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Uganda Judgment

High Court of Uganda

Mrs Betty Kibwota v Oloya Joel & oers. (Civil Suit No.74 Of 2003) (Civil Suit No.74 of 2003) [2009] UGHC 32 (29 January 2009)

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01

Holding and result

The High Court determined that it could not proceed to deliver judgment on the appeal due to the absence of the original trial court file and documentary exhibits. The missing records made it impossible to resolve the central issue of whether the trial court had jurisdiction over the subject matter, specifically the sale of land valued at approximately UGX 6,000,000. In the interest of justice and to ensure a fair determination of the dispute, the court ordered a retrial to be conducted by the High Court, with specific timelines for filing pleadings and preserving the status quo of the suit land until final determination.

Court disposition

retrial ordered

Orders

  • A retrial is ordered in the case to be conducted by the High Court.
  • Respondents as plaintiffs to file and serve pleadings by 16th February 2009.
  • Appellant as defendant to file pleadings by 2nd March 2009.
  • Any reply to be filed by 9th March 2009.
  • Case to be mentioned on 16th March 2009 at 9:00 a.m.
  • None of the parties is to pay any fees for the retrial.
  • Status quo of Plot 50E Andrea Olal Road to be preserved; no change of ownership or permanent occupation until final determination.
  • Costs of proceedings so far to be decided in the retrial.

02

Material facts

Parties

Mrs. Betty Kibwota

Appellant

Oloya Joel

Respondent

Omara Godfrey

Respondent

Bongomin Alfred

Respondent

Alyek Alice

Respondent

Lakareber Jeniifer

Respondent

Ventorina Lamunu Okello

Respondent

Amounts and remedies

  • Value of Suit Land: UGX 6,000,000

03

Procedural history

  1. Posture

    Civil Appeal / Ruling on Appeal

04

Questions and positions

Legal issues

Party arguments

Applicant
Counsel for the appellant submitted that the appeal should be determined based on the available Photostat copies of proceedings and judgment, as the original file could not be traced despite efforts.
Respondent
Counsel for the respondents agreed to proceed on the basis of Photostat copies and made submissions on the grounds of appeal, but acknowledged the absence of the original trial court file and documentary exhibits.

05

Court’s reasoning

  1. 01

    Uganda civil procedure jurisprudence

    A court cannot deliver judgment on appeal without the original trial record and documentary exhibits.

  2. 02

    Civil Procedure Act, Cap 71

    Jurisdiction of the trial court must be established from the pleadings and evidence on record.

  3. 03

    High Court inherent powers

    In the interest of justice, a retrial may be ordered where the record is missing and the issues cannot be resolved.

06

Ratio, limits and disposition

Ratio decidendi

The High Court determined that it could not proceed to deliver judgment on the appeal due to the absence of the original trial court file and documentary exhibits. The missing records made it impossible to resolve the central issue of whether the trial court had jurisdiction over the subject matter, specifically the sale of land valued at approximately UGX 6,000,000. In the interest of justice and to ensure a fair determination of the dispute, the court ordered a retrial to be conducted by the High Court, with specific timelines for filing pleadings and preserving the status quo of the suit land until final determination.

Obiter and limits

  • The appeal has been pending for four years, and progress must be made in the matter.
  • None of the parties is to pay any fees for the retrial.
  • The status quo of the suit land must be preserved, with no change of ownership or permanent occupation until the retrial is concluded.
  • Costs of the proceedings so far conducted will be decided in the ordered retrial.

Court disposition

retrial ordered

  • A retrial is ordered in the case to be conducted by the High Court.
  • Respondents as plaintiffs to file and serve pleadings by 16th February 2009.
  • Appellant as defendant to file pleadings by 2nd March 2009.
  • Any reply to be filed by 9th March 2009.
  • Case to be mentioned on 16th March 2009 at 9:00 a.m.
  • None of the parties is to pay any fees for the retrial.
  • Status quo of Plot 50E Andrea Olal Road to be preserved; no change of ownership or permanent occupation until final determination.
  • Costs of proceedings so far to be decided in the retrial.

Source and reliance status

High Court of Uganda

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Source document

Judgment reading view

Judgment text

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Source document

High Court of Uganda

Judgment

[2009] UGHC 32

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(}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl8 \pnlcltr\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl9\pnlcrm\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\insrsid4202399\charrsid2584756 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11083649 {\b\insrsid7025925\charrsid2584756 THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA \par IN THE HIGH COURT OF UGANDA AT GULU \par HCT \endash 02 \endash CV \endash CA \endash 031 \endash 2004 \par (Arising from C. S. No.}{\b\insrsid2374000 GUL- OO \endash CV \endash CS \endash 0074 \endash 200}{\b\insrsid7025925\charrsid2584756 3) \par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11083649 {\b\insrsid7025925\charrsid2584756 \par }{\b\insrsid4202399\charrsid2584756 }{\b\insrsid7025925\charrsid2584756 MRS. BETTY KIBWOTA:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::APPELLANT \par }{\b\insrsid4202399\charrsid2584756 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11083649 {\b\insrsid7025925\charrsid2584756 =VERSUS= \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\lang1033\langfe1033\langnp1033\langfenp1033\insrsid7025925\charrsid2584756 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 1.\tab}}\pard \qj

\fi-360\li720\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar \jclisttab\tx720\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\ls1\adjustright\rin0\lin720\itap0\pararsid11083649 {\b\insrsid7025925\charrsid2584756 OLOYA JOEL \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\lang1033\langfe1033\langnp1033\langfenp1033\insrsid7025925\charrsid2584756 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 2.\tab}OMARA GODFREY \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\lang1033\langfe1033\langnp1033\langfenp1033\insrsid7025925\charrsid2584756 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 3.\tab}BONGOMIN ALFRED \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\lang1033\langfe1033\langnp1033\langfenp1033\insrsid7025925\charrsid2584756 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 4.\tab}ALYEK ALICE \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\lang1033\langfe1033\langnp1033\langfenp1033\insrsid7025925\charrsid2584756 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 5.\tab}LAKAREBER JENIFFER \par {\listtext\pard\plain\b\lang1033\langfe1033\langnp1033\langfenp1033\insrsid7025925\charrsid2584756 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 6.\tab}VENTORINA LAMUNU OKELLO:::::::::::::RESPONDENT \par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11083649 {\b\insrsid7025925\charrsid2584756 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11083649 {\b\ul\insrsid7025925\charrsid2584756 BEFORE: HON. JUSTICE REMMY K. KASULE \par }\pard \qj

\li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11083649 {\b\ul\insrsid7025925\charrsid2584756 \par RULING \par }{\insrsid8007573\charrsid2584756 This appeal arises from the Chief Magistrate Court, Civil Suit No. 74 of 2003. Judgment in that suit was delivered on 6}{\super\insrsid8007573\charrsid2584756 th}{\insrsid8007573\charrsid2584756 December, 2004, and this appeal was lodged therefrom on 13}{\super\insrsid8007573\charrsid2584756 th}{\insrsid8007573\charrsid2584756 December, 2004. On 14}{\super\insrsid8007573\charrsid2584756 th}{\insrsid8007573\charrsid2584756 December, 2004, the Chief Magistrate}{\insrsid6369865\charrsid2584756 ,}{\insrsid8007573\charrsid2584756 Gulu}{\insrsid6369865\charrsid2584756 , was requested by the Registrar, High Court, Gulu, to forward the Court file of the trial proceedings and judgment to this court so as to have the appeal determined. The file has never been furnished to this court. All efforts to trace the same have been futile.}{\insrsid8007573\charrsid2584756 \par }{\insrsid6369865\charrsid2584756 \par On }{\insrsid11416852\charrsid2584756 19}{\super\insrsid11416852\charrsid2584756 th}{\insrsid11416852\charrsid2584756 May 2008, on the basis of proceedings by way of Photostat copies provided to the court by counsel for both ap pellant and respondents, court allowed counsel to make submissions on

the grounds of appeal. Judgment was reserved.}{\insrsid6369865\charrsid2584756 \par }{\insrsid11416852\charrsid2584756 \par This court has come to the conclusion that it cannot proceed to deliver judgment in the absence of the original trial because the pleadings filed in}{\insrsid4655562\charrsid2584756 the trial }{\insrsid11416852\charrsid2584756 court are missing. So too are the documentary exhibits that the parties submitted to court. }{\insrsid4202399\charrsid2584756 Further}{\insrsid11416852\charrsid2584756 , from the Photostat copy of proceedings and judgment availed to this court, it would appear that the issues in dispute involve a sale of a plot of land by the respondents}{\insrsid5456858\charrsid2584756 to the appellant. The value of that plot of land, at the material time, is put by the parties to have been around shs 6.000,000/= This brings out the issue whether or not, at the time of filing and trial of the orig inal civil suit No. 74 of 2003, the trial court was seized of jurisdiction. It is not possible to resolve on such issue in the absence of the original court file.}{\insrsid11416852\charrsid2584756 \par }{\insrsid5456858\charrsid2584756 \par }{\insrsid198380\charrsid2584756 The appeal has been in this court for now four (4) years. Progress must be made in the matter. Court therefore, in the interest of justice to all the parties involved in the appeal,

orders that }{ \insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 a retrial be and is hereby ordered in the case. In order not to spend any further unnecessary time, the retrial shall be}{\insrsid4655562\charrsid2584756 conducted by the High Court. T}{\insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 he respondents, as plaintiffs are to file and serve their pleadings in the High court by the 16}{\super\insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 th}{\insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 February, 2009, the }{\insrsid4655562\charrsid2584756 appellant, }{ \insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 as defendant by the 2}{\super\insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 nd}{\insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 March, 2009, any reply to be filed by 9}{\super\insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 th}{\insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 March, 2009, and the case is to be mentioned on the 16}{\super\insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 th}{\insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 March, 2009 at 9.00 a.m. None of the parties is to pay any fees.}{\insrsid5456858\charrsid2584756 \par }{\insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 \par This court orders that the status quo of the suit land, Plot 50}{\insrsid4655562\charrsid2584756 E }{\insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 Andrea Olal Road, be preserved in that it is not to change ownership from any of the parties to this appeal/suit to some oth er third party, and the parties hereto are restrained from putting any permanent structures and/or taking

permanent occupation or use thereof, until the final determination of the suit to be re-tried. \par \par It is ordered that as to who will take the costs of the proceedings so far conducted, that is of this appeal and of the trial in the lower court}{\insrsid4655562\charrsid2584756 ,}{\insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 is to be decided upon in the ordered retrial. \par .................................... \par }{\b\insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 Remmy K. Kasule \par Judge \par 30}{\b\super\insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 th}{\b\insrsid11083649\charrsid2584756 January, 2009. \par }{\insrsid5456858\charrsid2584756 \par }}

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Civil Procedure Act, Cap 71

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