High Court of Zambia - 1982

13 judgments
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Results. 13 judgments found.

13 judgments
October 1982
Declaratory relief denied where pleadings were unsupported by evidence and the car had been sold to an innocent third party.
  • Civil procedure — Declaratory relief discretionary; Pleadings must give fair notice; Variance between pleadings and evidence fatal; Inequity of declaring ownership where innocent third party purchased; Alternative remedy (breach of contract/specific performance)
14 October 1982
Improperly executed assignment produced no title; provisional certificates can be cancelled in favor of a better title, nullifying subsequent assignment and mortgage.
  • Land law — Deeds and documents — Improper execution of assignment — Nullity and consequences; Provisional certificate of title — subject to claim of better title; Bona fide purchaser and indefeasibility; Mortgage given by person without title — void
13 October 1982
August 1982
High Court may issue prohibition and mandamus in pending magistrates' criminal proceedings, discretion depending on jurisdictional excesses.
  • Judicial review — Prohibition and mandamus — High Court jurisdiction to restrain subordinate courts in criminal matters — Availability before lower court decision — Discretionary relief — Compliance with Order 53
19 August 1982
Chief’s statutory power to preserve peace justified reasonable handcuffing and overnight detention for affray; claim dismissed.
  • Chiefs Act s.11 — power to preserve public peace; reasonable measures to quell riot/affray; Penal Code s.88 — affray; lawfulness of arrest, handcuffing and customary overnight detention at chief’s palace.
4 August 1982
Whether a chief may lawfully arrest and detain the applicant without a warrant to prevent affray and preserve public peace.
  • Chiefs Act s.11 — powers to preserve public peace; Penal Code s.88 — affray; reasonable measures by chiefs; warrantless arrest and temporary detention lawful to prevent disorder
3 August 1982
July 1982
Notice that a former credit controller’s representations would not be honoured was not defamatory; justification defence established.
  • Defamation (libel) — meaning assessed with circumstances of publication — nature of plaintiff’s work relevant; Defence of justification — complete defence if defamatory imputation is proved true in substance and fact; Employer’s right to protect customers by public notice
28 July 1982
June 1982
The applicant cannot sue to enforce a contract made in contravention of the Exchange Control Act.
  • Contract law — Illegality — Agreement to evade Exchange Control Act — ex turpi causa non oritur actio — Illegal foreign-exchange transactions unenforceable; garnishee relief refused
3 June 1982
February 1982
A High Court judge lacks jurisdiction to reopen a final decision by an equal court; res judicata bars successive applications.
  • Civil procedure — Jurisdiction — High Court judge cannot reopen or reconsider a matter finally determined by another judge of equal jurisdiction; res judicata bars successive applications even if matter is later raised as a constitutional petition (Arts. 20(6) and 29).
26 February 1982
A High Court judge cannot reopen a matter finally decided by another judge of equal jurisdiction; res judicata bars successive applications.
  • Civil procedure — Jurisdiction of judges of equal status — Successive applications and res judicata — Plea of pardon (Art.20(6)) — Characterisation as criminal or civil irrelevant where same facts
25 February 1982
The High Court cannot revise an acquittal; acquittal does not bar administrative discipline of a public servant.
  • Criminal procedure — Revision — High Court powers under s.338 — No revision after acquittal; Public service discipline — Acquittal does not bar administrative action
4 February 1982
An appeal abandoned under a fundamental mistake may be treated as a nullity and restored to serve justice.
  • Civil procedure — Abandoned appeal — Restoration where abandonment induced by fundamental mistake; functus officio and absence of High Court rule; Supreme Court Rule 33 (persuasive)
1 February 1982
January 1982
Lending a firearm to an unlicensed person, without negligence, does not constitute 'failing to secure' under s.38.
  • Firearms Act, s.38(1),(3) — 'Failing to secure' as negligent custody — Lending to unlicensed person not per se an offence — Interpretation of negligence element
28 January 1982
A Senior State Advocate may, as legal representative, file and argue an appeal on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions without specific written delegation.
  • Criminal procedure — Appeal — Right of Director of Public Prosecutions to appeal — Representation by legal practitioner — s.321A(1) Criminal Procedure Code — s.82 delegation pertains to prosecutorial powers — Constitution Art.58(3)
27 January 1982