Sephoko v R (CRI/A 89 of 90) [1991] LSCA 45 (25 April 1991)

C R I / A / 8 9 / 90 IN T HE H I GH C O U RT OF L E S O T HO In t he A p p e al of : M O K E TE S E P H O KO v R EX J U D G M E NT D e l i v e r ed by t he H o n. M r. J u s t i ce M . L . L e h o h la on t he 2 5 th day of A p r i l, 1991 F r om t he s t a te of t he r e c o rd it a p p e a rs t h at But t he M a g i s t r a te w ho c o n v i c t ed y ou d id so p r o p e r l y. a p a rt f r om t h at t h e re a re a n u m b er of t h i n gs w h i ch a re n ot s a t i s f a c t o ry in t h is c a s e. I w i ll s t a rt f i r st of all by s h o w i ng t h at it a p p e a rs t h at t h is c a se s h o u ld p r o p e r ly h a ve b e en dealt w i th by a J u d ge w ho r e v i e w ed it in t he f i r st p l a c e. It a p p e a rs t h at t h r o u gh c o r r e s p o n d e n ce t he l e a r n ed J u d ge had s o me d i f f i c u l ty as to why t he M a g i s t r a te c a me to t he c o n c l u s i on t h at he d id as to t he p e n a l ty i m p o s e d. T he l e a r n ed J u d ge a s k ed t he l e a r n ed M a g i s t r a te to g i ve r e a s o ns w h i ch t he l e a r n ed M a g i s t r a te d u ly s u p p l i ed The r e a s o ns t h at t he M a g i s t r a te g a ve a re s a t i s f a c t o ry on t he w h o l e. T he M a g i s t r a te o u t l i n ed t h at he d e a lt w i th t he c a se on t he b a s is of R o ad T r a n s p o rt A ct of 1 9 31 as A m e n d ed by O r d er N o . 14 of 1 9 87 w h e r e as t he l e a r n ed J u d ge had t h o u g ht t h at t h is c a se f e ll to be t r e a t ed u n d er R o ad T r a f f ic A ct a nd t he l e a r n ed M a g i s t r a t e, it a p p e a r s, had d i f f i c u l ty t r y i ng to r e c o n c i le t h is l aw w i th t he b e n i g n i ty he f e lt w as w a r r a n t ed w i th r e g a rd to s e n t e n ce a nd c o m m on s e n s e. W h at r e a l ly w o r r i ed t he l e a r n ed M a g i s t r a te / w as - 2 - w as t he f a ct t h at he f e lt it w as m a n d a t o ry u p on h im to m a ke an o r d er of f o r f e i t u re of t he v e h i c le w h i ch is t he i n c i d e n t al p a rt of t h e se p r o c e e d i n g s. T he r e l e v a nt s e c t i on r e l i ed o n, t h at i s, S e c t i on 2 7 ( 1 ) ( a) of O r d er N o . 14 of 1 9 87 s a ys : "A p e r s on g u i l ty of an o f f e n ce u n d er t h is A ct f or w h i ch no s p e c i al p e n a l t i es a re p r o v i d ed is l i a b le - ( a) in t he c a se of a f i r st o f f e n d er to a f i ne of n ot l e ss t h an M 6 0 0 . 00 a nd to i m p r i s o n m e nt f or n ot l e ss t h an t h r e e ( 3) m o n t hs ( b) in c a se of a s e c o nd or s u b s e q u e nt o f f e n ce to i m p r i s o n m e nt f or n ot l e ss t h an s i x ( 6) m o n t hs w i t h o ut t he o p t i on of a f i n e ". S u b s e c t i on ( 2) s a ys "In a d d i t i on to t he p e n a l t i es s p e c i f i ed in s u b- s e c t i on (1) t he c o u rt c o n v i c t i ng a p e r s on of an o f f e n ce i n v o l v i ng an u n a u t h o r i s ed o p e r a t i on of a p u b l ic m o t or v e h i c le s h a ll d e c l a re t he m o t or v e h i c le of t he c o n v i c t ed p e r s on or p e r s o n 's r i g ht in such v e h i c le to be f o r f e i t ed to t he S t a t e ". To all a p p e a r a n c es it s e e ms t h at t he l e a r n ed M a g i s t r a te c o u ld be c r e d i t ed w i th h a v i ng a p p l i ed h is mind p r o p e r ly to t h e se s u b s e c t i o n s. B ut I do f e el t h at in c o m p a r i s on w i th a s i m i l ar s t a t u te w h i ch d e a ls w i th m i n i m um p e n a l t i es i . e. R e v i s i on of P e n a l t i e s ( A m e n d m e n t) O r d er 10 of 1 9 88 it is s p e c i f i c a l ly m e n t i o n ed t h at no p o r t i on of t he p e n a l t i es p r o v i d ed in such S t a t u te s h a ll be s u s p e n d e d. B ut by c o n t r a st w i th t h is o ne t h e re is no s u ch s p e c i f ic o r d er t h at a p e r s on f o u nd g u i l ty u n d er t h is s u b s e c t i on s h a ll n ot h a ve a p o r t i on of h is s e n t e n ce s u s p e n d e d. By c o m p a r i s on it w o u ld m e an t h e r e f o re - my i n t e r p r e t a t i on I h o pe is c o r r e ct - t h at by c o n t r a st w i th t he f o r m er t y pe of S t a t u te r e f e r r ed to e a l i er , t h is p a r t i c u l ar S t a t u te t h at we a re d e a l i ng w i th h e re d o es n ot p r e v e nt a p o r t i on of t he s e n t e n ce or t he e n t i re s e n t e n ce b e i ng s u s p e n d e d. So I t h i nk t h at a p o r t i on of t h is M 6 0 0 . 00 f i ne and or 3 m o n t h s' i m p r i s o n m e nt r e f e r r ed to a b o ve s h o u ld be s u s p e n d ed m o re so b e c a u se t he a c c u s ed / d id - 3 - d id n ot w a s te t he t i me of t he C o u r t. He p l e a d ed g u i l t y. As I s t a t ed t he J u d ge b e f o re w h om t h is m a t t er c a me m a de h is o wn o r d er r e g a r d i ng t he f a ct t h at t he M a g i s t r a te s h o u ld s u p p ly r e a s o ns f or t he c o n c l u s i on t h at he r e a c h e d. H ad t he p r o p er p r o c e d u re b e en in f a ct f o l l o w ed w h en t h is a p p e al w as b e i ng p e r s u ed - in o t h er w o r ds if p r o v i s i o ns of S e c t i on 3 27 of o ur C r i m i n al P r o c e d u re and E v i d e n ce A ct 1981 had b e en f o l l o w ed - t h en it w o u ld h a ve b e en c l e ar to me b e f o re I d e a lt w i th t h is m a t t er t h at it s t o od to be d e t e r m i n ed by t he J u d ge w ho had in t he f i r st p l a ce d e a lt w i th i t. T he p r o v i s i o ns of S e c t i on 3 27 are as f o l l o ws : "If an a p p e al a g a i n st a c o n v i c t i on or s e n t e n ce f r om a S u b o r d i n a te C o u rt h as b e en d u ly n o t e d, t he c o u rt of a p p e a l, on p e r u s i ng t he r e c o rd of t he c a s e, i n c l u d i ng t he a p p e l l a n t 's s t a t e m e nt s e t t i ng o ut t he g r o u n ds u p on w h i ch t he a p p e al is b a s e d, a nd a ny d ue n o t i ce of a m e n d m e nt t h e r e- o f, and a ny f u r t h er d o c u m e nt t h at m ay h a ve d u ly b e c o me p a rt of t he r e c o r d, m ay if it c o n s i d e r ed t h at t h e re is no s u f f i c i e nt g r o u n ds f or i n t e r f e r i n g, d i s m i ss t he a p p e al s u m m a r i l y ". S e c t i on 3 23 f o l l o w i ng i m m e d i a t e ly a f t er t he f i r st p r o v i d es t h at - shall "If t he C o u rt of A p p e al d o es n ot d i s m i ss t he a p p e al s u m m a r i ly t h e r e u n d er S e c t i on 3 27 it cause n o t i ce to be g i v en to t he a p p e l l a nt or his c o u n s el or t he D i r e c t or of P u b l ic P r o s e c u t i on or in t he c a se of a p r i v a te p r o s e c u t i on to t he c o m p l a i n a nt or h is c o u n s el of t he t i me a nd p l a ce at w h i ch t he a p p e al w i ll be h e a r d, f u r n i s h i ng t he D i r e c t or of P u b l ic P r o s e c u t i o ns or the c o m p l a i n a nt or h is c o u n s el w i th a c o py of t he r e c o rd of t he c a se i n c l u d i ng t he a p p e l l a n t 's s t a t e m e nt s e t t i ng o ut t he g r o u n ds u p on w h i ch the a p p e al is b a s ed and any d ue n o t i ce of a m e n d m e nt t h e r e of any f u r t h er d o c u m e n ts t h at m ay h a ve d u ly b e c o me p a rt of t he r e c o r d ". All I am s a y i ng is t h at h ad t h is C o u rt b e en a p p r a i s ed of t h is r e c o rd in g o od t i me t h en it w o u ld not h a ve had any d i f f i c u l ty in l e t t i ng t he J u d ge w ho h ad m a de e a l i er o r d e rs d e al w i th t he m a t t e r. /It - 4 - It d o es n ot b e n e f it a n y o ne to i g n o re t he statute t h at r e g u l a t es t he p r o c e d u re i n t e n d ed to be f o l l o w ed by t h is C o u r t. T he p r o c e d u re set o ut in t h e se s e c t i o ns is s i m p l e. All it e n j o i ns t he R e g i s t r ar to do w h en a r e c o rd of p r o c e e d i n gs on a p p e al f r om t he S u b o r d i n a te C o u rt a r r i v es is to p l a ce it b e f o re any J u d ge w ho s h o u ld d e t e r m i ne w h e t h er to d i s m i ss t he a p p e al s u m m a r i ly or d e c i de t h at t he R e g i s t r ar s h o u ld p l a ce it on t he roll f or h e a r i ng in t he o r d i n a ry m a n n e r. U s u a l ly if t h is p r o c e d i ng is a d o p t ed t he h e a r i ng of t he a p p e al s h o u ld o c c ur w i t h in a w e ek if t he a p p e l l a nt is in c u s t o dy and w i t h in t h r ee w e e ks if he is on bail and h is p l a ce of a b o de l i es in a r e m o te a r ea w h e re it t a k es p o l i ce a l o n g er t i me to s e r ve him w i th a n o t i ce of h e a r i n g. S ee C R I / A / 5 5 / 83 W i l l i am M a b o te vs Rex ( u n r e p o r t e d) by M o f o k e ng J. S ee a l so C R I / A / 2 2 / 86 P h o h lo vs Rex ( u n r e p o r t e d) at p a ge 5. I need h a r d ly s t a te t h at t he C o u rt of A p p e al of L e s o t ho f o u nd it n e c e s s a ry to b l a ze t he trail in an a t t e m pt to d e m o n s t r a te t he n e c e s s i ty of o b s e r v i ng t he i m p o r t a n ce of p r o v i s i o ns of s e c t i o ns r e f e r r ed to a b o ve in t he f a m o us a p p e al i.e. C. of A ( C R I) N o. 2 of 1 9 84 T e b o ho S e h o l o h o lo vs Rex ( u n r e p o r t e d) A n o t h er f e a t u re w h i ch I t h i nk s h o u ld r e d o u nd to t he a c c u s e d 's b e n e f it is t he i n t e r p r e t a t i on of s u b- s e c t i on ( 2) of S e c t i on 3 2 7. It s h o ws t h at an o f f e n d i ng v e h i c le s h o u ld be c o n f i s c a t ed or f o r f e i t ed to t he C r o w n. It a l so r e c o g n i s es t h at t he o f f e n d i ng v e h i c le may n ot be b e l o n g i ng to t he p e r s on d r i v i ng i t. W h i le in t he f i r st i n s t a n ce t he p e r s on w ho w o u ld feel t he p e n a l ty w o u ld be t he o w n er through f o r f e i t u re of his v e h i c le I find it d i f f i c u lt to see h ow t he r i g ht of t he d r i v er to w h om t he v e h i c le d o es n ot b e l o ng c o u ld be f o r f e i t ed to t he S t a t e. To t h at e x t e nt I feel t h at t he o r d er of f o r f e it of t h is v e h i c le w as n ot p r o p er - I t h e r e f o re set it a s i de as I had s t a t ed e a r l i e r. / T he - 5 - T he a c c u s ed w as p r o p e r ly c o n v i c t ed but I feel t h at the s e n t e n ce i m p o s ed w as r a t h er on t he h a r sh s i d e. I f i nd it f i t t i ng t h e r e f o re t h at M 4 0 0 . 00 or t wo (2) m o n t hs of t he s e n t e n ce be s u s p e n d ed f or a p e r i od of o ne y e ar on c o n d i t i on t h at t he a c c u s ed is not c o n v i c t ed u n d er t he p r o v i s i o ns of t he law u n d er w h i ch he w as c h a r g e d. It s t a n ds to r e a s on t h e r e f o re t h at t he o r d er as to s e n t e n ce t h at w as i m p o s ed by t he l e a r n ed M a g i s t r a te is set a s i de and is s u b s t i t u t ed by t he o ne I h a ve j u st p r o n o u n c e d. J U D GE 2 5 th A p r i l, 1991 For A p p e l l a nt : M r. M o h au For C r o wn : M s. N ku