Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal - 2015

13 judgments
Skip past Court registries
Skip past years
Skip past months
Skip to results

Results. 13 judgments found.

13 judgments
October 2015
An original court must formally determine necessity of referral before submitting Form 3 to the Chief Justice for certification.
  • Constitutional Law — Referral Procedure — Whether original court must make formal determination before submitting Form 3 to Chief Justice for certification — Courts Act s 9(2),(3); Rules 3(1), 8(1)
28 October 2015
Appeal dismissed for vague, non‑compliant grounds of appeal; costs awarded to respondent.
  • Civil Procedure — Appeals — Grounds of Appeal — Compliance with Order III r 2(2),(3),(4) — Vagueness, failure to state law/fact, excessive narrative — Power to strike out
  • Civil Evidence — Appellate Review — Weight of evidence and witness credibility — Appellate restraint absent clear misdirection
20 October 2015
September 2015
An unexplained two‑year delay defeats an application to appeal out of time under section 349(4).
  • Criminal Procedure
    • — Appeals Out Of Time — Meaning Of "Good Cause" Under Section 349(4) — Requirements For Condonation
    • — Judicial Discretion — Refusal Of Extension Despite Delay — Inordinate Unexplained Delay
29 September 2015
Whether an exclusion clause signed by the consumer can bar negligence claims and the effect of the Consumer Protection Act.
  • Contract Law — Exclusion Clauses — Incorporation by signature or notice — Effect on liability for negligence
  • Consumer Protection — Statutory control of contract terms — Section 8(3) invalidating clauses that exempt supplier liability
  • Civil Procedure — Appellate scope — Whether appellate court may apply unargued statute that is dispositive of an appeal
9 September 2015
August 2015
21 August 2015
July 2015
Court set aside a single‑judge stay of execution where appellant failed to show special circumstances or realistic prospects of success.
  • Civil Procedure — Stay of Execution — Whether stay pending appeal should be granted where judgment debtor alleges insolvency and contested payments — Balance of convenience, special circumstances, prospects of success
  • Court Powers — Single Member Decisions — Variation or discharge under Section 7(b) Supreme Court of Appeal Act
  • Appeal Procedure — Enforcement pending appeal — Deference to trial court findings after full trial and heavier burden on appellant to obtain stay
15 July 2015
A pre-judgment compromise ousts the appeal; the consent order must be entered though triable mortgage issues persist.
  • Civil Procedure — Settlement and Consent Orders — Effect of pre-judgment compromise on appellate jurisdiction and duty to enter consent order
  • Mortgage Law — Power of Sale — Whether mortgagee’s power had become exercisable; duties of good faith and obtaining fair market price
  • Interim Relief — Injunction Pending Appeal — Test for grant where appellant lost at first instance: triable issues, adequacy of damages, and balance of convenience
8 July 2015
June 2015
30 June 2015
May 2015
Commercial Division lacked jurisdiction; Limitation Act is a defence only; respondent failed to prove adverse possession.
  • Civil Procedure
    • — Jurisdiction — Competence of Commercial Division to hear non‑commercial land disputes — Order 1 r.4(2) High Court (Commercial Division) Rules — s.108 Constitution
    • — Originating Summons — Unsuitable where there are substantial disputes of fact; parties should be ordered to proceed by writ
  • Property Law — Adverse Possession — Whether an encroacher may sue to acquire title under Limitation Act — Limitation Act s.6; established requirement of factual possession and animus possidendi
31 May 2015
Statutory pre-trial detention limits do not strip courts of constitutional discretion to refuse bail in the interests of justice.
  • Constitutional supremacy — pre-trial custody time limits (Sections 161G & 161I C.P. & E.C.) do not displace Section 42(2)(e) 'interests of justice' bail discretion; post-expiry bail applications remain discretionary; prior escape and lengthy evasion justify refusal as flight risk; State negligence in prosecuting may trigger conditional release.
18 May 2015
February 2015
Whether the bank waived security requirements, caused the borrower's losses, and lawfully realised charged property.
  • Banking and secured transactions — loan facility vs overdraft; waiver/variation by conduct; causation for consequential trading losses; validity of statutory demand; exercise of power of sale — duty to act in good faith, adequate valuation and chargor's interests; res judicata.
25 February 2015
Summary dismissal for theft was unlawful due to lack of a fair hearing; compensation assessed under statutory formula.
  • Employment law — unfair dismissal — summary dismissal for theft — procedural fairness (right to be heard) — compensation under s63(4)–(5) — assessment of damages — limits on drawing inferences (Order 59 Rule 2).
6 February 2015
5 February 2015