High Court of Zambia - 2020 August

78 judgments
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Results. 78 judgments found.

78 judgments
August 2020
Ex‑parte leave to substantially amend pleadings was improper; amendments should be sought inter‑partes and usually on costs.
  • Civil procedure — Amendment of pleadings — Leave to amend may be granted at any stage but ordinarily on terms as to costs — Substantial or post‑defence amendments ought to be heard inter‑partes — Ex‑parte order to amend set aside.
31 August 2020
31 August 2020
31 August 2020
31 August 2020
31 August 2020
Employer breached duty to provide a safe wash bay; plaintiff awarded damages; contributory negligence unsuccessful.
  • Employer duty of care — workplace safety and supervision — inadequate wash‑bay controls and signage — breach of duty — causation — contributory negligence rejected — Mines and Minerals Act strict liability applies to registered holder only — assessment of damages (pain and suffering, permanent incapacity, loss of prospective earnings).
31 August 2020
Consent order extending a mortgage to include taxed costs bars discharge until those costs are paid; challenge requires fresh action.
  • Mortgage law — discharge of registered mortgage — effect of consent order — consent judgment extending mortgage to include taxed costs — consent orders binding — setting aside consent order requires fresh action — procedural fairness and equality of arms — disregarding late written submissions filed without leave.
30 August 2020
A party cannot enforce a default judgment or relitigate claims in an action previously dismissed for abuse of court process.
  • Civil procedure — Abuse of court process — Multiplicity of actions and forum shopping — Dismissal for abuse renders subsequent enforcement attempts and reproduced default judgments unenforceable — Res judicata — Reconstructed record and authenticity of prior rulings.
30 August 2020
Illegality defence rejected; respondents must refund monies received and face damages for fraudulent misrepresentation.
  • Contract law — Illegality defence; unjust enrichment — money had and received; fraudulent misrepresentation; assessment of damages; counterclaim dismissed for lack of proof.
30 August 2020
28 August 2020
Application to decide ultra vires and authority issues as a preliminary point dismissed because contested factual issues require a full trial.
  • Civil procedure — Order 14A (White Book) — Preliminary point of law — suitability for determination without full trial; Companies law — directors’ authority, ultra vires and articles; Companies Act ss.23–24 — effect of acts contrary to articles; privity and personal guarantees; evidential limits of affidavit applications.
28 August 2020
28 August 2020
27 August 2020
27 August 2020
27 August 2020
26 August 2020
26 August 2020
26 August 2020
25 August 2020
25 August 2020
25 August 2020
25 August 2020
25 August 2020
25 August 2020
25 August 2020
Interlocutory injunction granted to restrain alleged unlawful mining/exploration on disputed land pending trial.
  • Interlocutory injunction — American Cyanamid test: serious question to be tried; adequacy of damages; balance of convenience — preservation of status quo — competing surface rights and mining/exploration rights — environmental assessment and Director of Mines' consent issues.
22 August 2020
21 August 2020
Administrator's invalid appointment and sale without court sanction rendered property transfer void; purchaser must account.
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21 August 2020
21 August 2020
21 August 2020
21 August 2020
20 August 2020
20 August 2020
Order 47(1) permits stays only for fi. fa.; a writ of possession already executed (and sold) cannot be stayed.
  • Civil procedure — Stay of execution — Order 47(1) (White Book) applies to writs of fieri facias, not writs of possession; once possession is executed (and the property sold) there is nothing to stay; stays require good and convincing reasons; enforcement of consent settlement and foreclosure on default.
20 August 2020
Receiver appointed by equitable execution; injunction confirmed; instalment payment application dismissed for inadequate financial disclosure.
  • Equitable execution — appointment of receiver where ordinary execution is ineffective; ancillary interim injunction — confirmation; payment by instalments — burden of full financial disclosure; exhaustion of remedies not strictly required if just and convenient.
20 August 2020
20 August 2020
20 August 2020
20 August 2020
19 August 2020
Accused convicted of attempted murder and murder; evidence credible and corroborated; mandatory death sentence imposed.
  • Criminal law — Murder and attempted murder — Eyewitness credibility and corroboration — Post‑mortem evidence — Malice aforethought — Mandatory death sentence.
19 August 2020
18 August 2020
18 August 2020
18 August 2020
Court quashed termination approval for procedural impropriety and bias, holding Section 65A powers must be exercised impartially.
  • Administrative law
    • — Judicial review of administrative action — Bias/conflict of interest and procedural fairness — Natural justice
    • — Unreasonableness — Wednesbury test — Applicability and threshold for review
  • Labour law — Recognition agreements — Termination procedure under statute (Section 65A) versus contractual clause (Clause 18)
17 August 2020
A statutory public body cannot sue for defamation based on corruption allegations; action dismissed for want of cause of action.
  • Defamation — capacity of statutory/public bodies to sue; Malicious falsehood — imputations of corruption against corporate bodies; Strike out for failure to disclose cause of action; Application of English common law in Zambia.
17 August 2020
17 August 2020
17 August 2020
A credible single identifying witness, properly corroborated, can sustain an aggravated robbery conviction despite unrecovered property.
  • Criminal law — Aggravated robbery (s.294(1)) — elements: theft, use/threat of actual violence, offensive weapon or company — identification evidence — reliability of single identifying witness — corroboration and unrecovered stolen property.
17 August 2020
15 August 2020
14 August 2020