Lekotholi v Attorney-General (CIV/APN 391 of 93) [1994] LSCA 153 (14 October 1994)

CiV/APN/391/93 IN THE HIGH COURT OF LESOTHO In t he mattter b e t w e e n: M P A L I - P AL I L E K O T H O LI A P P L I C A NT A ND A T T O R N E Y - G E N E R AL R E S P O N D E NT R E A S O NS F OR J U D G M E NT D e l i v e r ed by t he H o n o u r a b le M r. J u s t i ce W . C . M. M a q u tu on t he 1 4 th d ay of O c t o b e r, 1 9 9 4. On t he 7 th O c t o b e r, 1 9 9 4, t he r e g i s t r ar t o ld me s he had a l e t t er f r om t he A l t o r n e y - G e n e r al a s k i ng me for r e a s o ns f or j u d g m e n t. It w as a l so d i s c l o s ed f or t he f i r st t i me t h at an a p p e al h ad b e en n o t ed a nd t h at t he A t t o r n e y - G e n e r al c o u ld n ot p r e p a re a r e c o rd u n t il he h ad my r e a s o ns F or j u d g m e n t. /... A p p l i c a nt m a de an a p p l i c a t i on o r d er in t he f o l l o w i ng t e r m s: " 1. E x t e n d i ng t he p e r i od of s ix ( 6) m o n t hs p u r s u a nt to s e c t i on 60 of t he P o l i ce O r d er N o . 26 of 1 9 71 as a m e n d e d. 2. D i r e c t i ng t he R e s p o n d e nt to p ay t he c o s ts of t h is a p p l i c a t i on o n ly in t he e v e nt of o p p o s i t i o n. 3. G r a n t i ng t he a p p l i c a nt s u ch f u r t h er a n d / or a l t e r n a t i ve r e l i ef as t h is H o n o u r a b le C o u rt m ay f i nd f i t ." In t he p a st s u ch a p p l i c a t i o ns w e re r a r e ly o p p o s ed p r e c i s e ly b e c a u se t he a l t i t u de of t he C r o wn w as " l et r i g ht be d o n e ." T h is a p p l i c a t i on w as m a de on t he 5 th A u g u s t, 1 9 9 3. A p p l i c a nt c l a i ms he w as a r r e s t ed on t hu 2 nd M a y, 1 9 9 0, a s s a u l t ed a nd d e t a i n ed by t he p o l i ce a nd s u b s e q u e n t ly t a k en b e f o re a M a g i s t r a te on 2 9 th M a y, 1 9 9 0. /... A p p a r e n t ly A c c u s ed w as not r e m a n d ed to c u s t o d y. T he c a se w as r e m a n d ed e n d l e s s ly u n t il in F e b r u a ry 1 9 92 w h en he w as t o ld n ot to c o me a ny m o r e. A p p l i c a nt s a ys he w as n ot a w a re of t he p r o v i s i on in t he P o l i ce O r d er N o . 26 of 1 9 71 w h i ch p r o v i d es t h at t he p o l i ce s h o u ld be s u ed w i t h in s ix m o n t hs of t he d a te of c o m m i s s i on of t he o f f e n c e. T he R e s p o n d e n ts d e ny t he a s s a u lt a nd s ay t he a c t i on is t i me b a r r ed by t he p r o v i s i on of t he G o v e r n m e nt a nd P r o c e e d i n gs a nd C o n t r a ct Act of 1 9 6 5. T h ey a l so o p p o se t he e x t e n s i on of t he p e r i od f or i s s u i ng s u m m o n s, p e r h a ps b e c a u se i g n o r a n ce of t he l aw is no e x c u s e. T h is p r i n c i p le is a p p l i ed w i th s e n s i t i v i ty by c o u r t s. It is a p p l i ed to m a ke s u re e x i s t i ng l aw is r e s p e c t ed a nd no e x c u s es m a de u n n e c e s s a r i l y. C o u r ts do t a ke i g n o r a n ce of t he law as an e x c u se f or p u r p o s es of p u n i s h m e n t. S e c t i on 60 of t he Police O r d er No. 26 of 1 9 71 ( as a m e n d e d) p r o v i d es t h at a c t i o ns a g a i n st t he p o l i ce s h o u ld be i n s t i t u t ed w i t h in 6 m o n t hs b ut t he C o u rt on g o od c a u se s h o wn c an e x t e nd t he p e r i od if it is s a t i s f i ed t h at a p p l i c a nt w i th g o od r e a s o ns h as p e r s u a d ed it t h at it /... s h o u ld e x t e nd t he p e r i o d. ft s e e ms to me t h at at t h is s t a ge I c a n n ot go i n to the m e r i t s. I am s a t i s f i ed A p p l i c a nt c o u ld n ot b r i ng p r o c e e d i n gs in r e s p e ct of h is d e t e n t i on a nd m a l i c i o us p r o s e c u t i on u n t il c r i m i n al p r o c e e d i n gs h ad b e en f i n a l i s ed or a b a n d o n e d. T h is h a p p e n ed a r o u nd F e b r u a ry 1 9 9 2. He s a ys he w as n ot a w a re of S e c t i on 60 of t he Police O r d er of 1 9 7 1. I am s a t i s f i ed he is t e l l i ng t he t r u th a nd to me t h at is a g o od e n o u gh r e a s o n. In g r a n t i ng t h is a p p l i c a t i on 1 w as a l so c o n s c i o us of t he f a ct t h at S e c t i o ns 6 a nd 7 of t he c o n s t i t u t i on t h at p r o t e ct t he p e r s o n al l i b e r ty a nd f r e e d om of m o v e m e nt h ad b e en v i o l a t e d. T he C o n s t i t u t i on b e i ng t he s u p r e me l aw I f e lt o b l i g ed to g i ve it e f f e ct o v er l a ws t h at s e em n ot to g i ve m u ch c o n s i d e r a t i on of f u n d a m e n t al h u m an r i g h ts a nd f r e e d o m s. I n o t ed t he p a r t i c u l ar Police O r d er g a ve me a d i s c r e t i o n. T h is d i s c r e t i on e x e r c i s ed in f a v o ur o l i b e r ty of t he s u b j e c t. On t he q u e s t i on of a s s a u lt it s e e ms t he a c t i on c o u ld h a ve b e en b r o u g ht e a r l i e r, a l t h o u gh on t he f a ce of t h i n gs it is i n s e p a r a b le w i th t he d e t e n t i on a nd m a l i c i o us /... p r o s e c u t i o n. T he a s s a u lt l o ok p l a ce in M ay 1 9 9 0. T he right to bring an action seems to have been lost through the r u n n i ng of t he t wo y e ar p r e s c r i p t i on w h i ch is f o u nd in S e c t i on 6 of the G o v e r n m e nt P r o c e e d i n gs a nd C o n t r a c ts Act of 1 9 6 5. Y et S e c t i on 22(1) of t he C o n s t i t u t i on s e e ms to be in c o n f l i ct w i th t he G o v e r n m e nt P r o c e e d i n gs a nd Contract Act of 1 9 6 5. T h at b e i ng t he c a se I w as of t he v i ew t h at e v en t he r i g ht of a c t i on in r e s p e ct of t he a s s a u l t, is n ot n e c e s s a r i ly t i me b a r r e d. 1 a l so t o ok i n to a c c o u nt the f a ct t h at t he a s s a u l t, d e t e n t i on a nd m a l i c i o us prosecution are intertwined. For guidance in respect of laws that collide with the C o n s t i t u t i on r e f e r e n ce s h o u ld be m a de to c a s es of t he U . S . A. in M a r b u ry v M a d i s on 1 C r a n ch 1 37 ( 1 8 0 3) M a r s h a ll C . J. c a l l ed t he c o n s t i t u t i on t he s u p r e me l aw of t he Land to w h i ch o t h er l a ws s h o u ld y i e l d. He f u r t h er h e ld t h at t he C o n s t i t u t i on l i ke o t h er l a ws s h o u ld be i n t e r p r e t ed by t he c o u r ts of l a w. It w i ll be o b s e r v ed t h at S e c t i o ns 5. 6 a nd 11 of t he H u m an R i g h ts Act of 1 9 83 p r o t e c ts t h e se r i g h ts e x c e pt t h at in t e r ms of S e c t i on 3 t he H u m an Rights Act of 1 9 83 w as s u b j e ct to c o n d i t i o ns p r e v i o u s ly l a id by l a w. B e f o re A p r il 1 9 9 3, t he C o n s t i t u t i on w as n ot y et t he supreme law which must be given effect to. This /... a p p l i c a t i on w as d e a lt w i th w i t h in w h at I c o n s i d e r ed as t he p r e s e nt h u m an r i g h ts c u l t u r e. T he v i ew 1 t a ke is that ex f a c ie of t he p a p e rs A p p l i c a nt w as s u b j e c t ed to an i n h u m an t r e a t m e nt by t he p o l i c e. T h is is c o n t r a ry to S e c t i on of t he C o n s t i t u t i o n, I f e lt i n s o f ar as t he G o v e r m n e nt P r o c e e d i n gs a nd C o n t r a c ts Act of 1 9 65 d e n i es A p p l i c a nt a f o r um it s h o u ld n ot p r e v a i l ed o v er t he C o n s t i t u t i o n. 1 g r a n t ed A p p l i c a n t 's a p p l i c a t i on a nd e x t e n d ed t he t i me w i t h in w h i ch to b r i ng an a c t i on to 6 th S e p t e m b e r, 1 9 94 b e c a u se t he d e l ay to h e ar t h is a p p l i c a t i on w as n ot of h is m a k i ng b ut r a t h er o ne of t he m a l f u n c t i o n i ng of o ur j u d i c i al p r o c e ss i t s e l f. T h e re w as no o r d er as to c o s t s. As I c o n s i d e r ed t he a p p l i c a t i on an i n t e r l o c u t o ry o n e, 1 d id n ot w r i te a j u d g m e nt n or d id a ny p a r ty a sk f or i t. W. C. M. MAQUTU JUDGE F or A p p l i c a nt F or t he C r o wn : M r. N a t h a ne : M r. M a p e t la