Juma Ally & Others vs Republic (Criminal Appeal 31 of 1996) [1999] TZHC 37 (15 January 1999)

TN T H E H T G H C O U R T OF T A N Z A N I A A T P A R ES S A L A A M (PC) C R I M I N A L A P P E A L NO. 31 O F 19 96 ( O r i g i n a t i n g f r o m T l a l a District. C o u r t Cr. A D D e a l No. 50\ 95 an d B u g u r u n i No C r . C a s e P r i m a r y C o u r t 6 1 9 \ 9 5 ) ) \ A P P E L L A N T S ) V E R S U S R E P U B L I C ...................................... R E S P O N D E N T J U M A A L L Y H U S S E I N A L L Y J U M A N N E S E L E M A N I R A M A D H A N Y U S U F J U D G E M E N T K A L K G E Y A . J. T h e Appellants.. J u m a A l l y , H u s s e n A l l y , J u m a n n e S u l e m a n i and R a m a d h a n i Y u s u f (1st to 4 t h A p p e l l a n t s r e s p e c t i v e l y ) w e r e c o n v i c t e d b y B u g u r u n i P r i m a r y C o u r t w i t h r o b b e r y w i t h v i o l e n c e c\s 2 85 a n d 286 of th e Penal Code. T h e 1st and 2nd a p p e l l a n t s w e r e e a c h s e n t e n c e d to o n e y e a r in jail , w h i l e , d u e to t h e i r age,, the 3rd a nd 4t.h A p p e l l a n t s w e r e c o n d i t i o n a r v d i s c h a r g e d for a p e r i o d of 12 m o n t h s . O n e M o h a m e d Ally, the c o m p l a i n a n t v i c t i m of the r o b b e r y c o u l d not s t o m a c h su c h s e n t e n c e . He subseauent.lv a p p e a l e d to t h e T l a l a D i s t r i c t C o u r t w h i c h e n h a n c e d t he s e n t e n c e to 15 y e a r s i m p r i s o n m e n t w i t h an o r d e r that t h e y ( c o n v i c t s ) s h o u l d c o m p e n s a t e h i m w i t h s h s . 5 7 , 0 0 0 / = for the s t o l e n p r o o e r t v . It h a d b e e n a l l e g e d th a t the a c c u s e d s (no w a p p e l l a n t s ) had r o b b e d c o m p l a i n a n t s h s .3 0 , 0 0 0 / = , o n e R o m a n o w r i s t w a t c h and o n e p a i r of shoes. F i n d i n g the D i s t r i c t C o u r t ' s d e c i s i o n s t i f f the A p p e l l a n t s ( R e s p o n d e n t s in the District. C o u r t ) t r i e d t h e i r luck w i t h the H i g h C o u r t c h a l l e n g i n g t he c o n v i c t i o n and e n s u i n g s e n t e n c e s . U n f o r t u n a t e l y for b o t h p a r t i e s th i s c o u r t c a n n o t go in t o te m e r i t s of t h i s a p p ea l. T h i s is so b e c a u s e of a p r o f o u n d d e f e c t v i v i d o n the r e c o r d of the p r i m a r y c o u r t w h i c h r e n d e r the p r o c e e d i n g s a n d e n s u i n g f i n d i n g s an d o r d e r s a n u l l i t y . T h e sai d 1

p r o c e e d i n g s v i o l a t e d R u l e 3 of T h e M a g i s t r a t e ' s C o u r t s (P r im a r v C o u r t s ) ( J u d g e m e n t of t h e c o u r t ) R u l e s . 1 9 8 8 (GN 2 of 1 9 8 4 ) w h i c h p r o v i d e s as f o l l o w s :- " 3 ( 1 ) W h e r e in a n y p r o c e e d i n g s t h e c o u r t h a s h e a r d all th e e v i d e n c e or m a t t e r s p e r t a i n i n g to th e i s s u e t o be d e t e r m i n e d b y t he c o u r t , the M a g i s t r a t e shall, p r o c e e d to c o n s u l t w i t h t h e a s s e s s o r p r e s e n t , w i t h t h e v i e w o f r e a c h i n g a d e c i s i o n of t he co u r t . (2) Tf all the m e m b e r s of t h e c o u r t a g r e e o n o n e d e c i s i o n , t h e M a g i s t r a t e sh al l p r o c e e d to r e c o r d the d e c i s i o n or j u d g e m e n t of th e c o u r t w h i c h shal l be s i g n e d b y all t h e m e m b e r s . (3) F o r t h e a v o i d a n c e of d o u b t a M a g i s t r a t e sha ll not . in l i e u of or in a d d i t i o n to., t h e c o n s u l t a t i o n s r e f e r r e d t o in s u b - r u l e (1) of t h i s ru l e , b e e n t i t l e d to s u m llP to th e o t h e r m e m b e r s of t h e co ur t . A t t h e c l o s e of t h e d e f e n c e c a s e , the tr ia l M a g i s t r a t e s u m m a r i s e d t h e e v i d e n c e t o t h e a s s e s s o r s an d t h e n i n v i t e d t h e i r o p i n i o n s in t h e f o l l o w i n g w o r d s , W a s h a u r i , m n a t a k i w a m t o e m a o n i v e n u iuu va h a t i a va washit.ak.iwa i w a p o m n a o n a w a s h t a k . (!) w a n a v o h a t i a m s i s i t e k u w a t i a h a t i a n i na m t o e s a b a b u za k u w a o n a k u w a na h a t i a na i w a p o m t a o n a h a w a n a h a t i a m s i s i t e k u w a t o a h a t i a n i " . T h e g e n t l e m e n a s s e s s o r s t h e n p r o c e e d e d t o g i v e t h e i r o p i n i o n s against, w h i c h t h e y d u l y s i g n e d . T h e trial M a g i s t r a t e t h e n p r o c e e d e d to r e c o r d , "I I AMU 7 . T M i m i p i a n a u n g a n a na w a s h a u r i k u w a w a s h i t a k i w a w n t e w a n n e w a n a v o h a t i a va u n v a n a a n y i K \ F 785 s u r a va 16 K.A. k w a s a b a b u z i f u a t a z o (he t h e n w e n t o n t o e n u m e r a t e 3 r e a s o n s ) . T h i s is f o l l o w e d by H i v v o w a s h i t a k i w a w o t e kw a p a m o i a w a n a v o h a t i a va u n y a n g a 'n v i . 2

M A K O S A Y A Z A M A N T W a s h i t a k i w a w o t e w a n n e h a w a n a m a k o s a ya a a m a n i " . T h i s f o l l o w e d b y m i t i g a t i o n ; t h e n a s s e s s o r * o p i n i o n S « d 1 a s , S e n t e n C e ' T h i S t U r n is f o l l o w e d - b y „ hi,t is "A d h a b u " . and fi n a l l y hv HUKUMU < i ) A p a r t f r o m a j u m b l e d r e c o r d , a n d v i o l a t i o n o f R u l e 3. e v e n t h e c o n v i c t i o n is n o t s i g n e d n e i t h e r b y t h e M a g i s t r a t e n o r t h e a s s e s s o r s ! It is a s c l e a r a s d a y r i g h t t h a t t h e r e is n o i u d o e m e n t a c c o r d i n g t o law. T h i s s i t u a t i o n l e a d s to o n l y o n e c o n s e o u e n r e - p r o c e e d i n g s o f b o t h l o w e r C o u r t s b e i n g d e c l a r e d a l i t v G e n e r a l l y , in s u c h s i t u a t i o n s a t r i a l d e n o v o is o r d e r e d ' ( P r ) C i v i l A p p e a l No. 6 \ 9 7 I b r a h i m S a i d , D s m H C Regist.rv - u n r e p o r t e d ). I h a v e s e r i o u s l y c o n s i d e r e d t h i s u s u a l c o u r s e b u t I h a v e f i n a l l y r e a c h e d a c o n c l u s i o n t h a t it is n o t in t h e i n t e r e s t o f i u s t i c e ^ *° a ' n ° V O) d i r B C t ln f hs P r e s e n t c a s e . The A p p e l l a n t s h a v e SO f a r spent, o v e r t h r e e y e a r s in p r i s o n . For t h ^ r e a s o n , t h e l o w e r c o u r t s ' p r o c e e d i n g s a r e d e c l a r e d a n u l l i t y , a n d c o n s e q u e n t l y t h e c o n v i c t i o n s a n d s e n t e n c e s f j o w i n a t h e r e f r o m A p p e l l a n t s t o b e s e t at l i b e r t y u n l e s s o t h e r w i s e l a w f u l l y he ld. (T.. R , Ka 1 e g e v a ) JIJDGK J u d g e m e n t d e l i v e r e d t o d a y t h e 1 8 \ n w in t h e p r e s e n c e o f Mr. M d e m e . S t a t e A t t o r n e y . 3