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The Limits of Judicial Enterprise: Judicial Powers in the Process of Political Change in Tanzania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

J. T. Mwaikusa
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Extract

In the past few years the High Court of Tanzania has produced some bold decisions demonstrating an impressively firm stand by the judiciary in its role of dispensing justice without fear of executive threat or intimidation. Most of these decisions came after the Bill of Rights, enacted into the Constitution in 1984, became justiciable in 1989 and widened the scope of judicial control of executive powers.

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Articles
Information
Journal of African Law , Volume 40 , Issue 2: SPECIAL FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY NUMBER LIBER AMICORUM FOR PROFESSOR JAMES S. READ , Autumn 1996 , pp. 243 - 255
Copyright
Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies 1996

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References

1 Chumchua Marwa v. Officer i/c Musoma Prison & the Attorney General, High Court of Tanzania, Mwanza Registry, Misc. Criminal Cause No. 2 of 1988 (unreported).

2 Parliamentary Debates, 28 June, 1962: cols. 1107–1108.

3 James F Gwagilo v. The Attorney General, High Court of Tanzania, Dodoma Registry, Civil Case No. 23 of 1993.

4 Kukutia Ole Pumbun v. Attorney General, [1993] 2 L.R.C. 317.Google Scholar

5 A leading case in this category has been Director of Public Prosecutions v. Daudi Pete, [1991] L.R.C. (Const) 553.

6 Republic v. Mbushuu & Another, [1994] 2 L.R.C. 335 (HC) and [1995] 1 L.R.C. 216 (CA).Google Scholar

7 See some of the accounts given in Peter, C. M., “Tanzania”, in Harding, A. and Hatchard, J. (eds.), Preventive Detention and Security Law: A Comparative Survey, Dordrecht, 1993, 247–257Google Scholar, as well as in L.T. Kalunga, “Human rights and the Preventive Detention Act 1962 of the United Republic of Tanzania: some operative aspects”, and John Quigley, “Cases on Preventive Detention Act”, both in (1978–1981) 11–14 Eastern Afiica Law Review, 281–370.

8 Mwalusanya, J. L., Upanuzi wa Demokrasia na Uimarishaji wa Hold za Binadamu Katika Mfumo wa Demokrasia ya Vyama Vingi Tanzania, Dodoma, 1993.Google Scholar

9 Chumchua Marwa v. Officer i/c Musoma Prison & the Attorney General, op. cit.

10 Attorney General v. Marwa Magori, Tanzania Court of Appeal, Criminal Appeal No. 95 of 1988 (unreported).

11 Also see the observations in Issa Shivji, G., “Contradictory developments in the teaching and practice of human rights law in Tanzania”, [1991] 35 J.A.L. 116 at 120–127.Google Scholar

12 See the remarks by the Chief Justice of Tanzania, Nyalali, F. L., “Legal reform for democracy in Tanzania”, [Jan. 1995] 50 Bulletin ofTanzanian Affairs, 12 at 12–13.Google Scholar

13 For a brief account of “sungusungu”, see Mwaikusa, J. T., “Maintaining law and order in Tanzania: the rule of sungusungu defence groups”, in Semboja, Joseph and Ole Therkildsen (eds.), Service Provision Under Stress in East Africa, London, 1995, 166–178.Google Scholar

14 Ngwengwe Sangija & Others v. Republic, High Court of Tanzania, Mwanza Registry, Crimina Appeal No. 72 of 1987 (unreported); the others are civil cases at the same (Mwanza) Registry of the High Court: Charles Mwita & Another v. Mresi & Eleven Others; Misperesi K. Maingu v. Hamisi Mtongori & Others; and Amoni Magigi Nyamuganda & Another v. Bonifas Kilingo & Others. They were Civil Cases Nos. 15, 16 and 22 respectively, all of 1988.

15 Attorney General & Others v. Kabourou, [1995] 2 L.R.C. 757.Google Scholar

16 Christopher Mtikila & Others v. Republic, High Court of Tanzania, Dodoma Registry, Criminal Appeal No. 90 of 1992 (unreported).

17 Rev. Christopher Mtikila v. The Attorney General, High Court of Tanzania, Dodoma Registry, Case No. 5 of 1993 (unreported).Google Scholar

18 Ibid, at 44 of the typescript of the final Ruling, delivered on 27 October, 1994.

19 Ibid. 21.

20 Rev. Christopher Mtikila v. The Editor, Business Times & Augustino Lyatonga Mrema, High Cour t of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam Registry, Civil Case No. 47 of 1992 (unreported).

21 High Court of Tanzania, Tabora Registry, Civil Case No. 3 of 1982 (unreported).

22 Pumbun & Another v. Attorney General & Another, [1993] 2 L.R.C. 317.Google Scholar

23 High Court of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam Registry, Civil Case No. 168 of 1993 (unreported).

24 Ibid.

25 Ibid, at 27 of the typed script.

26 Rev. Christopher Mtikila v. The Attorney General, High Court of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam Registry, Civil Case No. 5 of 1993.

27 Ibid, at 3 of the typed script of the Preliminary Ruling, delivered on 22 September, 1994.

28 Mwalusanya, op. cit., 10; also Mwalusanya, J. L., “Conditions for the functioning of a democratic constitution”, in Mtaki, C. K. and Okema, Michael (eds.), Constitutional Reforms and Democratic in Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, 1994, 21–36, at 26.Google Scholar

29 Rev. Christopher Mtikila v. The Attorney General, op. cit., n. 26 above, at 2 of the typescript of the Preliminary Ruling, delivered on 22 September, 1994.

30 High Court of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam Registry, Civil Case No. 214 of 1992 (unreported).

31 Ibid, at 20 of the typescript.

32 High Court of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam Registry, Civil Case No. 206 of 1993 (unreported).

33 Rev. Christopher Mtikila & the Democratic Party v. The Attorney General & the Registrar of Political Parties, High Court of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam Registry, Miscellaneous Civil Application No. 42 of 1993 (unreported).

34 Rev. Christopher Mtikila & the Democratic Party v. The Attorney General & the Registrar of Political Parties, High Court of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam Registry, Miscellaneous Civil Cause No. 67 of 1993 (unreported).

35 Rev. Christopher Mtikila & the Democratic Party v. The Attorney General & the Registrar of Political Parties, Tanzania Court of Appeal, Civil Appeal No. 28 of 1995 (unreported).

36 Rev. Christopher Mtikila & the Democratic Party v. The Attorney General & the Registrar of Political Parties, Tanzania Court of Appeal, Civil Application No. 52 of 1995 (unreported).

37 Report of the Presidential Commission on the Establishment of a Democratic One Party State, Dar es Salaam, 1965, 31.Google Scholar

38 About villagization see some of the accounts in Hyden, G., Beyond Ujamaa in Tanzania: Underdevelopment and an Uncaptwred Peasantry, London, 1980, 129–131Google Scholar, 143–151; Coulson, A. (ed.), African Socialism in Practice: The Tanzanian Experience, Nottingham, 1979, chs. 8, 9 and 10Google Scholar; Coulson, A., Tanzania: A Political Economy, Oxford, 1982, 250–254Google Scholar; Tanzania, , Maendeleo ya Vijij, Dodoma, 1975.Google Scholar

39 Above, n. 15.