High Court of Zambia - 2012 March

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

Results. 10 judgments found.

10 judgments
March 2012
The petitioner failed to prove corrupt or illegal practices by the respondent; petition dismissed and election upheld.
  • Electoral law — Election petition under s.93 Electoral Act — Allegations of corrupt and illegal practices (bribery, undue influence, misuse of civil servants and state resources, conditional return of voters’ cards, inflammatory statements) — Candidate’s liability for acts of agents or state officials — Standard of proof in election petitions higher than balance of probabilities — Necessity for cogent, direct evidence linking misconduct to candidate and showing effect on the majority of voters
29 March 2012
Consolidation refused where claims arise from different transactions and plaintiffs lack agreed single legal representation.
  • Civil procedure — Consolidation of actions — Order III(5) High Court Act and Order 4 r.9 whitebook — Distinct causes of action versus common parentage — Requirement of single solicitor conduct; partial consolidation limited
25 March 2012
Petitioner failed to prove corrupt practices or material non-compliance sufficient to void the Lufwanyama parliamentary election.
  • Election law — higher standard of proof in election petitions; corrupt/illegal practices (bribery, treating, voter buying) — agency and knowledge; ferrying voters/private transport on polling day; verification of ballot papers, rejected/unstamped ballots; electoral officer administrative errors vs. substantial non-compliance
25 March 2012
Whether the respondent’s defamatory statements and vote‑buying rendered the election not free and fair, warranting annulment.
  • Electoral law — Election nullification — Publication of false statements (s.83) — Vote‑buying/bribery (s.79) — Intimidation by traditional leaders — ECZ logistical failures and postponement of polling — standard of proof in election petitions
21 March 2012
Failure to prove corrupt practices or substantial electoral impact meant the election was held valid and petition dismissed.
  • Electoral law — election petition standard of proof higher than ordinary civil cases; bribery, undue influence and agency — requirement to prove candidate's knowledge/consent; government programmes and timing of donations; substantial effect on result required to void election; electoral commission's conduct — substantial compliance standard
21 March 2012
Court upholds corruption and abuse-of-office convictions; ACC Act’s explanation-presumption consistent with constitutional rights.
  • Criminal law — corruption and abuse of office — Part IV ACC Act and statutory presumption requiring satisfactory explanation — compatibility with constitutional right to silence; sufficiency of circumstantial and documentary evidence; admissibility/authentication of foreign documents and expert opinion evidence; investigative omissions and fairness of trial
15 March 2012
Bail pending appeal denied where applicant failed to show exceptional circumstances and was a potential flight risk.
  • Criminal procedure — bail pending appeal under s.332 — requirement of exceptional circumstances — considerations include likelihood of success on appeal, sentence length, prejudice and flight risk, particularly for foreign nationals
8 March 2012
Failure to comply with discovery directions waived rights to object; challenged documents were not "without prejudice" and both expungement applications were dismissed.
  • Civil procedure — discovery and inspection — failure to comply with directions — waiver of right to object to documents; Evidence — "without prejudice" communications — admissibility requires genuine settlement negotiation and offer; Relevance — interlocutory expungement inappropriate where statement of claim lacks specificity
6 March 2012
Court refused interim injunction over disputed land title, holding the balance of convenience favoured maintaining the status quo pending trial.
  • Interim injunctions — land — registered title v. asserted customary occupation — irreparable harm and adequacy of damages — balance of convenience — preservation of status quo pending trial; alleged improper acquisition of title
5 March 2012
Court pierced the corporate veil, holding the respondent’s director personally liable and refusing an instalment stay for insufficient disclosure.
  • Companies law — Piercing corporate veil under s.383 — Director personally liable where company used to perpetrate fraud; Execution — refusal of stay and instalment plan for lack of disclosure under Order 36 r9 and White Book Order 47 r1; Evidence required to lift veil; Costs and leave to appeal
1 March 2012