use of comparable awards to quantify general damages.
14 January 2019
Excommunications declared void for breach of natural justice; trust not subject to judicial review; permanent injunction refused.
  • Church law — corporate trusteeship — not all incorporated trusts are public bodies; judicial review not automatically required — justiciability. Natural justice — right to be heard — failure to afford hearing renders excommunication/dismissal void. Procedural impropriety — improperly convened conference and bad-faith constitutional amendments
  • Remedies — declaratory relief and costs granted; permanent injunction inappropriate for membership/employment disputes
11 January 2019
Conviction for acts intended to cause grievous harm substituted to wounding where intent was not proved; sentence reduced.
  • Criminal review — substitution of conviction — section 150(1) Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code — mens rea requirement for s.235(a) (acts intended to maim/disfigure/disable) — unauthorised prosecutor and jurisdictional defect.
10 January 2019
Conviction quashed where accused was convicted of an uncharged offence and trial irregularities rendered the verdict unsafe.
  • Criminal law — Conviction on uncharged offence — Robbery not minor and cognate to theft, grievous harm or malicious damage — Right to be informed of charge and to plead — Failure to call key witness renders material evidence hearsay — Unduly long adjournment in custody violates fair trial rights.
10 January 2019
Interlocutory injunction granted to restrain party from enforcing primary result over alleged denial of hearing.
  • Political parties — internal disputes; justiciability — exceptions where courts may intervene; natural justice — right to be heard; exhaustion of internal remedies; interlocutory injunction — preservation of status quo; adequacy of damages in electoral/political contests.
8 January 2019
8 January 2019
8 January 2019
8 January 2019
Assessment of damages for multiple metatarsal fractures: K1,750,000 for pain and suffering plus K3,000 for police report; medical report not proved.
  • Personal injury — Assessment of damages — Multiple metatarsal fractures and soft tissue injury — Quantification by reference to comparable awards — Loss of amenities not awarded as unpleaded — Special damages: police report awarded; medical report not proved.
8 January 2019
8 January 2019
7 January 2019