Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal - 2009

6 judgments
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Results. 6 judgments found.

6 judgments
December 2009
Death sentence upheld for premeditated, brutal murder; belief in witchcraft did not mitigate sentence.
  • Criminal law — Murder — Sentencing discretion — Death penalty reserved for cases with strong aggravating features — Premeditation and brutality — Belief in witchcraft not a mitigating factor — Sentencing is the judge’s duty, not the jury’s.
21 December 2009
November 2009
Court held overcrowded, poorly ventilated prisons violate prisoners' constitutional rights and ordered remedial measures.
  • Constitutional Law
    • — Prisoners' Rights — Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment — Overcrowding and Poor Ventilation
    • — Judicial Review — Justiciability, Proper Parties and Time Limits — Enforcement of Prisoners' Rights
    • — Prison Regulations — Enforceability of Statutory Minimum Standards Despite Resource Constraints
8 November 2009
September 2009
Whether s63(2) inquiry is required and appropriate compensation for early termination of a fixed-term employment contract.
  • Employment law — unfair dismissal — remedies — s63(2) Employment Act inquiry is to prioritise remedies — pleadings bind parties — s63(4) grants wide discretion to award just and equitable compensation, including possible damages for unexpired fixed-term contracts.
9 September 2009
July 2009
Appellate court may admit affidavit evidence; well-documented ownership claims prevail over inadequately supported matrimonial claims.
  • Matrimonial property distribution; appellate admission of affidavit evidence under Order 59(10)(2); evidentiary weight of documentary exhibits; parties’ intention and contribution; application of Malinki v Malinki and Chibweya.
21 July 2009
Court held trial court must not amend pleadings sua sponte to convert a wrongful dismissal claim into unfair dismissal.
  • Employment law — wrongful dismissal v. statutory unfair dismissal — common-law damages limited to notice pay — limits on court’s inherent power to amend pleadings sua sponte — duty of impartiality v. effective remedy.
20 July 2009
April 2009
A stay pending appeal requires clear evidence that judgment repayment is impossible; government financial strain alone is insufficient.
  • Civil procedure — Stay of execution pending appeal — Applicant must show good reason, typically a real prospect that judgment money will be irrecoverable — Bare assertions of debtor insolvency or governmental revenue shortfalls insufficient — Budgeted payments and loans do not, without evidence, justify depriving successful litigant of judgment funds.
30 April 2009