High Court of Zambia - 2012 January

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

Results. 11 judgments found.

11 judgments
January 2012
Court ordered a foreign plaintiff to pay security for costs and stayed further applications until payment.
  • Civil procedure — Security for costs — Plaintiff ordinarily resident out of jurisdiction (foreign company) — Court's discretionary power to order security and stay further proceedings pending payment
30 January 2012
Recent possession, a voluntary caution statement and real evidence supported convictions for murder and aggravated robbery.
  • Criminal law — Murder (malice aforethought) — Aggravated robbery — Recent possession doctrine — Admissibility of warn-and-caution statement — Failure to tender fingerprint results — Risk of false implication
29 January 2012
Although several localized corrupt practices were proved, they did not prevent a majority of voters; the election is upheld.
  • Election law — election petition standard of proof (higher than balance of probabilities); corrupt/illegal practices — voter treating, donations as inducement; abuse of public resources; ferrying voters; collection of voters' cards; ballot-paper accounting irregularity; section 93(2)(a) majority threshold for nullification.
27 January 2012
Contract formed by conduct and estoppel required repayment of withheld fees; counterclaim limited to contractual US$1,000.
  • Contract formation by conduct; estoppel; set-off for alleged thefts; vicarious liability of security contractor for employee negligence; contractual limitation of liability
26 January 2012
Petitioner failed to prove bribery, malicious statements, or electoral commission malpractice; election petition dismissed with costs.
  • Electoral law — election petition — allegations of bribery and illegal practices — government donations versus candidate bribery — publication of false statements — heightened standard of proof in election petitions — lack of particularisation and failure to prove EC malpractices
19 January 2012
Whether a contract formed by conduct bound the defendant and precluded unilateral set-off for alleged thefts.
  • Contract formation by conduct; estoppel; formation despite unsigned standard contract; prohibition of unilateral set-off; burden of proof for negligence and unpaid invoices; assessment of disputed deductions; interest and costs
19 January 2012
Eyewitness identification and a post‑mortem proved murder; honest mistake and false implication were excluded.
  • Criminal law — murder — identification evidence and identification parade — evaluation of eyewitness reliability — exclusion of honest mistake and false implication — malice aforethought established by intention to avoid apprehension and risk of grievous bodily harm
19 January 2012
Prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused unlawfully struck and killed the victim; convicted of murder.
  • Criminal law — Murder — Elements: causation, unlawful act, malice aforethought — Single eyewitness identification — Post-mortem evidence (skull fracture, subdural hemorrhage) — Burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt
19 January 2012
Court refused to set aside a trial held in the applicant's absence, prioritising finality and prejudice over counsel's negligence.
  • Civil procedure — setting aside judgment obtained in absentia — Order 35 Supreme Court Rules — extension of time under Order 3 — High Court Rules Order 3 Rule 2 — delay and finality of litigation — professional negligence of counsel is not a sufficient ground to reopen trial
12 January 2012
Mandatory injunction refused where applicant failed to meet the high threshold and substantive disputes made damages an adequate remedy.
  • Civil procedure — Mandatory interlocutory injunction — Exceptional remedy requiring unusually strong case and high degree of assurance of success — Risk of injustice test — Adequacy of damages — Claim of lien as justification for detention
12 January 2012
Conviction for violent rape upheld: reliable identification and corroborative medical and circumstantial evidence supported a 25‑year sentence.
  • Criminal law — rape — corroboration and identification — victim’s immediate condition, torn/blood‑stained clothing, medical findings and prompt identification as corroborative evidence — sentencing under amended Penal Code with statutory minimum
9 January 2012