Institute of Development Management v Tsotsi (C of A (CIV) 17 of 92) [1991] LSCA 95 (2 August 1991)

C of A ( C I V) 1 7 / 92 In the A p p e al of : I N S T I T U TE OF D E V E L O P M E NT M A N A G E M E NT A P P E L L A NT and B A N G A NI B. T S O T SI R E S P O N D E NT H e ld at M a s e ru C o r a m: M a h o m ed J. P. S t e yn J. A. B r o w de J. A. J U D G M E NT S t e yn J. A. In t he C o u rt b e l ow A p p e l l a n ts d e f e n ce w as s t r u ck out b e c a u se of h is f a i l u re to c o m p ly w i th a C o u rt O r d er c o m p e l l i ng d i s c o v e r y. It a p p e a ls a g a i n st t h is O r d e r. T he r e l e v a nt f a c ts a re the f o l l o w i n g. T he p l e a d i n gs in t h is m a t t er w e re c l o s ed on the 2nd of A u g u s t. 1 9 9 1. On t he 8 th of O c t o b er 1 9 91 R e s p o n d e nt s e r v ed A p p e l l a nt w i th a n o t i ce to d i s c o v e r. A p p e l l a nt f a i l ed to c o m p ly w i th t h is r e q u e s t. On M a r ch 17 1 9 92 a n o t h er n o t i ce of d i s c o v e ry w as s e r v ed on A p p e l l a nt a g a in w i th no r e s u l t. On J u ne 23 1 9 92 R e s p o n d e nt w r o te a l e t t er to A p p e l l a n t 's A t t o r n e ys r e q u e s t i ng t he i m m e d i a te d e l i v e ry of A p p e l l a n ts d i s c o v e ry a f f i d a v i t. On 2 1 st J u ly R e s p o n d e n ts b o th f i l ed of r e c o rd a nd s e r v ed on A p p e l l a nt a n o t i ce to c o m p el it to d e l i v er i ts d i s c o v e ry a f f i d a v i t. A p p e l l a nt g a ve n o t i ce of an i n t e n t i on to o p p o se t he a p p l i c a t i o n. On 2 4 th J u l y, h o w e v er R e s p o n d e nt m a de an a p p l i c a t i on in c h a m b er f or an O r d er on t he A p p e l l a nt ( a) to d e l i v er i ts a f f i d a v it on or b e f o re 3 0 th J u ly 1 9 92 f a i l i ng w h i ch ( b) A p p l i c a t i on w o u ld be m a de to s t r i ke o ut i ts d e f e n ce in t e r ms of R u le 34 ( a) of t he R u l es of C o u r t. W h i l st d i s p e n s i ng w i th t he n o r m al r u l es in r e g a rd to s e r v i ce of p r o c e ss t he p r e s i d i ng J u d ge o r d e r ed t h at t he p a p e rs be s e r v ed on t he A p p e l l a nt a nd t h at t he a p p l i c a t i on w o u ld be h e a rd on A u g u st 3. 1 9 9 2. On t he p o s t p o n ed d a t e, in o p en C o u rt a nd w i th k n o w l e d ge of a p p l i c a n ts C o u n s el t he a p p l i c a t i on w as g r a n t e d. T he o r d er s p e c i f i c a l ly s t a t ed t h at f a i l u re to c o m p ly m i g ht r e s u lt in t he s t r i k i ng o ut of i ts d e f e n c e. O n ce a g a in A p p e l l a nt f a i l ed to r e s p o n d, g i v i ng no r e a s o ns f or s u ch f a i l u r e. On A u g u st 14 t he p a r t i es a p p e a r ed b e f o re M r. J u s t i ce L e h o h la in o p en C o u r t. A p p e l l a nt w as r e p r e s e n t ed by M r. N a t h a ne w ho f i l ed an a f f i d a v it in t he f o l l o w i ng t e r m s: "3 On t he 3rd A u g u s t. 1 9 92 H is L o r d s h ip J u s t i ce K h e o la o r d e r ed D e f e n d a nt to f i le an a f f i d a v it of d i s c o v e ry on or b e f o re t he 6 th A u g u s t, 1 9 9 2. An a f f i d a v it of d i s c o v e ry h ad in f a ct b e en p r e p a r ed a nd s e nt to M R. E P H R A IM L E P E TU S E T S W A E L O. t he R e g i o n al D i r e c t or of D e f e n d a n t, w ho is b a s ed in B o t s w a n a, f or s e t t l i ng s a me as f ar b a ck as J u n e. 1 9 9 2. I a n n ex a c o py of s a me h e r e to a nd m a rk it " H N 1 ". I h a ve on a n u m b er of o c c a s i o ns m a de r e m i n d e rs to D e f e n d a nt to h a ve s a me s e t t l ed s o o n e st a nd r e t u r n ed to us f or f i l i ng in C o u r t. T o - d a te t he a f f i d a v it h as n ot b e en r e t u r n ed to us d e s p i te o ur s u p p l i c a t i o n s. I w a nt to b r i ng it to t he a t t e n t i on of t h is H o n o u r a b le C o u rt t h at f a i l u re to c o m p ly w i th i ts o r d er is n ot w i l f ul b ut we a re u n a b le to c o m p ly w i th s a m e. I t h e r e f o re p r ay . t h is H o n o u r a b le Court, to e x t e nd t he t i me l i m it w i t h in w h i ch t he a f f i d a v it m u st be f i l e d. 1 m a ke t h is a f f i d a v it in o p p o s i t i on of t he p r a y er s o u g h t ." M r. J u s t i ce L e h o h la a f t er h e a r i ng a r g u m e nt g r a n t ed t he o r d er s t r i k i ng o ut A p p e l l a n ts d e f e n c e. T he r u le 34 ( a) p r o v i d es as f o l l o w s: ( 9) If a ny p a r ty f a i ls to g i ve d i s c o v e ry as a f o r e s a i d, or h a v i ng b e en s e r v ed w i th a n o t i ce u n d er s u b - r u le ( 8) o m i ts to g i ve n o t i ce of a l i me f or i n s p e c t i on as a f o r e s a id or f a i ls to g i ve i n s p e c t i on as r e q u i r ed by t h at s u b - r u l e. t he p a r ty d e s i r i ng d i s c o v e ry or i n s p e c t i on m ay a p p ly to c o u rt w h i ch m ay o r d er c o m p l i a n ce w i th t h is r u le a nd f a i l i ng s u ch c o m p l i a n c e, m ay d i s m i ss t he c l a im or s t r i ke o ut t he d e f e n c e ." B o th b e f o re us as w e ll as in t he C o u rt b e l ow A p p e l l a nt s o u g ht to a t t a ck t he v a l i d i ty of t he O r d er of A u g u st 1 9 92 d i r e c t i ng A p p e l l a nt to m a ke d i s c o v e r y. He d id so on t he g r o u nd t h at t h e re w as p e n d i ng an a p p l i c a t i on f or an a m e n d m e nt to t he f u r t h er p a r t i c u l a rs f i l ed by R e s p o n d e n t. C o u n s el f or R e s p o n d e nt p o i n t ed to t he f a ct t h at in t he e v e nt t he a m e n d m e nt w as g r a n t ed by K h e o la J on A u g u st 3 1 9 9 2. a l so t h at t he r e l e v a nt o r d er w as i n t e r l o c u t o ry a nd no a p p e al l ay a g a i n st i t. M o r e o v e r, no a p p l i c a t i on f or r e c e s s i on w as m a d e. An o v e r r i d i ng c o n s i d e r a t i on in my v i ew is t h at t he a m e n d m e n ts s o u g ht w e re b o th f o r m a l, r e m e d y i ng an o b v i o us e r r or f u r n i s h ed by A p p e l l a n t, r e i n f o r c ed o ur v i ew t h at t he C o u rt a q uo w as c o r r e ct in f i n d i ng t h at it, w as o b l i g ed to e x e r c i se i ts d i s c r e t i on in f a v o ur of s t r i k i ng o ut t he d e f e n c e. T he s t ep t a k en by t he C o u rt w as i n d e ed t he i n v o c a t i on of an e x t r e me r e m e d y. T he C o u r ts h a ve h e ld t h at s u ch an o r d er s h o u ld o n ly be r e s o r t ed to if t he f a i l u re to c o m p ly w as d ue to t he c o n t u m a cy of t he p a r ty in q u e s t i o n. In W i l s on v D ie A f r i k a a n se P e rs P u b l i k a s i es ( E d m s) B p k, 19 7]. . ( 3) S . A. 4 55 at 4 6 3. t he C o u rt p er P h i l l i ps A. J. h e ld t h a t: " t h is g r a ve s t ep w i ll be r e s o r t ed to o n ly if t he C o u rt c o n s i d e rs t h at a d e f e n d a nt h as d e l i b e r a t e ly a nd c o n t e m p t u o u s ly d i s o b e y ed i ts o r d er . ..." ( in the c i t ed c a s e, a f a i l u re to d e l i v er f u r t h er p a r t i c u l a r s .) On t he f a c ts in t he i n s t a nt c a se a nd in o ur j u d g m e nt t he A p p e l l a nt w as c l e a r ly in c o n t e m pt a nd h is c o n d u ct c a n n o t, in t he a b s e n ce of a ny e x p l a n a t i o n, be c o n s t r u ed as a n y t h i ng o t h er t h an a d e l i b e r a te r e f u s al to c o m p ly w i th t he C o u r t 's o r d e r. T he C o u rt a q uo c a n n ot in t he c i r c u m s t a n c es of t h is c a se be f a u l t ed in e x e r c i s i ng i ts d i s c r e t i on to s t r i ke o ut a p p l i c a n t 's d e f e n c e. F or t h e se r e a s o ns t he a p p e al is d i s m i s s ed w i th c o s t s. S i g n ed : I agree : I agree : J. H. JUDGE OF APPEAL STEYN I. Mahomed PRESIDENT OF APPEAL J. BROWDE JUDGE OF APPEAL