Peter Liyoka v People (Application No. 17 of 1987) [1988] ZMSC 92 (10 February 1988)

. IN THE SUPREME COURT OF ZAMBIA Application No. 17 OF 1987 HOLDEN AT LUSAKA :,._:•;·; ,;.\' .. " _:M}1Ni ·•: .'.,· - ,-.,;_;; - , .. "t.,J•· . . ,, .. - ' PETER LIYOKA. : -~'.'. r-. ~ :,·~ . -~-"-~!· THE"PEOPLE , ,;L,, >' l'. t ·-:~ .. ~.··Ii:·<( < ~;1_ ··:,'. -~, •• -;"' .,. ..... '1 ',:;_Re~pon~~~~· __ ._, CORAM:· Ngulube, D. C. J. 1 · Applicant in person. ,, .. >',. G. S. Phiri, Senior State Advocate, for the -respo11dent•'" ·' · - ' .... , ... ' ''- .,_.,.~ ;.,; .. ' ,.,~,:·/ ~,;."•t,:..;., .; 't:-.. -~··. '\·. -~. -~~~:;-,,£~:·'.;':;' ;.:;·~t· ·t;~_ ~, . ,·, '. ·,/;. : , .]. .. : ..... - . ·. __ ··_,. . ~, ,·~:•,..,~;: ._ ~-: .. ~~-- · public. servant. . The p,r:tiaularJ lQf-which were tha~i:Pn(a·.·d!lte ur\knqw11:C;. :,·;-· ,;.:: . :, -:~_,'.: .... _,~·::.:, but between 29th 'July,'' 1983 and''2rid 'August:·"19s3; . ~f;L~$a~a~ :oeiitg' a person amp loye!i by; th!! Mt,n~stry of' H~~llh ~s A~l!,;~t-~?\,S~qre~ )ff ~ser, -. •.·', did steal 3,000 blankets valued at ~37 ,!iOO~oo, .. the,;prop~rty .of,,the,, '. . . , ~ . ~.«.··~I~>" .. /•,-~• ~-~'.,f,.~,:.;..·"•'.~i·\;.;,::, ,·_:,,-,,:,.::~ .:·/ .. :·,_,.:.~;~: .. ,,,:;:.~-:.·- -·:1.-·1,1,(.{\~'.: ~: .i<1':~~.:,_·_, ··-:::;;;•:::1! ~-~.: ., · ,. : .' :~~:.-.::-: . , . . ·,.: · . ,·;: · -_,·_ ' ' ' ' - ·.· ·., : ·;_ . ;1, ,·•:,- ., . . . ' . ' ' ' ' ·-, ' ' said Ministry which came into hispossession by viftue'ofhis . employment. The applicant's defen~e that the persons .who took the, goods from ;him had legitimate docW11ents was, distielJe~~d~- lie'-appeaied , . ·.· -;.• .. ~·: .. ··. ···: to the. High Court and on that occasion,' it was· disco.vered that 'the ,,, - . . ',' ~.'. ·:.,·:·": .. : ... · : ' ,•,:,,· ·'\ ~ '·;~ "t;·\.. '.•· ,, ' .· :• . ·. ,-, •· . . . ·. .. . ,•, . ' ' ' ' _·,(, . . ,,r·;-_.:(;\'.",,'-" ' .' _I;••.·/•.•(, . = ,. J2, - = .. , , . .:. ,.;. ,,,: ' - ,,;'<·""': •,I, ···:··t:,:)l;tt{(~} ' ' • • • - ' ' ' ' • • • • • '., <, t . • ' • • ·- .. ' - : · · , · · . - '~ '·"' . ·: . . · ' · ' : . ,:1 '·' .· ,. r· ,._. ... '_-,_.-;_-< \~ :\ ·.: .·' ·., · · • .''. ·: ' • • . ·t·. :- ~:;:,.'- . : .,,:· • • ~ ~ ' - ' . , , .. <,; ,, t ,'.·"' . . . ., ".' '.•<_ ., ••• • •• , : •--,·: ·' -~- ·,·' . ;,.- ~ ,>',:, -, ':' ·'.; '.,_ .. ;•::· .·,\.:·t;t~, '. . ' C. ._,, ... ·;,--_,]_P,.•r•,'f;'! t-:~t--i•'.~ __ ::: .~·,>.:~~ r ·.::. · . The position where a trial court's judgmeot is lost has been·· •_t_.,.~ ::r· .... -_·,:_r_( .. ~;. -•,:_~ .. :~'._-J~~~j~i-_'.?~-1-i,;.~:~:<'~}~-~-~-,.,~,/:/:t;:j.•J; .··:: ~-·,._-.. •/ ,:: - ·r:;:> ';',(:1· r\~-(''.'':).>\'•·:: _··<· ?·• .. -:•:' .. •-:,--:,:,·:,,)_.·::.',:· ·,::,-: ~-·\(·~'>;: :f,:?. ._,··::, . .,', ..... ·.i:·.-· ... ·•,~·>,,·,., .~.'i:'-l)i;::.···,:'..:::·;_,;::•:' •. ··:-:.":,-._· -~< /::;,.-.':::. N~'rf-.:~~-c conside.red in a num~er of ~ases including th; ·High cour(~ase:~f; Musukuma -v- The People. c 1l. which the 'appl 1dant: ha~'•'~~a~ri'to''~u~ · attention. There is no indicatio~ from the iir£ef ~epo;i" wh~{the-'. • ·, case was about but it is quite ·clear that· the learned· Chief Justice who:· · · heard the appeal corisidered the question of a re-triaL · In the · · ·;:;.>;1:J circumstances of tllat par·ticular ca$e, wher.e that '.applicant had ·._ · . . : served nearly eight months of ,!Jis .. s~mteni:e .. \'igail), the.re, is. no .·_. ·; .. ~·.,._~ .:.-·: .. : .. ~:,}. , .. <- .. .-::__;_.;; •.'f~.:t·;~~.?. indication what the sentence was.;.the }earned ,Chief Justice did, not ·• feel that a re~trid should b. El ~rd~~ed. ': 'i-1; h;;~, .a~'.~~:~·;~s!d~dib~ · ·_case of Nyirongo -v- The People.(2), w~1'.gnwa~'~:de.~is'.1:~~:·of i~e-... _·. __ Court of Appeal •. The case was decided when there were direct-appel!ls .to the Court of A;peal in.ca;~$ of .stock'theft •. Tlie:iri'a1'<:;Jrf•i; . .·.' .. ,.; judgment in that case Wil$ lo/it l!nd thei <:o.urt.was .satisfied that: the - · .: :. . .:-..::--:::.':.-/:' ,•"•J.,>r·: ··.··, appellant had been deprived of the opportunity of pur$u1ng an appeal.· against the judgment that was delivered in court.·, That being the case,. ' the appeal had to be au~wed '~ni th~ c~n~ictio~ ~~t. 1 ~Sid~. ',But ·: . . because of the serious~~ss of. that ·partic~la; c:a~~:a~c1/'g~ite·:· ,: .· ·. : •. ,-•. ~---,: .. ·t?··.>_~i·;·_"'l}~<~'?:li obviously, taking into account the sentence which.that_offence,attracted at that time. the ~ourt of Appeal W!I; s~tisfied that it w~s: af p~oper : .. : case. for a re-trial and a re-t.rial was, O(d,ere~~-/-~e .'~'~! also. hl!di. •··.· ;· -.. ··. o.ccasion to peruse. the c_a;,e of DPP .,y-_ Rlsbey (3.) -\rlhiclfwas a.·•,', ·· decisi_on of· this court. As in· this case; ttul: p~~itfoij'in ~hat '.~1,se' - was that the absence of the magistrate•s,iuiJgnie1\t.'peprlved the.,:~,- · respondent o'f the opportunity pr9perly to :'P.ij'.~$~iji,~,' his· appeal '.b~fbre· _.the High Court since he was deprlved.ofi:th~:_raw ~lt~;t~l, ~pqn ,whicl?an . argument based on misdirection wpuJd be fp~nded.: -: Ag~i~1in t~e\Same, '' _·. Risbey case, we did point out that wher~ ~n issu~ o('c~edibili'!,~:was , , involved the. appellate court would not !)e: in' a. posi'\:i9n·.to substltt:1t~> -•. -_._ . its own findings and the proper cqurse}tifor,::thl:l:High;~ourt· on' appeal was to allow the appeal and th.en to. llave i:;on;ilclered the:_question: of a : ._ ·_,.·,_ .. : ._:~,:,:, -'->\·_:'.,·; ·~··-.;,,:.',:'..',\' ··:· './;;;r•.•(,,_-: . .'~. .-,_,·-.< ·:~·~·1< i:,;"·.:,:\:":•:':'•.·.··~, .. . J.,.'; ·--;·-·.·--r :t.,"":.;·: .;--. --,': , ,".,_-;-;•. I":''';'';:-~.--" . . ·.· -~ :;·;:>,\ ,: ~- .'. ..... · • • ,--:•;.,''' ,,,, . . ·. ,. .-,--._.;.➔:_~l •,,, ,. • (".' •·• .·..; ,· · ... ;11:· ,·, ....... , __ ."(. ., .• ~ .. .,,·_, · ,···:.·;\:.;, , • . - ' , . . . : ,_, (,-!'' . .· ' . · ,_ ., •.•. •;, ., . ,_.: • • •· -' • - . , -::: ~: .. , ,,. ,.. . .r~ • ·,-·., ,_ . - ... - : "' · ' , , .- ,.·1· . . . . -, ' I :. - ' . ' ,_• .· . . '..' ,., . . . • •• , ,' ., _:, .. -. . . -. -· : • , . . . • . (, . ' • • ' re--tria~~ . ' ' : ,·. . .:':;_,-.·),.~:~t(:{i-i:{',§i~<\:;- :;. ,-;·';:{:\}~{ ,n:-,il-'";.f.-'1"'1-~,,t~.,_~Ji_,'<i.'i'l~ ~ ;"- q,4'c<tii-,:,. P,:n,-J",i;;:.:1'•~~~ -, That brings us to the appl1cati,00~1n·:thls~•par:t;i~1,1lar_Cii_se;' The-··,: .,;;,,:;~--- ._,,.' applicant has indicatec.! that t~e heoring 'of- 11is Oappea~., by thEl Uigh _Cqurt -' . ' ~. . . ~ ,_; , ... .- . .;.·., :,;---.-·.1, .··~•-'· ·-<;~,:- f , . '< ;:r-;~,• •,•,•\ ,J ~ . ' , 0 •t • . ' .~ ,,, . •<' !.""' . •• ' • - • .. . . . . -. . : ·. ;_. .. : ,· -.~•-,.'~ :· -_·: .. ·:··;.• ', 'i·.: .. ,'••.:,:: :•--\~ .. :,, ~ . ;'• :: _,,.- .. • ~ 'N•~•• ' . . , '· .. 0 ' . ,::, <. \ ,. . '\ , ... ' , __ :. . :.;. ' -- ···•--· ----- - .•-~-----·-·--•-···--· ·--~ ·--···--·-··· ________ ,.,. --.. :·_ ·._._,._ .• •' ·--~ J» - ••• • , ·; :: - .- /1-;:~.;_l-1;~¾ytJ/: .. ~'i .. .:•-:~\;; ~\-<~~i$l-~ '. - , , I • • ' . . '. ,) ; , , , • • • was so delayed that by the time the case came"op"'he 'had·already served' ·· the sentence of elghte1m ·months imprisonment whic;h had. beer:i imposed on It is clear tq us_ that the learned appellate c~i~sio.ner.,was . him. -· . alive to the p.rinclple in the authorities ·1:0 Which we have referre<f and that he specifically considered the question of r~-triat' and'he came to the conclusion that, because of the seriousness·of the case~ the applicant should be retried. The ap~licant h~·s: ~r~ued that th; order. made in that regard Wi,IS ·~nfair and 'wo~ll Ie~d 1;'a)nJµst'1ci, .· being visited upon him. We have giyen am<ious ·c~msideN,1tiorito this ' matter, in which we are not caHe~ uP,on 'J;o ,deci~e·.·:1;he .c;,a~e on .1:h~', · merits. we note that the trial cQurt tiad·.~s.r.es~ed a.'sentence Qf:'./' ' eighteen 'mcinths'as applicant· has, ther,rFore, · so to_:.spea~,' P!lJd 'his•d~b1fpY S'1rving' ·that sentence. That being the'CfiSl'l, \'18 dQ,h;v11·t9agreewithhfm that it wo.uld be unfair to . $Ubjec;t hifil-~0:-'11' ~ecqn4 'triaf if JhJs case, ,; !'I;. - -· allow the application whjclrw;1:tr~ili:'~s t~e·nearing of.,ttie app~aG ( ..... ''c: The appeal is allowed; the order- Of"retrial°'ls: quashe!:I and tile. position is that hh appeal from: the Subqrdinate coµrt .stand.s .allowed .on the gro~nd that there was a lQss of the tr-ial 'co~tt;s,judglllliO:t- '.- · Jhe ap~e~l is ~1l9wed. adeq~ate to' meet ttie'd~;rids )if }u~ti~~- .. · Th~ ' ·.• ..., ••. •.•. -··"-r'•·•.---.~'-" -.,.,•.-q ... •-·,'-:'-''"'·'"" ... ·•·-,-•~,-..• ,"'!" .... ..,,,,,_,._,,,:,'""~-• ' > •• 1, - .,.,.~f.>,,-,~ _,•r~•••'.'~ ,Cc•>.'.-~.•.,•' .. - . · · · · _' . . . . . . · · , · ,.. ', •f',.', •. -• . , ' ., :- ·,·', - __ , ·. •. , • .' .• <!" • . . . • ·- I •. ·• . , • - " • • • • -~. :.>. ,.. ·- .:•,.t:(.·.-t,:t,:~~.·.t,:\·· .. --··•;'." .. - . ·- .. ,. ~~.' ... -,,,.., .. ,;~-- ' .,,.,. ' . ' '• -cJ.,:•{\" ~ .. ,{' ,.._ J. ,:·;.::-. ",•/ ,,. - .... ,~ • :~,:: •. >,~~t. :!·•~ f/ :,t - ' , M· . ··,:. _. • ••.a. I . . . . . . . • . . . • . : • • : . · • • 41_,. -~ , . · • · . . . . . . .,.,~v .. •,- •· ~ s·-·'Ngulub1{·>·," , .,,:,;.··. "~,·:t·~:·-:_:·::" ... ~/~r~--:_ ,_ - , . __ ·.t.7/•:_/·· .. : .· . ;: 1·. , .. ,, - '~(';:iTif 1J;i~lif ~t·~:~ '.': •.',, ............ , ..... •-;·.,., ... -... 11;..,.~ ..... ~'1!'·.-S•.•-·:·,· .• ··-· :,.. .......... ~ .. ~ .•• ,•-•. -:: . , .. , ·,. "~~':tr:~i~r~n~::;{'t:ie1,-.. fti/f;};~~t.· ,$UJ!!W1E. COijRT. lJQDGE:\· · · ,, .• ::: ... • • _,:::"'· · " ,:,, ;::::0U::£H/. i:·:.,1.~;;},s,iiifri;: u -trr~. ,: · ,,.;,~,.; ·. Lr,::r,:~'.~·~·.~·I;fi¾~;::~t-f ;~tii~~Jttir;:.~:t!~?t~t~1 ;~L}t ACTIN~·~SUPREME c:ou1ff Juo'a1r·~. :: , -,-,.·. i:., . . ·.;• . . -~"-- •- : ,.,. '..