High Court of Northern Rhodesia - 1964

23 judgments
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Results. 23 judgments found.

23 judgments
December 1964
A transfer under s.73(a) requires a de novo trial; transfers solely for sentencing are ineffective.
  • Criminal procedure — s.73(a) transfer requires de novo trial; transfer solely for sentence ineffective — s.128 bars retrial after conviction — convicted but unsentenced prisoner may be sentenced by a different magistrate sitting in same court.
23 December 1964
Court allowed amendment to add permanent maintenance after decree absolute, exercising discretion despite respondent's complaint of being misled.
  • Divorce procedure — amendment of petition after decree absolute — adding prayer for permanent maintenance — discretionary relief; omission potentially misleading respondent a relevant but not decisive factor (Aggett v Aggett).
10 December 1964
The applicant’s part-year residence and limited local activities determined supertax liability on dividends.
  • Income tax — interpretation of "ordinarily resident" and "carrying on business" — s.86(2)(a) proviso — part‑year residence and limited corporate/letting activities do not suffice for exemption.
4 December 1964
November 1964
Court may examine pre‑divorce settlements for collusion but cannot grant formal approval; fuller affidavit required.
  • Divorce — pre‑petition property settlement — collusion — s.4(3) Matrimonial Causes Act 1963 — rule 2A Matrimonial Causes Rules — court may determine collusion and give directions, not formally approve agreements.
23 November 1964
September 1964
Whether an accused must testify before other defence witnesses under section 191 and if refusal causes miscarriage of justice.
  • Criminal procedure — Order of calling defence witnesses — Whether accused must give evidence before other defence witnesses — Construction of section 191 Criminal Procedure Code (directory vs mandatory) — Substantial miscarriage of justice — Counsel’s tactical choices.
4 September 1964
August 1964
Sections 5 and 9(1) require knowledge; the applicant's unknowingly entering the park warranted acquittal.
  • Statutory construction — presumption of mens rea — displacement only by clear words or necessity to suppress mischief; Criminal law — strict/absolute liability; Game Ordinance (s.5, s.9(1)) — unlawful entry and possession of arms require knowledge; Appeal — convictions quashed where magistrate misapplied absolute liability precedent.
31 August 1964
July 1964
Whether the Commissioner improperly prioritised railway interests and whether third‑party intentions may negate direct adverse effects under section 152.
  • Road traffic law — exercise of statutory discretion under s.152 — matters to be balanced, no primacy for railway interests; appellate jurisdiction under s.155 limited to questions of law; evidence of third‑party future intentions irrelevant to direct adverse effect assessment.
31 July 1964
Criminal courts may question deportation orders; magistrates must investigate birth/status claims before accepting guilty pleas.
  • Deportation — jurisdiction to question validity of deportation orders — acceptance of guilty pleas where birthplace or British-protected status is asserted — proper statutory charge (Deportation Act v Immigration Act).
21 July 1964
June 1964
Similar offences may be taken into consideration at sentencing but must not attract separate convictions or sentences; excessive sentence reduced.
  • Criminal law — Sentencing — Offences taken into consideration — Similar offences may be considered in mitigation but must not be separately convicted and sentenced; appellate intervention where sentence gives a 'sense of shock'.
25 June 1964
May 1964
Non‑compliance with section 192 makes an amendment irregular (saveable under s323), but material evidential variances caused a substantial miscarriage of justice.
  • Criminal procedure — Amendment of charge — Non‑compliance with section 192 (time of amendment, right to recall witnesses, re‑arraignment) — Irregularity not jurisdictional; section 323 — appellate protection where no substantial miscarriage of justice — Variance between charge and evidence — credibility and substantial miscarriage of justice — trial irregularities (prosecutorial misconduct, improper re‑examination, delay).
28 May 1964
Court granted extension under section 73 but warned it will closely scrutinise and not routinely excuse statutory defaults.
  • Companies law — Registration of return of allotments — Section 73 Companies Ordinance — Court discretion to extend time — Not a rubber stamp — Excuse of 'extreme pressure of work' scrutinised — Companies' responsibility to comply with filing obligations.
25 May 1964
April 1964
Court excluded the accused's statements: prosecution must prove confessions were voluntary and not induced by authority.
  • Criminal procedure — admissibility of confessions — voluntariness — burden on prosecution to prove absence of inducement by person in authority — inducement broadly defined (threats, promises, prolonged questioning) — prior inducement may taint subsequent statements — fresh caution required.
25 April 1964
A cheating offence under section 280 does not require the fraudulent device to be aimed at the public at large.
  • Criminal law — Cheating (s.280 Penal Code) — fraudulent trick or device need not be calculated to affect the public at large — precedent in Mukese v Reginam held per incuriam and not binding — assessment of documentary evidence and witness credibility.
13 April 1964
Whether orders under a writ of elegit bind a private sale and whether defective orders are void or voidable.
  • Writ of elegit — sale by judgment creditor — requirement for judicial directions and approval of contract — distinction between void and voidable orders for lack of service — supplemental orders must be made in original proceedings — payment of purchase money into court.
10 April 1964
High Court quashes inadequate magistrate sentence for drunken driving and substitutes immediate custodial sentence and longer licence suspension.
  • Road traffic — Drunk driving — Adequacy of sentence — Reoffending after prior drunken-driving conviction — Suspension of licence and effect on suspended sentence — Review under s.8 Criminal Procedure Code.
9 April 1964
March 1964
Death of a spouse before decree abates divorce; court may only apply pre-existing deposited funds to prior costs.
  • Divorce — abatement by death of spouse — no jurisdiction to make new costs orders after abatement — court may apply funds deposited under existing costs order.
11 March 1964
Self-defence raised reasonable doubt; prosecution failed to disprove lawful homicide, so the accused was acquitted.
  • Criminal law — Murder and manslaughter — Self-defence — Justificable vs excusable homicide — Elements: honest belief and reasonable necessity — Duty to retreat for non-forcible assaults — Burden on prosecution to disprove self-defence where reasonable possibility exists — Accused's silence and witness credibility.
5 March 1964
February 1964
Aider-and-abettor of dangerous driving can be convicted and must face licence suspension absent special, offence-related reasons.
  • Causing death by dangerous driving; aiding and abetting negligence; suspension/disqualification of driving licence mandatory on conviction; "special reasons" must be special or unusual to the offence; section 21 Penal Code applies to offences under statutory law.
24 February 1964
Creditors have no general right to attend or cross-examine at private section 25 bankruptcy examinations.
  • Bankruptcy — section 25 examinations — private/inquisitorial proceedings before registrar — no right for creditors to attend or to cross-examine — counsel for examinee permitted — limited retention/disclosure of notes.
14 February 1964
Territorial High Court granted certiorari quashing an improperly constituted statutory disciplinary tribunal and its confirmations.
  • Administrative law — Judicial review — Certiorari to quash — Tribunal improperly constituted — Statutory disciplinary procedure — Jurisdiction of territorial High Court over federal authorities — Duty to act judicially and natural justice.
3 February 1964
January 1964
Failure to specify particular goods in an attempted theft charge does not invalidate the conviction if the accused was adequately informed.
  • Criminal law — Attempted theft — Particulars of property — Whether specific goods must be specified in charge — Attempt to steal from a container includes attempt to steal its contents — Sufficiency of charge and prejudice to accused.
31 January 1964
Whether a class II subordinate court may enforce a High Court judgment exceeding its statutory £100 jurisdiction.
  • Subordinate court jurisdiction — class II monetary limit (£100) — enforcement of High Court judgments — transfer under s24(2) High Court Ordinance does not enlarge subordinate court jurisdiction (s24(3)) — s19(3) enforcement power limited to resident/senior resident magistrates — jurisdictional increase under s23.
8 January 1964
Threats to burn property are not legal compulsion; prosecution's omission to tender a bald denial did not prejudice the accused.
  • Criminal law — arson; compulsion under section 17 — present threat to life or grievous bodily harm required; joint charge vs indivisible offence; prosecutorial discretion to tender accused's statements; failure to tender may be ground of appeal if miscarriage of justice.
3 January 1964