Principal Registry Lusaka - 2024

175 judgments
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Results. 175 judgments found.

175 judgments
February 2024
Fleet Mechanic not covered by Shop Workers Order; awarded statutory gratuity under Employment Code Act; salary and leave claims dismissed.
  • Employment law — Minimum Wages and Conditions of Employment (Shop Workers) Order — scope and applicability — worker categories; Employment Code Act 2019 — gratuity mandatory under s.73 for long-term contracts; Contractual entitlement to allowances; Procedural conduct — failure to attend hearing and costs.
27 February 2024
Employer's late non-renewal, tied to flawed disciplinary process, breached legitimate expectation; damages awarded (12 months' salary).
  • Employment law — fixed-term contract non-renewal — legitimate expectation and promissory estoppel — procedural fairness in disciplinary proceedings — wrongful and unfair termination — remedy: damages (12 months' salary) not reinstatement.
23 February 2024
Court set aside default judgment and granted leave to defend, requiring defence to be filed within 14 days.
  • Civil procedure — setting aside default judgment — discretionary power — requirements: bona fides, reasonable explanation for default, absence of mala fides — defence on the merits/triable issue — no mini‑trial; consider evidence likely at trial.
22 February 2024
The applicant awarded leave pay, salary arrears and statutory severance; severance accrues from May 2020 and is not a pension benefit.
  • Employment law — leave pay — employer admission to indebtedness; Employment Code Act 2019 s.54 — severance/gratuity for permanent employees; accrual of statutory severance from end of transition (May 2020); distinction between severance and pension benefits for payroll retention; acceptance of employer-signed computations as evidence; costs for unreasonable non-appearance.
20 February 2024
The applicant’s appeal filed outside the seven‑day period under Order XXX rule 10 was time‑barred and dismissed for want of jurisdiction.
  • Civil procedure
    • — Appeals from Registrar — Time limits under Order XXX rule 10 HCR — Effect of non‑compliance and want of jurisdiction
    • — Procedure — Strict adherence to rules of Court — Time‑barred appeals cannot be entertained
    • — Extensions of time — Requirement for prior leave or extension by Registrar/Judge
18 February 2024
Applicant awarded salary underpayments and statutory gratuity due to employer’s non-compliance with minimum wage requirements.
  • Labour law — Minimum wages and protected employees — Contractual pay below statutory minimum void to extent of contravention — Statutory gratuity for long-term contracts — Proof and pleading requirements for leave claims — Costs for non-appearance.
16 February 2024
Application to file a reply out of time refused due to inordinate delay, unsatisfactory excuse and prejudice to the defendants.
  • Civil procedure — extension of time — Order XIX Rule 2 — non-compliance with directions — delay, inadequate excuse (advocate illness), prejudice to respondent — Access Bank precedent; discretion to refuse late filings
12 February 2024
Court varied prior custody order after children's expressed preferences, awarding custody to the respondent and discharging the injunction.
  • Matrimonial law — custody variation — children’s views and best interests — review/variation of court judgments (Order 39) — ex parte matrimonial injunction discharged.
7 February 2024
Under Debtors Act s4 the court found evidence of means to pay and issued a suspended 30‑day committal order pending payment.
  • Debtors Act s4 — committal for default; proof of means to pay — documentary evidence and reasonable inference; Order 3 Rule 2 inapplicable post-judgment; suspended custodial committal; bank payment instruction as evidence.
7 February 2024
Decree Nisi granted on consent where two-year continuous separation proved; property settlement referred to mediation.
  • Family law — Matrimonial Causes Act (Sections 8, 9(1)(d), 41) — irretrievable breakdown due to two-year separation — consented Decree Nisi — referral of property settlement to mediation under High Court Rules (Order 31 Rule 4).
5 February 2024
Court granted mutual interim injunctions to preserve disputed land pending trial, finding a serious question to be tried.
  • Interim injunctions — American Cyanamid test — serious question to be tried — preservation of subject matter — mutual/reciprocal injunctions — leave to appeal granted
1 February 2024
January 2024
An interim injunction was granted to restrain dealing with disputed land pending final determination due to irreparable harm.
  • Injunctions — interim relief — preservation of status quo — irreparable harm — serious question to be tried — balance of convenience — restraint on dealing with disputed land
31 January 2024
Court dismissed the plaintiff’s property-title suit as an abuse of process because identical issues were pending on appeal and in related criminal proceedings.
  • Civil procedure — abuse of court process — duplicative proceedings and pending appeal — execution of prior judgment — concurrent civil and criminal proceedings involving same property and parties
31 January 2024
Where title is contested, summary proceedings under Order 113 RSC are inappropriate; matter deemed commenced by writ under Order 28 r.8 RSC.
  • Civil procedure — summary proceedings (Order 113 RSC) — inappropriate where title is contested; Civil procedure — deemed commencement by writ (Order 28 r.8 RSC) — affidavits to be treated as pleadings; Joinder of parties — effect on procedural route; Costs — no order.
31 January 2024
Order 14A cannot be used to determine factual trespass or nuisance disputes requiring trial evidence; application dismissed.
  • Procedure — Order 14A RSC — Preliminary issues suitable for determination without trial — Requirements: suitability and finality — Locus standi — Trespass and nuisance require trial evidence — Avoid pre-empting substantive issues.
30 January 2024
Applicants declared prohibited immigrants are entitled to temporary permits under section 27 while judicial review of their deportation is pending.
  • Immigration law — Temporary permits under section 27 — Prohibited immigrants under section 35 and Second Schedule — Exception where court proceedings pending (section 35(3)) — Effect of leave to apply for judicial review as stay of deportation.
26 January 2024
Decree Nisi granted on two years' separation plus consent; custody, maintenance ordered and property settlement referred to mediation.
  • Family law — Divorce — Irretrievable breakdown by two years' separation with consent — Undefended divorces decided on affidavit evidence (Special Procedure) — Order 30 Rule 6A High Court Rules — Decree Nisi; custody and maintenance; property settlement referred to mediation.
22 January 2024
Court granted Decree Nisi on five years’ separation via Special Procedure, awarding custody to the applicant and costs each to bear own.
  • Family law — Divorce by Special Procedure — Irretrievable breakdown proven by five years’ separation — Determination on affidavit under Order 30 Rule 6A — Decree Nisi granted; custody and maintenance orders; each party to bear own costs.
22 January 2024
Decree Nisi granted for five‑year separation under Special Procedure; property settlement referred to mediation; respondent ordered to pay costs.
  • Divorce law — irretrievable breakdown — five years' separation; Special Procedure (Order 30 Rule 6A) — determination on affidavit/documents; Decree Nisi; property settlement referred to mediation (Order 31 Rule 4); costs awarded to petitioner.
22 January 2024
Undefended divorce granted on two years' separation with consent; custody and maintenance ordered; each party to bear own costs.
  • Matrimonial Causes Act s.8 & s.9(1)(d) — dissolution for irretrievable breakdown; Special Procedure for undefended divorce — two years' separation plus consent; High Court Rules Order 30 Rule 6A — determination on documents; custody and maintenance orders; costs each party to bear own.
22 January 2024
Failure to inform a detainee of arrest grounds renders detention unlawful; petitioner awarded general and exemplary damages.
  • Constitutional right to personal liberty (Art.13) — duty to inform detainee of reasons for arrest (Art.18(2)(d)) — section 33 CPC — unlawful detention where reasons not promptly disclosed — exemplary damages against State for arbitrary/contumelious conduct — detainee access to food and communication are justiciable rights.
17 January 2024
Determination of whether railway reserve boundaries can be altered requires trial due to conflicting survey evidence and expert issues.
  • Land law — railway reserve strip (Farm 1209) — Mashona Railways Company Act; Railways (Deviations) Act — boundary verification; survey inconsistencies and missing beacons; Order 14A summary determination unsuitable where expert evidence required; encroachment; costs in the cause; leave to appeal granted
11 January 2024
Court refused to quash Minister’s decision but ordered Minister to operationalize the Mining Appeals Tribunal and hear the applicant’s appeal.
  • Judicial review — certiorari and mandamus — limits of review (process not merits) — procedural impropriety, illegality, unreasonableness — duty to constitute/operationalize Mining Appeals Tribunal — deemed filing of appeal — exhaustion of administrative remedies.
11 January 2024
Court permitted joinder after judgment where an affected party lacked proof of service and had an interest in the proceedings.
  • Joinder after judgment; Order 14 Rule 5 (High Court Rules); Order 15 Rule 6 (Supreme Court Rules); Order 53 Rule 9 (judicial review); functus officio exception; lack of service/affected party; avoidance of multiplicity of actions
11 January 2024
New tenancies refused where landlord proved persistent rent arrears, substantial breaches, and intention to reconstruct premises.
  • Landlord and Tenant (Business Premises) Act — s6 (application for new tenancy); s11 (grounds to oppose: persistent delay in paying rent; substantial breaches; intention to demolish/reconstruct); s12 (court must refuse if landlord proves grounds); s13(1)(a) (possession during renovations) — security of tenure balanced against landlord's proven grounds.
5 January 2024