High Court of Zambia - 2014 December

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

Results. 27 judgments found.

27 judgments
December 2014
29 December 2014
22 December 2014
21 December 2014
21 December 2014
Certificate of Title is conclusive; owner entitled to eviction, demolition of trespass structures, nominal damages and costs.
  • Land law — Certificate of Title — Section 33 Lands and Deeds Registry Act — conclusive proof of ownership; Trespass — unlawful occupation and demolition order; Nominal damages where no proof of actual loss; Costs taxed if not agreed.
19 December 2014
18 December 2014
18 December 2014
Contractor failed to complete works but delays were partly caused by the client and third parties; temporary supplies set off against refund.
  • Construction contract; failure to complete supply/installation; delay caused by client/third parties; liquidated damages claim rejected where delay not solely contractor's fault; variation and temporary supplies; equitable set-off; requirement of written variations/invoices
17 December 2014
16 December 2014
15 December 2014
15 December 2014
Petitioner proved under section 9(1)(b) that the respondent’s conduct caused irretrievable breakdown; decree nisi granted.
  • Family law — Divorce — Irretrievable breakdown — Section 9(1)(b) Matrimonial Causes Act — Behaviour amounting to inability to cohabit — Admission of extra‑marital relationship and moving out of matrimonial home — Decree nisi issued; maintenance and property adjourned
11 December 2014
11 December 2014
11 December 2014
11 December 2014
The plaintiff recovers market value and damages after the defendant's wrongful non-delivery of paid-for maize; trial proceeded in defendant's absence.
  • Contract law — sale of goods; breach for non-delivery of paid-for goods — buyer entitled to market value as measure of damages; recovery where consideration failed; proceeding in absence of party with notice; Sale of Goods Act ss.51,54; interest and costs
10 December 2014
Petitioner proved irretrievable breakdown under s9(1)(b) due to respondent’s admitted extra‑marital relationship; decree nisi granted.
  • Family law — Divorce — Matrimonial Causes Act s9(1)(b) — Behaviour making cohabitation unreasonable — Admitted extra-marital relationship — Decree nisi — Maintenance and property adjourned
10 December 2014
A writ struck out for irregularity does not trigger stay or mandatory costs under discontinuance rules; appeal dismissed.
  • Civil procedure — striking out for irregularity vs discontinuance — application of Order XIII rule 2 — costs discretionary; multiplicity of proceedings not established where earlier suit struck out
10 December 2014
10 December 2014
9 December 2014
Refiling after strike-out for irregularity does not automatically attract a stay or mandatory payment of costs absent a discontinuance order.
  • Civil procedure — strike-out for irregularity versus discontinuance/dismissal; stay of subsequent suit and costs under subordinate court rules; discretion as to costs; refiling by unrepresented litigant; multiplicity of proceedings
9 December 2014
9 December 2014
A custodial sentence for depriving beneficiaries was upheld due to breach of trust, substantial loss, and need for deterrence.
  • Criminal law — sentencing — deprivation of beneficiaries under Intestate Succession Act — aggravating factors: position of trust, youth of beneficiaries, value of property — prevalence of property-grabbing as justification for deterrent custodial sentence — first offender status not automatically warranting a fine.
8 December 2014
A statutory offence criminalising "false news" was held overbroad, to shift the evidential burden, and unconstitutional as unjustified limitation on expression.
  • Constitutional law — Freedom of expression (Article 20) — Criminalisation of 'false news' (Section 67 Penal Code) — Overbroad/vague; chilling effect — Burden-shifting contrary to presumption of innocence (Article 18) — Not reasonably justifiable under derogation clause — Provision struck down.
4 December 2014
3 December 2014
Court proceeded in the applicant's absence and awarded respondents R70,324.67 for losses caused by the applicant's misconduct.
  • Civil procedure — trial in absentia for a party who repeatedly fails to attend; Burden of proof in civil counterclaim — balance of probabilities; Employment law — employer's counterclaim for losses caused by employee's misconduct; Lien over employee's vehicle as security for reimbursement
2 December 2014
Decree nisi granted where parties lived apart over two years and respondent consented to divorce.
  • Family law — Matrimonial Causes Act s9(1)(d) — Divorce by two years’ continuous separation plus respondent’s consent — Decree nisi granted; property and maintenance matters referred
1 December 2014