High Court of Malawi - 2023 September

8 judgments
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Results. 8 judgments found.

8 judgments
September 2023
Violent, wilful disobedience of court orders warranted reinstated committal, fine, and police-enforced demolition.
  • Contempt of court — wilful disobedience of injunctions — violent public obstruction — reinstatement of suspended committal and fine — police-assisted enforcement and demolition — payment of costs
29 September 2023
Bank validly charged and sold mortgaged property; penalty/default interest unlawful and to be assessed and refunded.
  • Registered Land Act s60(2), s71 — statutory demand and mortgagee’s duty when exercising power of sale; Validity of charge despite typographical title error; Loans Recovery Act s3 — challenge to excessive interest; Contractual penalty/default interest held unlawful where compound interest sufficed; Bona fide purchaser and absence of fiduciary disqualification; Accounting disputes over loan debits and advance fees.
27 September 2023
Court pierced corporate veil and dismissed interpleader, authorizing sale to satisfy the execution debt.
  • Enforcement of judgment — seizure and sale — interpleader application — piercing the corporate veil where company interposed to evade liabilities — abuse of process — Prest v Petrodel.
22 September 2023
Court upheld conviction on an unequivocal guilty plea and affirmed a 14-year sentence for defilement despite appellant's challenge.
  • Criminal law — Defilement — Plea of guilty — Section 251 CPE — Requirement that accused understands nature and consequences — Interpretation of plea — Appeals confined to record — Sentencing: 14-year starting point for defilement, mitigation vs aggravation.
20 September 2023
Claimant failed to prove Defendant owned the land sought for enforcement; alleged forged sale document referred for police investigation.
  • Enforcement of consent judgment — application for possession/charging order — burden of proof on claimant to show ownership — conflicting sale agreements and contested signatures — alleged forged document — referral to police for investigation — costs: each party bears own costs.
15 September 2023
Claimant failed to prove the defendant owned the land; competing forged documents prompted police referral.
  • Enforcement of judgment — possession of land — burden of proof on applicant — competing sale agreements — alleged forgery and perverting the course of justice — referral for criminal investigation — costs: each party to bear own costs.
15 September 2023
Default judgment set aside because summons was not personally served and substituted service was not authorised.
  • Civil procedure — set-aside of default judgment — requirement of personal service of summons — substituted service permissible only by court order — failure to show valid service justifies setting aside default judgment.
4 September 2023
The High Court dismissed the applicant’s customary-land claim as prematurely filed because statutory land tribunals, not the High Court, are the proper forum.
  • Customary land — Part VII Customary Land Act 2016 — jurisdictional forum for customary land disputes — requirement to establish customary land tribunals by legal instrument — effect of executive delay on access to justice — High Court restraint from usurping statutory forum.
1 September 2023