High Court - 2022 August

31 judgments

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31 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
August 2022
SUMMARY Application for review - Of the decision by the Commander, Lesotho Defence Force to discharge the Applicant from the army in terms of Section 31 of the Lesotho Defence Force Act, 1996 - Applicant further challenging the manner in which the summary trial was conducted - Complaining in essence of a breach of the fundamental right to a fair trial which included non - observance of the tenets of natural justice, discrimination, double jeopardy, charge not supported by evidence, and a sentence disproportionate to the offence - In a case where a member of the Defence Force had been convicted and sentenced following a summary trial and subsequent discharge from the army by the Commander - Court not discerning any irregularity in the manner in which the summary trial was conducted and finding the Commander to have acted within the purview of the Act.
31 August 2022
SUMMARY Organisational restructuring - Applicant seeking to have his salary upgraded from grade ‘J’ to ‘K’ in accordance with the revised approved structure of the Judiciary - And further claiming salary arrears from the date of his appointment to the position - In reaction, Respondents arguing that the claim is misconceived as the new structure of the Judiciary is not yet operational because it has only been ‘approved’ but not yet ‘implemented’ - The revised structure having been approved the court is of the view that Applicant ought to have been paid in accordance with it from the onset of his appointment and orders that he be paid accordingly with arrears as a result of the shortfall in his salary.
31 August 2022
SUMMARY: Tender – Whether a tender can be rejected at the review stage – Whether a Procurement Unit has discretionary powers to condone non – Compliance with the requirements of tender invitation – Regulation 28 couched in peremptory terms and overly rigid – A tender must be rejected at a review stage if it is non – Compliant with the requirements of tender invitation.
31 August 2022
SUMMARY Review – Applicant having been subjected to disciplinary hearing post letter of her resignation- resignation letter rejected for non-compliance with section 39(1) of Public Service Regulations-disciplinary proceedings interdicted in the interim. Whether Applicant properly resigned and whether the 2nd Respondent has a right to refuse applicant’s resignation- Held- letter of resignation constitutes final act of termination of employment contract-application succeeds with costs.
31 August 2022
31 August 2022
SUMMARY Constitutional Law – Application for an order to declare as unlawful, null and void and of no force and effect the decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of Alliance of Democrats (AD) party to hold a constituency elective conference for fresh election of a nominee between the Applicant and 4th Respondent in Mt Moorosi No.67 Constituency to represent the AD in the forthcoming 2022 national elections – Held: Applicant’s nomination effected under the old Mt Moorosi Contituency before the enactment of the Delimitation Order April 2022 no longer enforceable – Mt Moorosi No.67 Constituency being a new constituency following demarcation of new boundaries which has combined the old Mt Moorosi constituency and parts of the abolished Sebapala No.66 Constituecny – Respondents’ decision to hold constituency election for the Mt Moorosi No. 67 Constituency afresh justifiable given the circumstances of the case and is in line with principle of democracy; fairness and natural justice - Application dismissed.
30 August 2022
SUMMARY CIVIL PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE: Abuse of urgency procedure- application dismissed on that basis alone- requirements of application for rescission lodged in terms of Rule 27 of the High Court Rule.
25 August 2022
SUMMARY LAW OF CONTRACT: Cancellation of contract based on breach- fairness and unreasonableness as grounds for avoiding enforcement of a contract- Held, that these cannot be the basis for avoiding enforcement of a contract- undue influence as a ground for terminating an agreement- mistake as to the motive for entering into a contract- Held, that such does not vitiate a contract- Practice and Procedure- foreseeability of a material dispute of fact arising in motion proceedings- the approach to be adopted articulated and applied.
25 August 2022
SUMMARY CIVIL PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE: Abuse of urgency procedure- Application dismissed with punitive costs for abuse of urgency procedure- Law of property- counter application for a spoliatory relief in relation to incorporeal property- principles considered and applied.
25 August 2022
SUMMARY Law of Contract – Application based on Contract for the benefit of a third party vis Stipulatio alteri – The alleged contract not annexed as evidence – No evidence pleaded to support applicant’s case – Application dismissed with costs.
22 August 2022
SUMMARY Judgments and orders – Rescission under rule 45(1)(a) – Whether admission by Counsel acknowledging service of court process to his client is hearsay - The amount already paid not discounted when summons was issued – Whether judgment was erroneously granted.
19 August 2022
SUMMARY LAW OF PROPERTY: Application for a tacid hypothec-The requirements thereof- Civil practice- how evidence which is adduced for the first time in reply should be dealt with- Unjust enrichment- Principles considered and applied
18 August 2022
SUMMARY CIVIL PRACTICE: Application for contempt of court- applicable principles considered and applied- Unjust enrichment where deductions of the applicants’ salaries were made despite the court order prohibiting same towards payment of their loans- The respondents were not enriched by effecting repayment of the loans they advanced to the applicants.
18 August 2022
SUMMARY LAW OF PROPERTY- Non-compliance with section 24 of the Deeds Registry Act- Respondent taking occupation of the sub-leased property before consent sought and the sublease agreement being registered- Consequences thereof- Sublease agreements cancelled and declared null and void
18 August 2022
SUMMARY CIVIL PRACTICE: Application for rescission of judgement in terms of Rule 27- Applicable principles considered and applied.
18 August 2022
SUMMARY: LAW OD DELICT: Commercial appropriation of a person’s image- Applicable principles- Plaintiff alleging that his image was used for commercial purposes without his consent- Plaintiff failing to discharge the onus of proof- The plaintiff further alleging that his rights to corpus and privacy have been infringed- the plaintiff failing to discharge the onus, the claims accordingly dismissed with costs
18 August 2022
SUMMARY COMPANY LAW: Application for judicial management on account of mismanagement of the company by its directors brought in terms of section 156 (1) of the Companies Act 2011- applicable principles considered and applied.
18 August 2022
SUMMARY CIVIL PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE: Application for leave to appeal a dismissed application- whether tenable- A dismissed application incapable of being stayed- Application for leave dismissed with costs.
18 August 2022
SUMMARY DEBT RECOVERY- In an action for recovery of money for goods sold and delivered and where the defendant raises a special defence- the onus of proving the special defence is on the defendant- Postponement of proceedings- Principles applicable re-stated and applied.
18 August 2022
SUMMARY: Application for Summary Judgment – Defendant moving the Court to ignore particulars of claim attached to the summons in considering the application – The propriety of Applicant’s reliance on evidential documents attached to the summons considered – Application for summary judgment granted.
18 August 2022
16 August 2022
SUMMARY Land Court – Applicant and first respondent in dispute over rights on estate – Estate having been bequeathed to the applicant’s wife – Original owners having passed on – Applicant’s mother having survived her husband – first respondent having fraudulently obtained a lease document in his names in respect of this estate – None disclosure of a material fact by the first respondent, that he had lost a case of ejectment against the applicant and his late wife – Effect of none disclosure of such a fact.
16 August 2022
SUMMARY The Rules of natural justice – Transfer – No prehearing procedure followed before applicant was served with the letter of transfer – Actions of administrators to comply with principles of natural justice unless the law provides otherwise.
15 August 2022
SUMMARY Whether claim for spoliation, arising out of employment relationship, amounts to labour dispute – Section 226(2)(b)(i) of Labour (Amendment) Act – Whether permissible for a party to argue un-pleaded point.
15 August 2022
12 August 2022
SUMMARY Variation of a contract can be effected or presumed despite a tenants refusal where a tenant refuses to accept his/her conditions but continues to occupy premises while aware of the Landlord`s contrary intention
10 August 2022
SUMMARY Undefended action for delictual damages arising from a collision between Plaintiff’s and Defendant’s motor vehicles – Negligence and liability - Proof of - Held: Defendant found negligent and liable in damages for fair, necessary and reasonable cost of repairs to Plaintiff’s vehicle.
9 August 2022
SUMMARY Application for reviewing, correcting and setting aside Employer’s decision to stop payment of employee’s monthly salary without giving her a hearing (audi alteram partem) and payment of salary arrears – Applicant stating in her founding affidavit that she was dismissed from work as the Educational Secretary of AME schools in 2017, but continued to be paid a monthly salary until June 2021 – Applicant later claiming in her replying affidavit that she had not been dismissed - Issues for determination: Whether Applicant was entitled to a hearing upon a decision to stop salary and whether she was entitled to payment of salary arrears in view of her account of dismissal – Held: Applicant not allowed to introduce new evidence in the replying affidavit - Applicant bound by her evidence in the founding affidavit -Applicant not entitled to a hearing and unpaid salary payments – application dismissed.
9 August 2022
8 August 2022
SUMMARY Constitutional law – delimitation of constituency boundaries – review of constituency boundaries – whether the review made within the prescribed period – whether elections should be held when constituency boundaries have not been reviewed and altered according to the provisions of the Constitution – Constitution, ss.67 and 84; National Assembly Electoral Act No.14 of 2011, sections 142 and 153; Interpretation Act No. 19 of 1977.
8 August 2022
SUMMARY Urgent application – Practice - Is there urgency? – Abuse of Court process, what constitutes.
5 August 2022