All courts - 2026

116 judgments
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Results. 116 judgments found.

116 judgments
July 2026
7 July 2026
3 July 2026
3 July 2026
2 July 2026
1 July 2026
June 2026
29 June 2026
Purchaser's delayed payment after transfer breached the sale agreement and defendant liable for compound interest and costs.
  • Contract Law
    • — Sale of Land — Purchaser's obligation to pay purchase price into seller's bank to discharge an encumbering loan
    • — Breach and Remedies — Delayed payment after transfer as breach causing recoverable interest damages
    • — Variation and Conduct — Advance payment for tanks and failure of counterclaim for tank value due to lack of credible proof
19 June 2026
Whether two unpaid hours in 12‑hour security shifts were payable where guards remained responsible for their posts.
  • Labour Law
    • — Working Time and Breaks — Whether meal and tea breaks within 12‑hour security shifts constitute payable working time — Employment Act ss27,36‑39
    • — Evidence and Proof — Requirement to show actual relief/rotation at posts for breaks to be non‑working time
    • — Discipline and Operational Practice — Inconsistency of treating a period as off‑duty for pay yet disciplining for conduct indicating ongoing responsibility
15 June 2026
11 June 2026
4 June 2026
May 2026
Employer must afford accused employees chance to confront accusers; compensation uses wage at dismissal, not a 'boosted' rate.
  • Employment Law
    • — Disciplinary Proceedings — Right to confront accusers — Employer duty to afford opportunity to cross‑examine (Employment Act ss 57, 61(2))
    • — Unfair Dismissal — Assessment of compensation — "Wage" means wage at time of dismissal; boosting is an exception
  • Civil Procedure — Execution pending appeal — Wrongful execution where stay conditions met — Refund of sheriff fees
29 May 2026
29 May 2026
No valid presidential appointment or reinstatement was proved; unsigned communications do not constitute lawful presidential decisions.
  • Constitutional Law
    • — Administrative Justice — Requirement to give written reasons and lawful administrative action — Constitution s43
    • — Chiefs Appointments and Removals — Presidential decisions must be in writing under signature — Constitution s90; Chiefs Act ss4,11,12
29 May 2026
27 May 2026
Court refused defendant’s very late application to introduce new illegality and public‑policy defences as unduly prejudicial.
  • Civil procedure
    • — Amendment of statement of case — Post-closure amendments — Discretionary permission; prejudice and remedyability (Order 7 r 23 CPR 2017)
    • — Late amendment — Introduction of new defences (illegality/ex turpi causa and treaty breach) — Requirement for convincing explanation and avoidance of undue prejudice
  • Case management — Trial timetable and public interest — Protection of court resources and other court users from unjustified delay
25 May 2026
21 May 2026
Whether long-term volunteers were employees entitled to arrears, severance and compensation after unfair dismissal.
  • Labour Law
    • — Employment Status — Volunteer v Employee: substance over form, control, integration, payroll records
    • — Unfair Dismissal — Dismissal for asserting rights; procedural and substantive fairness — Employment Act ss57, 61
    • — Remuneration — Minimum wage compliance and calculation of arrears period-by-period
21 May 2026
A High Court transfer order preserves commencement for limitation purposes; transferred proceedings are not a fresh action.
  • Labour Law — Jurisdiction — Effect of transfer by superior court of proceedings commenced in wrong forum on limitation
  • Limitation — Section 4 Limitation Act — Whether filing in wrong forum suspends or preserves the statutory limitation period when proceedings are transferred
  • Civil Procedure — Transfer of Proceedings — Filing in transferee court as procedural regularisation, not fresh commencement
21 May 2026
Whether the respondent lost jurisdiction by deciding after statutory time limits and whether its rules were ultra vires.
  • Administrative law — Rule‑making and ultra vires — Division of rule‑making powers between Society and Disciplinary Committee — Legal Education and Legal Practitioners Act ss 73, 94
  • Disciplinary procedure — Time limits and jurisdiction — Whether Disciplinary Committee loses jurisdiction after expiry of statutory 90/120 days — LELPA s 95
21 May 2026
Rules jointly promulgated by the Society and Committee were ultra vires; committee lost jurisdiction after statutory time limit expired.
  • Administrative Law — Delegated Legislation and Disciplinary Procedure — Validity of rules made jointly by Society and Disciplinary Committee — Whether rules are ultra vires and require gazetting/laying before Parliament — LELPA ss 73, 94, 95; Constitution s58; General Interpretation Act s17
21 May 2026
21 May 2026
20 May 2026
Sale of matrimonial property set aside for procedural impropriety in valuation and sale; former counsel summoned to show cause.
  • Family Law — Property Distribution — Setting aside ex parte sale order for matrimonial property due to procedural impropriety and lack of transparent valuation procurement
  • Administrative Law — Natural Justice and Public Procurement — Duty to ensure transparency, paper‑trail and avoidance of appearance of bias when a public office appoints a service provider
  • Legal Ethics — Duty of Legal Practitioner — Failure to communicate with client and potential breach of officer‑of‑court obligations (show‑cause proceedings)
19 May 2026
High Court discharged judicial review leave because the dispute is predominantly a private employment matter for the Industrial Relations Court.
  • Administrative law — Judicial review — Public vs private law — Dominant‑factor test for employment suspensions
  • Labour law — Jurisdiction — Industrial Relations Court as specialised forum — Alternative and effective remedy bars High Court judicial review
19 May 2026
18 May 2026
15 May 2026
Claimant proved malicious prosecution and false imprisonment instigated by the defendant, but defamation and special damages failed.
  • Tort — Malicious prosecution — Instigation by private party to police; elements: prosecution by defendant, termination in favour, absence of reasonable and probable cause, malice
15 May 2026
15 May 2026
15 May 2026
15 May 2026
13 May 2026
Court vacated interlocutory stay challenging DPP discontinuation, finding no risk of irreparable harm to preserve the appeal.
  • Constitutional law — Prosecutorial discretion — Whether the Director of Public Prosecutions is bound by recommendations of the Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament
  • Civil procedure
    • — Judicial review — Leave to apply for judicial review and discharge of leave — Whether a negative order discharging leave necessitates a stay of execution
    • — Stay of execution — Discretionary relief — Requirement to show risk of irreparable harm or that appeal would be rendered nugatory
13 May 2026
13 May 2026
13 May 2026
SCA may hear stay pending High Court appeal and substituted a MK200,000,000 bank guarantee for 75% upfront payment.
  • Civil procedure — Stay of execution — Stay pending appeal — Jurisdiction of Supreme Court to entertain stay applications concurrent with High Court — Protection of interests where large awards involved
  • Constitutional law — Access to courts and equality — Right to effective remedy and non-discrimination — Limits on jurisdictional exclusion of applicants
12 May 2026
11 May 2026
Whether a worker stationed at a respondent’s house was employed by the respondent and entitled to statutory terminal benefits.
  • Employment Law
    • — Pre‑hearing Minutes — Effect of pre‑hearing minutes in delimiting issues for trial — Pleadings and Rule 13 procedure
    • — Employment Relationship — Determination by totality of relationship (control, payment, place of work, economic dependence) — Employment Act s 3
    • — Termination and Remedies — Notice, severance, leave, public‑holiday pay and gratuity — Employment Act ss 35, 57, 61
11 May 2026
Registrar erred in revisiting reinstatement at assessment; uplift and unfair‑labour award set aside; s63(6) special award granted.
  • Employment law — Remedies — Reinstatement and re‑engagement after default judgment — Registrar’s power at assessment
11 May 2026
Employer failed to prove retrenchment and did not consult, entitling the applicant to compensation and terminal benefits.
  • Employment Law
    • — Retrenchment/Operational Requirements — Employer’s burden to prove genuine operational reason and supporting business records (Employment Act ss 57, 61)
    • — Consultation and Procedure — Requirement of meaningful consultation, disclosure of information, notice and notification to labour authorities in redundancy exercises
    • — Unfair Labour Practices — Transparency in remuneration, lawful salary changes and deductions; set‑off and statutory limits on deductions (Employment Act ss 29, 30, 35, 51–53)
11 May 2026
Motion for summary disposal denied; disputed facts on composition of internal panels, appeal authority, salary and constructive dismissal require trial.
  • Employment Law
    • — Disciplinary Procedure — Apparent bias and composition of disciplinary committee — Role of HR officer requiring factual enquiry
    • — Appeals — Construction of internal appeal clause and authority of Chief Executive Officer — Mixed question of law and fact
    • — Constructive Dismissal — Employer conduct (fresh hearing, salary non‑payment, warnings) and reasonableness of continued employment — Requires factual ventilation
11 May 2026
Employer held vicariously liable for senior employees' sexual harassment; damages reduced for claimant’s contributory factors.
  • Employment law — Vicarious liability — Sexual harassment by senior employees — Employer’s duty to take reasonable preventive measures
  • Civil damages — Assessment of damages for sexual assault — Reduction where claimant’s conduct and evidentiary gaps affect quantum
11 May 2026
Retrenchment justified by COVID‑19 substantively, but procedurally unfair; compensation and severance to be assessed.
  • Labour Law
    • — Retrenchment/Redundancy — Operational requirements and evidential proof of financial distress
    • — Procedure in retrenchment — Meaningful consultation, representation and transparent selection criteria
    • — Remedies — Compensation for unfair dismissal and severance allowance; pension claim requires evidential foundation
11 May 2026
IRC may determine statutory discrimination claims; discrimination found and compensation to be recalculated without arbitrary boost.
  • Employment law — Workplace discrimination — Recruitment and prospective employees — Employer liability under Employment Act ss 5–7 for discriminatory referral and restoration remedies
  • Civil procedure — Jurisdiction — Industrial Relations Court jurisdiction over statutory discrimination claims but not torts (defamation, breach, inducement) — Employment Act ss 3,7
  • Remedies — Assessment of compensation — Currency denomination and boosting — Dollarization and reassessment ordered; arbitrary percentage boosts set aside
8 May 2026
Application to set aside default judgment dismissed for unexplained delay, lack of meritorious defence and counsel misconduct.
  • Civil procedure — Default judgment — Setting aside — Requirements under Order 12 Rule 21 CPR 2017 — Reasonable cause, meritorious defence, explanation of delay, interest of justice
  • Professional misconduct — Misleading court and unauthorised removal/replacement of court file documents — Abuse of process and adverse effect on relief
8 May 2026
8 May 2026
Whether a blanket prohibition on Indian Hemp possession without a religious exemption unjustifiably limits the applicant's freedom of religion.
  • Constitutional law
    • — Freedom of religion — Prohibition on sacramental cannabis possession — Justifiable limitation under s44 of the Constitution
    • — Equality — Facially neutral drug prohibition — Not discrimination where law applies generally
  • Human rights — Human dignity — Criminalisation of religious drug possession — Does not necessarily negate essential content of dignity right
8 May 2026
Label 'temporary' insufficient; employees unfairly dismissed and entitled to statutory notice, leave, holiday, overtime and compensation.
  • Employment Law
    • — Contracts — Specific‑task/fixed‑term v Unspecified‑period — Whether temporary label establishes contract type — Employment Act ss 25,28
    • — Unfair Dismissal — Operational requirements and procedural fairness — Burden on employer to prove reason and justice in termination — Employment Act ss 57,61,63
    • — Remedies — Entitlement to notice, accrued leave, public holiday pay, overtime and assessment procedure — Records and Registrar assessment
8 May 2026
Applicants failed to prove an employment relationship; unfair dismissal and compensation claims dismissed.
  • Employment Law — Employment Relationship — Whether casual ("ganyu") workers constitute employees — Consideration of regularity, control, economic dependence and integration — Employment Act ss 3, 28, 57, 61
4 May 2026
Applicants awarded limited unpaid annual leave; gratuity and overtime/public‑holiday claims dismissed for lack of proof.
  • Employment Law — Remuneration & Working Time — Gratuity, Annual Leave, Overtime and Public Holiday Pay — Burden of proof, role of employer records and union computations — Employment Act ss 35A, 36–40, 44–45, 51, 53
4 May 2026
Employer failed to prove misconduct and conducted an unfair disciplinary process; dismissal and labour practices were unlawful.
  • Employment Law
    • — Dismissal — Substantive and procedural fairness — Burden on employer to prove misconduct (Employment Act ss 57, 61)
    • — Disciplinary Procedure — Evidence, material witnesses and site inspection — Fair opportunity to test core defences
  • Constitutional Law — Fair Labour Practices — Employer’s duty to treat junior employee even‑handedly; clear and timely communication of dismissal (Constitution s 31)
4 May 2026