Msonthe v AG (Civil Cause 1041 of 1994) [1995] MWHCCiv 12 (26 October 1995)

IN TIIE HIGH COURT OF M/\L/\WI I • PRINCIPAL REGISTRY CIVIL CAUSE NO. 1041 OF 1994 OE TWEEN: DAVI S ERIC MSONTHE T!IE ATTORNEY GENERAL DE FEND/\N l - and - CORAM: Tembo, J. Msiska, Couns e l for th e Plain c i ff Kaman g a, Court lnterpreter . J U D G M E N T l fo r f or imprisonment. In this action, the plaintiff has sued the de fendant for dam ag (. I ~ l11 0 He has also claim e d c o s t s for false act i on. Wl1 e n the case was called for hearing, Coun se l tl 10 pla i ntiff informed the Court that the defendant had giv e n no tic 0 to him to the effe~t that the defendant had withdrawn l1is d ef~nc r in its entirety. Whereupon, Counsel for the plaintiff a pp l if-ld and submitted to the Court that judgment should be entere d fn r the plaintiff. Having been satisfied, in terms of Order ? 1 r ? (2) (a) that the defendant had in fact withdrawn his defen ce, 1 , t() accordingly, entered j'udgment for the plaintiff and proceed ed I heard the p 1 a i n tiff on o c1 th , w 11 o a s sess damage s to be awarded . th e Court that he was on or aliout 23rd Oc t o ber, 19/3(), to l d tile Ministry o f Ed ur:atio n : in emp l oyed th a t t h () Di st ric t Education Officer (Rural); that on that date he wa s , on th e instructions of the 0. E. 0. pick e d b~ th e polic e to Bl an t yr0 Pol i c e t h 0 cond i tions in the police cell s wh~re he was so detain e d we r e ~~ 1·y poor indeed, to say the least .; an·d finally that at th e ent.l of tl1 P 21 days he was released, charged and acquitted of the offen ce of theft. then stat i one d at Bl an t yr e in the publ i c s e rvi c e, s tation where he the Off i c e of f o r 21 dn ys : impri ·son 1; d i, e was th at 'w as ,1 t On d amages , Mr. Ms i ska c it ed. ·a number o f ca .) e auth or i t i es f or rn y co nsideration, including tbe following. Civil Cause No . 10 69 or 19 92 Z. Ziondetsa aw r1rc!Pcl I i mp ri son rn en t for 21 days . K 3 0 , 0 0 0 . 0 0 for fa I s e T tli s awar d w ;1 s in 1994; Civil Cause No. · 128 of 19B2 D. M. Sindi - V - DP ma de for· and Co., where Unyolo, Ross J. 1m pr 1sonrnent for 30 minutes; Civil Ca use No . 153 of 1993 If Tern l> o I n d u s t r i a 1 Dev e I op me n t G r o u p , w 11 e r e C h a t s i k a , J • 11 a cl- -- --- - V - -· Cold Storage, v.·here awarded K700.00 - V had l1ad -~ ., - 2 - i m p r i s o n m e n t r o r 4 d a y s ; C i v i l C a u :~ r. aw a r d e d K 2 5 , 0 O O f o r No . 154 of 1988 Bi 11 Juma - V - , Al taf Grini, wh ere Mkandaw i re, ,J. had awarded K10,ITTrO for faise imprisonm e nt -for 1 day. f a 1 s e to hereinbefor e. the Court should award dam ages the foregoing case authourit.i es , Mr Msi c; ka In viev✓ of th Pn. sum or s ubrni tted that K2 0 0,000 part ly to me et t he devaluati on tl 1P s ince the dates of the making of the de ci~i on r. Malawi Kwacha , r i gl1tly al o;o Mr Msi sk,1 ,, however, r e ferred a m0r0 not the computation of d~mages was s ubmitted th Et f.igu r es evi dent f rom a rithmetical equation, on the basis of t he cases he had cit ed for my consicleration, but th ,1t, t hose cases ought to be regarded a s only of f e ring guid e lin es o n the matte r . f a I s r impri s onment . Co s ts are for the plaintiff. in in the st r e ngt:11 of 'aw a r cl K 4 5 , O O O H1 ere for e , r ather that · for the the I , · ,MAD E i n C ham be r s th i s 26th d a y of O c to IJ e r , 1 9 9 5 , a t [3 I a n t y re • ' '\ \,---- - " . , -t~-:\:.... ~.) fl. K. Tembo JUDGE ... • . f I ,f . . IL ll: 1..1: r. J L .a..:.:.. .. J' ,d._ . J.;..