Tuico - Ottu Union and Another vs NBC (1977)L.T.D and Two Others (Civil Case 11 of 1999) [1999] TZHC 26 (25 June 1999)

IN T H E H I G H C O U R T O F T A N Z A N I A D A R ES S A L A A M M A I N R E G I S T R Y A T P A R E S S A L A A M MISC. C I V I L C A U S E N O . 1 1 / 1 9 9 9 (1) T U I C O - O T T U U N I O N ...... A P P L I C A N T (2) A U G U S T I N E C E L E S T I N E V E R S U S (1) N B C (1997) I.TD ..... 1 S T R E S P O N D E N T {2) P S R C ......... * ....... 2 N D R E S P O N D E N T (3) A T T O R N E Y G E N E R A L --- 3 R D R E S P O N D E N T R U L I N G M A P T G A N O . J : T h e p r e l i m i n a r y p o i n t of l a w w h i c h has b e e n t a k e n b y t he 1 / A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l in o p p o s i t i o n to the a p p l i c a n t ' c h a m b e r s u m m o n s is an i n t e r e s t i n g one. In the c h a m b e r s u m m o n s the a p p l i c a n t s s e e k a n o r d e r for i n t e r i m r e l i e f p e n d i n g the h e a r i n g of an a p p e a l w h i c h t h e y i n t e n d n p r e f e r to the C o u r t of A p p e a l a g a i n s t this C o u t h ' s r e f u s a l to g r a n t l e a v e to t h e m to a p p l y for p r e r o g a t i v e o rders. T h e A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l c o n t e n d s that h a v i n g r e f u s e d s u c h leave t his C o u r t is f u n c t u s o f f i c i o a n d has, t h e r e f o r e , no j u r i s d i c t i o n to g r a n t a n y f o r m of i n t e r i m relief. T o s t a r t with, I w i l l s a y a few w o r d s a b o u t s o m e c o l l a t e r a l m a t t e r s w h i c h h a v e c r o p p e d up d u r i n g c o u n s e l ' s a r g u m e n t s . First, P r o f e s s o r Shi v j i , c o u n s e l for the a p p l i c a n t s , is r i g h t in s a y i n g that the s o u r c e of the j u r i s d i c t i o n of this c o u r t to e n t e r t a i n

a p p l i c a t i o n s f o r p r e r o g a t i v e o r d e r s is t h e J u d i c a t u r e a n d A p p l i c a t i o n of L a w s O r d i n a n c e , C a p 453 , w h i c h i m p o r t s i n t o T a n z a n i a t h e s u b s t a n c e of t h e c o m m o n law, d o c t r i n e s of e q u i t y a n d s t a t u t e s of g e n e r a l A p p l i c a t i o n in f o r c e in E n g l a n d o n t h e r e c e p t i o n d a t e , i.e. 2 2 / 7 / 1 9 2 0 . H e is a l s o r i g h t in s a y i n g t h a t in r e g a r d t o p r o c e d u r e s u c h a p p l i c a t i o n s a r e n o t g o v e r n e d b y t h e p r o v i s i o n s of t h e C i v i l P r o c e d u r e C o d e or t h e G o v e r n m e n t P r o c e e d i n g s Act. S e c o n d l y , t h e r e is n o w r i t t e n l a w w h i c h s p e c i f i c a l l y c o n f e r s p o w e r o n t h i s C o u r t t o g r a n t i n t e r i m i n j u n c t i o n s p e n d i n g a p p e a l to t h e C o u r t of A p p e a l , a n d w h e r e t h e C o u r t h a s g r a n t e d s u c h r e l i e f s it h a s d o n e s o b y i n v o k i n g i ts i n h e r e n t j u r i s d i c t i o n . T h i r d l y , t h i s C o u r t h a s c o n s i s t e n t l y h e l d t h a t it h a s a l s o i n h e r e n t j u r i s d i c t i o n to g r a n t i n j u n c t i v e r e l i e f p e n d i n g th e h e a r i n g of t h e A p p l i c a t i o n f o r l e a v e t o m o v e f or j u d i c i a l r e v i e w a n d p e n d i n g t h e d i s p o s a l of t h e s u b s t a n t i v e a p p l i c a t i o n . T h e q u e s t i o n n o w b e f o r e m e is w h e t h e r t h i s C o u r t h a s a l s o j u r i s d i c t i o n t o g r a n t i n t e r i m r e l i e f s p e n d i n g a p p e a l t o t h e C o u r t of A p p e a l w h e r e l e a v e t o m o v e f or j u d i c i a l r e v i e w h a s b e e n w i t h h e l d . T h e A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l , as a l r e a d y m e n t i o n e d , a s s e r t s t h a t t h e C o u r t d o e s n o t p o s s e s s s u c h j u r i s d i c t i o n . It is s a i d by M r K a m b a , o n h i s b e h a l f , t h a t w h e r e t h e C o u r t h a s r e f u s e d s u c h l e a v e it b e c o m e s f u n c t u s o f f i c i o a n d h a s n o j u r i s d i c t i o n to g r a n t a n y f o r m of i n t e r i m r e l i e f . R e l i a n c e is p l a c e d u p o n t h e S u p r e m e C o u r t P r a c t i c e [ 1 9 9 3 ] , p a r a 5 3 / 1 - 1 4 / 2 4 , w h i c h w a s c i t e d w i t h a p p r o v a l b y t h e H o u s e of L o r d s in t h e c a s e o f M v H o m e O f f i c e a n d

a n o t h e r , [1 9 9 3 ] 3 A l l E R S 37 at 565; a n d o n t h e c o m m e n t m a d e b y t h e l e a r n e d a u t h o r s of M u l l a o n the I n d i a n C o d e of C i v i l P r o c e d u r e , 1 4 t h ed. p , 2 1 3 6 p a r a 3. R e f e r e n c e h a s a l s o b e e n m a d e to t h e d e c i s i o n of S a m a t t a , JK, as h e t h e n w a s , in t h e c a s e of V i d y a d h a r G.—C h a v d a v T h e D i r e c t o r o f I m m i g r a t i o n S e r v i c e s a n d t w o o t h e r s M i s c . Civ. C a u s e N o . 5 of 1 9 9 5 of t h e H i g h C o u r t M a i n R e g i s t r y . I s h o u l d h o w e v e r p o i n t out,, w i t h r e s p e c t t o M r K a m b a , t h a t t h e i s s u e b e f o r e t h e l e a r n e d j u d g e in that, c a s e w a s w h e t h e r t h i s C o u r t h a s p o w e r to g r a n t an i n t e r l o c u t o r y i n j u n c t i o n b e f o r e h e a r i n g an a p p l i c a t i o n for l e a v e to a p p l y for a p r e r o g a t i v e o r d e r . It. is t r u e t h a t at o n e p o i n t in t h e c o u r s e of h i s r u l i n g t h e j u d g e h a p p e n e d to q u o t e t h e p a r a g r a p h in t h e SCP, [1993], B u t I t h i n k t h e r e is no o n e e x c e p t t h e j u d g e h i m s e l f w h o k n o w s for c e r t a i n w h e t h e r he s u b s c r i b e d to t h e v i e w t h a t t h e C o u r t has a l s o t h e p o w e r t o g r a n t i n t e r i m r e l i e f s p e n d i n g a p p e a l to the C o u r t o f A p p e a l o n c e it h a s r e f u s e d l e a v e to m o v e for j u d i c i a l re v i e w . O n h i s p a r t P r o f e s s o r S h i v j i t a k e s t h e o p p o s i t e v i e w . It is his c o n t e n t i o n t h a t t h e C o u r t is n o t f u n c t u s o f f i c i o a n d t h a t in a p p r o p r i a t e c i r c u m s t a n c e s t h e C o u r t c a n p r o p e r l y r e s o r t to its i n h e r e n t j u r i s d i c t i o n a n d g r a n t i n t e r i m r e l i e f s e v e n w h e r e it h a s r e f u s e d l e a v e to a p p l y for t h e o r d e r s . H e h a s c i t e d s e v e r a l a u t h o r i t i e s t o s u p p o r t h i s p r o p o s i t i o n . P r o f e s s o r S h i v j i s u b m i t s t h a t in so far as t h e g r a n t of i n t e r i m r e l i e f s is c o n c e r n e d t h e r e is no d i s t i n c t i o n in p r i n c i p l e b e t w e e n a n a p p l i c a t i o n for l e a v e to m o v e f o r j u d i c i a l r e v i e w a n d

a n a p p e a l a g a i n s t a refusal, of s u c h l e a v e . I n e a c h c a s e , h e s a y s , t h e p u r p o s e is to p r e s e r v e t h e s t a t u s q u o in o r d e r t o e n s u r e t h a t if t h e a p p l i c a t i o n f o r t h e o r d e r s is g r a n t e d , o r if t h e a p p e a l s u c c e e d s , t h e a p p l i c a n t o r t h e a p p e l l a n t , as t h e c a s e m a y be, d o e s n o t o b t a i n a m e r e b a r r e n s u c c e s s . It s h o u l d b e r e a l i s e d t h a t a l l t h e c a s e s c i t e d b y P r o f e s s o r S h i v j i w e r e c i v i l p r o c e e d i n g s . It s e e m s to m e t h a t t h e r e is n o j u d i c i a l p r o n o u n c e m e n t o n t h e p o i n t r a i s e d b y t h e A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l in T a n z a n i a a n d t h a t , t h e r e f o r e , t h e p r e s e n t c a s e is o n e o f f i r s t i m p r e s s i o n . I h a v e g i v e n t h e m a t t e r s u f f i c i e n t c o n s i d e r a t i o n a n d I h a v e p r e f e r r e d t o g o w i t h w h a t t h e S C P (1993) s a y s , n a m e l y , t h a t if a j u d g e at f i r s t i n s t a n c e h a s r e f u s e d l e a v e t o m o v e t o j u d i c i a l r e v i e w , h e is f u n c t u s o f f i c i o a n d h a s n o j u r i s d i c t i o n t o g r a n t a n y f o r m of i n t e r i m r e l i e f . I h a v e t a k e n t h e v i e w t h a t w h e n a j u d g e in t h e H i g h C o u r t r e f u s e s l e a v e t o a p p l y f o r p r e r o g a t i v e o r d e r s , h e t h e r e b y t h r o w s the m a t t e r out of the C o u r t . It is t r u e t h a t t h e m a t t e r c a n be t a k e n t o t h e C o u r t of ' B u t w h e r e a n a p p l i c a n t g o e s t o t h e C o u r t o f A p p e a l , h e is, a s t h e S C P ( 1 9 9 3 ) s a y s , r e n e w i n g th e a p p l i c a t i o n f o r l e a v e t o m o v e for j u d i c i a l r e v i e w , a n d I n e e d n o t j [^ ^ -j — ad d t h a t C o u r t is v e s t e d w i t h j u r i s d i c t i o n t o d e a l w i t h t h e m a t t e r . In the event, I have to sustain the Attorney General's objection a n d strike out the chamber summons. It is so ordered. I have to confess that it has not been easy to come to that decision in complete certitude. Indeed, more often than not,

t h a t is w h a t h a p p e n s w h e n a c o u r t is f a c e d w i t h a d i f f i c u l t c a s e of f i r s t i m p r e s s i o n . D e 1 i v e r e d . Dr. W a m b a l i (for P r o f . Sh.ivji) for A p p l i c a n t s M r M u j u l i z i for 1 s t a n d 2nd R e s p o n d e n t s . M r N g w e m b e for t h e 3 r d R e s p o n d e n t . D . P . M a p i g a n o J U D G E . 2 5 / 6 / 9 9