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Onkoba v Regina (Criminal Appeal No. 695 of 1951) [1953] EACA 21 (1 January 1953)
- Citation
- [1953] EACA 21
- Status
- Judgment
- Jurisdiction
- Uganda
- Court
- East African Court of Appeal
- Panel
- De Lestang J, Windham J
- Case number
- Criminal Appeal No. 695 of 1951
- Language
- English
More details
- Court
- East African Court of Appeal
- Panel
- De Lestang J, Windham J
- Case number
- Criminal Appeal No. 695 of 1951
- Language
- English
On this page
Professional case brief
Research organized from the available case record
01
Holding and result
The court held that although the magistrate failed to comply strictly with section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code by not recording the evidence in full or writing a judgment, the brief evidence recorded was sufficient for the appellate court to exercise its judgment. The defect did not occasion any failure of justice and was therefore curable under section 381 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The conviction was upheld as the procedural irregularity was not fatal to the proceedings.
Court disposition
appeal dismissed
Orders
- The appeal is dismissed.
- The conviction and sentence are upheld.
02
Material facts
Parties
Omoriba s/o Onkoba
AppellantRegina
Respondent Counsel: Pearson03
Procedural history
Posture
Criminal Appeal / Final Appellate Judgment
04
Questions and positions
Legal issues
- 01
Whether failure to comply with section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code is fatal to conviction.
- 02
Whether the defect in recording evidence and judgment is curable under section 381 of the Criminal Procedure Code where no failure of justice occurred.
Party arguments
- Applicant
- The appellant contended that the magistrate failed to comply with section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code by not recording the evidence in full and not writing a judgment, rendering the conviction invalid.
- Respondent
- The respondent argued that despite the procedural defects, there was sufficient material on record for the appellate court to exercise its judgment, and no miscarriage of justice occurred. The defect was curable under section 381 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
05
Court’s reasoning
Legal principles
- 01
Hasham Merali, (1946) 13 E.A.C.A. 85
Non-compliance with section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code does not invalidate proceedings if no miscarriage of justice occurred.
- 02
Section 381, Criminal Procedure Code
Defects in recording evidence or judgment are curable under section 381 of the Criminal Procedure Code if justice is not compromised.
06
Ratio, limits and disposition
Ratio decidendi
The court held that although the magistrate failed to comply strictly with section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code by not recording the evidence in full or writing a judgment, the brief evidence recorded was sufficient for the appellate court to exercise its judgment. The defect did not occasion any failure of justice and was therefore curable under section 381 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The conviction was upheld as the procedural irregularity was not fatal to the proceedings.
Obiter and limits
- Strict compliance with procedural requirements is desirable, but not always essential if justice is served.
- The appellate court may rely on material on record even where the lower court's judgment is procedurally defective.
Court disposition
appeal dismissed
- The appeal is dismissed.
- The conviction and sentence are upheld.
Source and reliance status
East African Court of Appeal
This page organises the available record for research. Confirm quotations, current status, and subsequent treatment against the official source before relying on the case.
Judgment reading view
Judgment text
The complete available source text.
East African Court of Appeal
Judgment
APPELLATE CRIMINAL
Before DE LESTANG and WINDHAM, JJ.
OMORIBA s/o ONKOBA *(Appellant)*
*v.*
REGINA *(Respondent)*
Criminal Appeal No. 695 of 1951
Criminal Procedure-Section 197, Criminal Procedure Code-Failure to comply-Whether material on record on which Appellate Court can properly exercise its judgment-Whether defect curable under section 381, Criminal Procedure Code, where no failure of justice.
The accused was charged with theft. The magistrate tried the case as a minor offence under the provisions of section 197, Criminal Procedure Code which are mandatory that where evidence is taken and not recorded there must be a judgment embodying the substance of that evidence .and very briefly recorded evidence but without a judgment proceeded to convict and sentenee the accused. The mode in which the evidence was recorded was not in manner prescribed by section 194, Criminal Procedure Code. The accused appealed.
*Held* (22-2-52).-(1) Notwithstanding the failure of the magistrate to comply strictly with the provisions of section 197, Criminal Procedure Code, •as there was material on record on which the Court of Appeal could properly eKercisc its judgment, the non-compliance was not fatal to conviction since it did not occasion any failure of justice.
(2) The defect in the proceedings was curable under section 381, Criminal Procedure Code.
Appeal dismissed.
Case followed: *R. v. Basham Merali,* (1946) 13 E. A. C. A. 85.
*Appellant, absent, unrepresented.*
*Pearson, Crown Counsel, for the Crown.*
JUDGMENT.-The only point which has troub1ed us in this appeal is the failure of the learned magistrate to comply strictly with the provisions of section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code. He has neither recorded the evidence of the witnesess in full nor written any judgment. Section 194 of the Criminal Procedure Code prescribes the manner in which the evidence of witnesses shall be recorded, and in recording what appears to be merely the gist of the evidence the magistrate · has not complied with that section. Section 197 on the other hand provides that where evidence has been taken and not recorded there must be a judgment embodying the substance of such evidence. This the magistrate has failed to do.
We are aware of the decision of the Court of Appeal of Eastern Africa in *Hasham Merali,* 13 E. A. G'. A. 85, where it was held that a failure to comply fully with the provisions of section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code could not *per se* invalidate the proceedings so long as it had not occasioned a miscarriage of justice. In other words if, notwithstanding the failure of the magistrate to comply<br>strictly with the provisions of section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code, there is material on the record on which the Court of Appeal can properly exercise its judgment, then in such a case the mere compliance with section 197, Criminal Procedure Code will not be fatal to a conviction since it would not have occasioned any failure of justice. The defect in the proceedings in such a case would be curable under section 381, Criminal Procedure Code.
Applying these principles to this case, we consider that the brief evidence recorded supported the conviction.
The appeal is dismissed.
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