Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal - 2016

25 judgments
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Results. 25 judgments found.

25 judgments
November 2016
Court granted leave and a seven‑day extension to appeal due to delayed judgment delivery and non‑notification.
  • Civil Procedure
    • — Appeals — Enlargement of time to appeal — Good and substantial reasons and prima facie grounds required — Order III r 4, Supreme Court of Appeal Rules
    • — Leave to appeal out of time — Delay caused by late delivery and non‑notification of judgment — Excusing delay
    • — Procedural law — Inapplicability of High Court Rules/Rules of Supreme Court to Supreme Court of Appeal — Supreme Court of Appeal Act governs practice
9 November 2016
9 November 2016
October 2016
27 October 2016
A single Justice lacks power to hear appeals or premature interlocutory injunction applications; appeal must be entered and heard by a three‑judge panel.
  • Appeal procedure — Jurisdiction of single Justice of Supreme Court of Appeal — Section 7 SCA Act — Entry of appeal and record settlement under Order III rules 5–19 (rules 10–11, 19) — Interlocutory injunction pending appeal — Prematurity and abuse of process.
24 October 2016
10 October 2016
September 2016
Applicant must prove special circumstances or inability to repay to secure a stay of execution pending appeal.
  • Civil procedure — Stay of execution pending appeal — Assessment of interest — Adjournment discretion of Assistant Registrar — Balance of justice and requirement to show special circumstances or inability to repay — Undertaking to repay.
18 September 2016
Stay granted pending appeal where execution risked rendering appeal nugatory and procedural basis for rehearing was upheld.
  • Civil procedure — Stay of execution pending appeal — Order 59 r.13 Rules of Supreme Court (1999) — applicability in Malawi — rehearing after High Court refusal — not an irregular appeal requiring leave — equitable discretion — unclean hands — intestate estate distribution — risk of rendering appeal nugatory.
6 September 2016
Stay granted where appeal raises substantial issues and execution would render appeal nugatory; Order 59 r.13 held applicable.
  • Civil procedure — Stay of execution pending appeal — Applicability of Order 59 r.13 (Rules of Supreme Court 1999) in Malawi — Re‑application/rehearing in higher court — Leave to appeal not required — Equitable relief and clean hands — Stay where appeal would be rendered nugatory.
6 September 2016
1 September 2016
August 2016
Delay and failure to prosecute an appeal, not prior counsel’s ineptitude, defeat a stay of execution pending appeal.
  • Civil procedure — Stay of execution pending appeal — Delay and failure to prosecute — Four-part test (Anglia Book Distributors) — Prior counsel’s negligence not special circumstance — Costs to successful respondent.
31 August 2016
Court refused stay pending appeal, finding no special circumstances or risk of non‑repayment.
  • Civil Procedure
    • — Stay of Execution — Application pending appeal — Requirement to show special circumstances and balance of justice
    • — Adjournment — Judicial discretion in refusal to adjourn assessment hearing — Procedural objection to be determined on appeal
31 August 2016
11 August 2016
July 2016
26 July 2016
20 July 2016
18 July 2016
11 July 2016
Official bank letters and scanned cheque images may be admissible when tendered by a competent bank officer to show payments despite electronic anomalies.
  • Evidence — Hearsay — admissibility of official bank correspondence and scanned cheque images; Bankers' Books Evidence Act; competency of bank officer to tender bank records; proof on balance of probabilities where electronic records conflict with other corroborative evidence.
4 July 2016
June 2016
An out‑of‑court e‑mail admitting a 'factory fault' was admissible and supported judgment on admission against the seller.
  • Evidence — admissibility of out-of-address e-mail; confidentiality notice not automatic privilege; judgment on admission — requirement of clear and unequivocal admission; Sale of Goods — implied conditions of fitness for purpose and merchantable quality; Agent liability — seller liable despite disclosed principal; Order 16 discretion to admit relevant evidence
22 June 2016
19 June 2016
Failure to file skeletons or delayed record alone did not justify dismissal; appellant must file skeletons 14 days after filing notice of appeal.
  • Practice Direction No.1 of 2010 — paragraph 1(a)(i): appellant must file skeleton arguments within 14 days of filing the notice of appeal; Supreme Court of Appeal Rules — Order 3 (appeal brought by filing notice of appeal; record filing and registry duties); preparation of record — appellant responsible subject to High Court supervision and registrar duties; dismissal for want of prosecution — principles (inordinate/inexcusable delay, prejudice, contumelious default); delay shared among parties and registry — dismissal refused; timetable and costs ordered.
3 June 2016
May 2016
25 May 2016
April 2016
Employees’ statutory priority on insolvency does not defeat a mortgagee’s proprietary rights over charged property absent winding-up or a subsisting floating charge.
  • Employment law — s34(3)(d) Employment Act — priority of employee claims on insolvency or winding up — does not trump proprietary rights of mortgagee/chargee over charged property.; Companies Act — debenture/charge — mortgage as debenture; floating charge v fixed charge — crystallisation on demand and appointment of receiver; Registered Land Act s72 — application of sale proceeds of charged property; receivership by chargee distinct from insolvency or winding-up.
25 April 2016
Prolonged failure to pay purchase price repudiated the sale; registration did not defeat seller's lien or bar repudiation.
  • Contract for sale of land — existence of contract despite staged completion; time for payment not prima facie of the essence; prolonged non-payment as repudiation; vendor’s lien and overriding interests under Registered Land Act preserved; laches and clean hands bar specific performance.
25 April 2016
March 2016
An assessment of damages by the Registrar is appealable to the Supreme Court of Appeal under the RSC (1999) rules.
  • Civil Procedure
    • — Appeals — Assessment of damages by Registrar — Appeal lies to Supreme Court of Appeal under Order 58 Rule 2 (RSC 1999 edition)
    • — Rules of Court — Applicable procedural regime for appeals — Rules of the Supreme Court (1999 edition) preserved by s.29 Courts Act versus CPR 1998
21 March 2016
21 March 2016