Court of Appeal of Zambia - 2024

347 judgments
  • Filters
  • Judges
  • Topics
  • Alphabet
Sort by:
347 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
September 2024
4 September 2024
August 2024
29 August 2024
26 August 2024
25 August 2024
A non‑customer signatory cannot claim a bank’s Quincecare duty; alleged loss was too remote and strike‑out was proper.
Banking law – negligence – duty of care – Quincecare duty – third‑party signatory – remoteness and foreseeability – strike out for failure to disclose reasonable cause of action.
22 August 2024
Identification by victim’s daughter, uninvestigated alibi, and circumstantial/common-purpose evidence upheld conviction.
Criminal law – identification evidence – witness related to victim – opportunity to observe and bias; Criminal procedure – alibi – police duty to investigate and dereliction of duty; Criminal law – circumstantial evidence – inference of guilt; Criminal law – common purpose liability (Sections 21 & 22 Penal Code); Corroboration by odd coincidence and independent witness evidence.
22 August 2024
A failed provocation defence can constitute extenuating circumstances warranting reduction of a capital sentence.
Criminal law – Murder – Sentencing – Extenuating circumstances – Intoxication: evidential and conduct-based assessment – Provocation: failed defence may still mitigate sentencing – Appeal against sentence – Reduction from death to fixed term.
22 August 2024
A trial judge may not dismiss an inter partes claim sua sponte or refuse relief without reasons; appeal allowed and matter remitted.
Civil procedure – requirement for reasoned judgments and rulings; dismissal sua sponte in inter partes proceedings; cause of action – sufficiency of pleadings; interim injunction applications; right to be heard.
22 August 2024
22 August 2024
22 August 2024
22 August 2024
22 August 2024
22 August 2024
22 August 2024
22 August 2024
22 August 2024
22 August 2024
22 August 2024
22 August 2024
22 August 2024
21 August 2024
21 August 2024
21 August 2024
21 August 2024
21 August 2024
Credible identification by known eyewitnesses under moonlight upheld conviction despite an unverified alibi.
Criminal law – Identification evidence – Known witnesses and moonlight recognition – Alibi – Weight of unverified alibi – Appellate deference to trial judge credibility findings – Circumstantial evidence and motive not essential.
20 August 2024
Eyewitness identification and credibility findings upheld; alibi and investigative gaps did not raise reasonable doubt.
Criminal law – Murder; eyewitness identification; alibi; burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt; appellate deference to trial judge’s credibility findings; investigative omissions immaterial where evidence overwhelming.
20 August 2024
20 August 2024
20 August 2024
20 August 2024
Murder conviction substituted with manslaughter where fatal injuries occurred during a fight; sentence set at five years.
Criminal law – Circumstantial evidence – Inference of guilt; Criminal law – Homicide: death in course of a fight – Manslaughter v. murder; Causation – necessity of evidential foundation for alternative causes of death.
19 August 2024
Circumstantial and medical evidence excluded suicide hypothesis; conviction for murder and death sentence upheld.
Criminal law - Murder - Circumstantial evidence — must exclude reasonable hypothesis of innocence; postmortem finding of asphyxia by strangulation supports homicide inference; conduct and opportunity of accused as corroborative circumstances.
19 August 2024
19 August 2024
19 August 2024
19 August 2024
19 August 2024
19 August 2024
16 August 2024
16 August 2024
Court refused to dismiss the appellant's appeal for defective grounds but awarded costs to the respondent.
Appeal procedure – grounds of appeal – Order X r.9(2) CAR – non-compliance with rules (narrative/argumentative grounds) – jurisdiction – discretion to hear appeal despite defects – costs.
15 August 2024
Whether respondent bank conspired or breached a charge; court finds no bank liability and email did not waive charge.
Agency — agent's authority by conduct; Charge over bank account — enforceability and waiver by email; Conspiracy to defraud — requirement of combination and unlawful means; Unconscionability — setting aside oppressive interest clauses; Civil procedure — restraint on prolix heads of argument.
14 August 2024
A party seeking variation of a single judge’s decision must proceed by renewal, not by an appeal styled motion.
Civil procedure — Full court review of single judge decisions — Section 9(b) CAA and Order 10 r.2(8) CAR — Renewal of application to full court, not an appeal; procedural competence; registry clerical errors; consolidation and jurisdictional objections.
6 August 2024
A step-child born before the marriage and not adopted or maintained by the deceased is not entitled to the children's share under intestacy.
Intestate Succession Act - definition of "child" and "dependant" - step-child born before marriage - adoption requirement - entitlement to children's share of estate.
6 August 2024
6 August 2024
Court held Order 14A cannot be invoked in originating motion proceedings absent a notice of intention to defend.
Procedure — Order 14A RSC — preliminary issues — mandatory requirement of notice of intention to defend — originating notice of motion vs writ proceedings — jurisdiction to determine questions of law without full trial — Rent Act matters — remittal.
2 August 2024
A disciplinary striking-off upheld for the appellant’s failure to account for client funds; Section 68 accountant’s report not mandatory.
Legal practitioners — disciplinary proceedings — failure to render account of client funds — Sections 52, 53 and 22 Legal Practitioners Act — Section 68 (accountant’s report) not determinative — procedural fairness — suspension pending disciplinary determination — standard of proof for dishonesty — striking off as sanction.
1 August 2024
Claim dismissed as statute-barred: cause of action accrued in 2011, negotiations did not suspend the limitation period.
Limitation of actions — accrual of cause of action — statutory six-year period — ex‑curia settlement negotiations do not suspend limitation — once time has expired court lacks jurisdiction.
1 August 2024
1 August 2024
1 August 2024
1 August 2024