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Judiciary of Tanzania JUDICIARY OF TANZANIA A QUICK REFERENCE FOR MAGISTRATES IN THE DISTRICT COURTS AND COURTS OF RESIDENT MAGISTRATES IN TANZANIA Published by Judiciary of Tanzania with the support of the World Bank January, 2019 A QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE FOR MAGISTRATES IN THE DISTRICT COURTS AND COURTS OF RESIDENT MAGISTRATES IN TANZANIA PUBLISHED BY THE JUDICIARY OF TANZANIA WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE WORLD BANK JANUARY, 2019 i TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF CASES .................................................................................. xi FOREWORD ................................................................................... xxiii ACKNOWLEDGMENT ....................................................................... xxv ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................xxvii ADVISORY ..................................................................................... xxix CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................... 1 CIVIL PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE ..................................................... 1 1.0: Basic Principles of Administration of Justice .................................. 1 1.1: Overriding Objective.................................................................... 1 1.2: Establishment of District Courts and Courts of Resident Magistrates ........................................................................................................ 3 1.3: Jurisdiction in General ................................................................. 4 1.3.1: Place of suing ........................................................................ 4 1.3.2: Original Jurisdiction ............................................................... 5 1.3.3: Territorial Jurisdiction ............................................................ 5 1.3.4: Pecuniary Jurisdiction ............................................................ 5 1.3.5: Extended Jurisdiction ............................................................. 6 1.3.6: Supervisory Magistrate ........................................................... 7 1.3.7: Honorary Magistrate .............................................................. 7 1.3.8: Concurrent Jurisdiction .......................................................... 7 1.4: Parties to suits ............................................................................ 8 1.5: The Institution of suits ................................................................ 8 i 1.5.1: The plaint ............................................................................. 8 1.5.2: Representative suits .............................................................. 9 1.6: Issue and service of summons ..................................................... 9 1.7: Written statement of defence and counter claim ......................... 10 1.7.1: Written statement of defence ............................................... 10 1.7.2: Counter claim (a cross-suit) ................................................. 10 1.7.3: Extension of time ................................................................ 10 1.7.4: Preliminary objection ........................................................... 10 1.7.5: Res judicata ........................................................................ 11 1.7.6: Amendment of pleadings ..................................................... 11 1.8: Appearance of parties and consequences of non appearance ....... 11 1.9: Ex-parte hearing and judgment ................................................. 12 1.10: Judgment on admission ........................................................... 13 1.11: Temporary injunction, declaratory orders and interlocutory orders ...................................................................................................... 13 1.11.1: Temporary Injunction ........................................................ 13 1.11.2: Interlocutory order ............................................................ 14 1.12: Pre - trial scheduling conference and final pre –trial conference . 14 1.13: Disqualification/recusal of a magistrate ..................................... 15 1.14: Framing of issues .................................................................... 17 1.15: Adjournments ......................................................................... 18 1.16: Transfer of cases .................................................................... 18 1.17: Hearing and examination of witnesses ...................................... 19 ii 1.18: Arrest and attachment before judgment ................................... 20 1.19: Judgment ............................................................................... 20 1.20: Decree ................................................................................... 21 1.21: Award of Interest .................................................................... 21 1.22: Costs ...................................................................................... 22 1.23: Stay of execution .................................................................... 22 1.24: Execution of decrees and orders .............................................. 23 1.25: The Court Brokers and Process Servers (Appointments, Remuneration and Discipline) Rules, 2017 – GN No. 363 of 2017 ........ 23 1.26: Objection proceedings ............................................................. 24 1.27: Appeals .................................................................................. 24 1.28: Review ................................................................................... 25 1.29: Reference (case stated) ........................................................... 25 1.30: Revision.................................................................................. 25 CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................ 27 CRIMINAL LAW, PROCEDURE AND PRACTICE .................................... 27 2.0: Jurisdiction of courts ................................................................. 27 2.1: Summary Jurisdiction ................................................................ 28 2.2: Accused and his plea ................................................................. 30 2.3: Bail .......................................................................................... 31 2.4: Preliminary hearing ................................................................... 31 2.4.1: Alibi .................................................................................... 32 2.5: The criminal trial ....................................................................... 32 iii 2.5.1: Adjournments...................................................................... 33 2.6: Judgment and conviction ........................................................... 34 2.6.1: Sentence ............................................................................. 34 2.6.2: Disposal of exhibits .............................................................. 35 2.7: General principles ..................................................................... 35 2.7.1: Accessory after the fact ....................................................... 35 2. 7.2: Issue estoppel .................................................................... 35 2.7.3: Aiding and abetting ............................................................. 35 2.7.4: Autrefois acquit and autrefois convict ................................... 36 2.7.5: Common intention ............................................................... 36 2.7.6: Recent possession ............................................................... 37 2.7.7: Receiving stolen property ..................................................... 38 2.7.8: Identification parades .......................................................... 39 2.8: Appeals .................................................................................... 39 2.8.1: The process and procedure .................................................. 40 2.9: Revision ................................................................................... 40 2.9.1: Power of the District and Resident Magistrates Court on Revision .................................................................................................... 40 2.10: Committal Proceedings in cases triable by the High Court .......... 40 2. 11: Economic offences CAP 200 .................................................... 41 2.11.1: Jurisdiction ........................................................................ 41 2.11.2: Bail ................................................................................... 42 2.11.3: Consent of the DPP ............................................................ 44 iv 2.11.4: Preliminary inquiry of economic offences ............................. 44 2.11.5: Committal proceedings of economic offences under G.N. No. 267/2016 ...................................................................................... 45 2.12: Contempt of Court .................................................................. 45 CHAPTER THREE ............................................................................. 46 PROBATE AND ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES PROCEEDINGS .......... 46 3.0: Introduction ............................................................................. 46 3.1: Laws applicable in Probate and Administration of Estates in Tanzania ......................................................................................... 47 3.1.1:
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