Unispares v N.T.S Ltd (Civil Cause 1714 of 1993) [1994] MWHCCiv 39 (18 August 1994)

7 I IN _T iff~ _ HIGH COURT OF Hl\. Ll\Wl PRINCIPAL REGISTRY CIVIL CAUSE NUMBER 1714 OF 1993 BETWEEN: UN ISP l\f( r: ;_; . . . . . . . . FT ,Al tl'l'TFF N . 'l' . ;=; • f, i l r r T f fl llP. FF:tJPl\N'l' Coram: EB Twea, REGISTRAR Ternbenu, Cc11111:::. Pl for the Pli-1inti fE Zimba (t!:iss), Counsr::l f:or the Defendr1nt Court: This is the Order 0 R D E R r; 1.1111 mo n ~, \I,\ s b rough t u n cJ e r O r cl e r 1 4 A o f the Ru l e s o f Th i s S upreme Court, t:or the court to cleterm:i.n~ uhere the two invoices in issue: Nos 13651 and 1 3674 formed part of the the parties and whether i t was a term contract betu ,:_,en o f \·I a s th a t the c on t r , 1 c t payable on all overdue accounts. i n t e re s t r a t e the 2 % o f ct t i s sue d thi.s car,r> as dep o necl and argued by The facts in th.e parties' counsels are that the defendant made orders to the plaintiff: supplied. t:.he plaintiff for goorls whii::h The p 1 a i n t i. f f the l 3 6 5 ·1 an d J n v o i c e s : s;:i.id goods. It was not disputed that t·, he invoices hear the same date as the Order. The invoice contained r1 term \,1h.ich c1mong other that read " 30 d<1ys Nett ", anrl N. R. th in g s , st i p u 1 a t ~ d \V o u 1 fl b ~ pay a b 1 e on all overclue c1cccunts. r"ise to the matter Jn issue. i n t e re s t This is wh.=it t b ~ t 2 i l 3 G 7 4 f o r <jc\VP. I havi=: cons.iderec.l the issues raised by the parties i.n tl1eir argum•~nt.. Hrtving reciarcl to t,he c3:=:rs of llunthali lfLR p.438, ~l!iu2_elton V. Barr_y vs . U.'l'.ll. th e U . D . C . tl1r1 t. a pp r o .=i ch e s u, k e n h y t b e nd n 1-10 u l r1 n ot be faulted: I the Hon 1) 11 r ab 1 e Ju cl g e s t: i c lu~t , ordinarj_J.y, J..!:.1u_L_Ltd 7 ir, nnl ;"1 thc1t r1 ( l 9 4 0 ) i'I g r e e w o u l cl 1 T{ • B . 5 J 2 . c o n t r a c t u ,:i 1 2,cknoH 1 e clq,, men t spr~.::tk. 11ould !lowi=>ver, (] o <.: u m '=' n t b 1 1 t. rd: p;:i ym~~nt . b e Ho re I wou ld n ot t l\L nk l i k e 1-. ,, k "' n ;1 tha.t Ill'.' t n c1.n ri::::cejpt r:;0 to this r1rg11ment ll01r1 in c;::;~;e o f r1n invnic r:: . Jnvoi c•~ l\n f,:1 l.lo\,r i nq h u s j_ n I" r: s s 0 n 'S ,, r>r 1·t-ir , p cl '/ n1 r~ l l ! .. r:1 rdin a r il y js s up p l y of qcods n r) ti f i ,, at i_ () I) orrl0r1::l. c: 11i_:,plir:J 11,·,q l rl t 11 r~ p ,t 1_: , ~ y n 1_· (l •; 1· i 11 (J )) ,.._ • 1 i_ l I i 11 q ill ;:i V t n r:n l 1 ;1 '' " ,, f 1i:=1hility , i r· r1 i n Fl 1- y ··1 '1 r_) t cl t .i O n , , I " f "' 1 r cl U1" ;1 ·,. c: , · ,, l-, t. ; 1 f, ,1f f,7 , ·, I t. h " t. h 0 \l ()Ji'"' t.1,,, i n:· th i:> i ll t q !• -1 1 I ,-,:,,:n' ~ () ti 1 s ,1 m 0 rl ;cit J' cl 1 c, -:i < 11 .1 ~: rl i s J, 11 t·. 0 ,1 r· P 1. / r1 r , l h ,--. i 11 , ; S \ J( ' } 1 1 r :1 ll c: _-,. ' t to th i n k th ,7. t 11 0 11 , > n 1l n 11 - >; n 1- " 1 II ,11,1 n v" r , ,1 i r•,·l n:;nrj r ; I 1 l' p l ')" i ' > 11 : I 1 °1 r 1 L , 1 1 \ n t s upply of goods o n def erre d 11 ;1 r c Ii th ,7. t. d c1 t <: d I h ,... ln i:. he pr ,=-~;,~nt t ]l e y C 0 rn "' 1 . () t h c1 L c r1 ~~ l 1 h .c1 s i '.'" _ r1 n rl in v o j , : ,--. t 11 e 1 q Q J , one is w or cl e c1 ,, w r1 re w o u l cl he inc 1 i n 0 c1 that p ,:iy mi:.nt wnlllcl In th"" s ame view, one h,::, s 1,o ~onstder attra ct int~,r,~st.. cl e s c r i p t i on th a t of goods and invoices stipulat e the unit. p rice an cl gross price, one wou ld be blowing hot and cold if the cont ents there o f the docume nt i'lnd which one j_nvoir::es form part doesn't. 0f the cnnt.rc1 1:.·1:., then t .he d oc11 ment n111st bP. 10 0k P.d a t as c1 taken forms part of If: r.he ot h er par.ts of thP. t h e o rel e r on 1 y quo t e s th e q 11 a n t U, y l\ l' r i l I 'i t . h r1 '"' f ,... n r1,7. , \t ~; w P r 0 ,; a y the co nt ract H h i c I I pa rt o f ,,;hole co nt1·,,ct a pa rt \·/ e re ,:irHl to It :L f:i my find i n g , L h '" u~ f ()re , t s no b .::is :is for t ;::de i n g i n v o i c e s form pr1rt of the cont: rA.ct and that 21; Jnt':'JJ~ st is payab le on o v e r c1 u <: ·:l c, , · 1 1 m ,... n L c, ''l c· ,:· () 11 n i- ,: • r h ed. rl ,~ r ;:i r t t !JP r ,=, t. li ci t t; h ,, t t h e r1 n cl t h "' E: a c h pa r t y t o h "3 a r i. t s u ,_, n r:- o s t s . Prono 1_rnced in C h ,'lntb>'>.c, this l8th rl ;:1y Blantyr0. r,f l\ugu~:t .. t~1 94, a.t -- _ Jt l· ,1 T w0. a ACTING HF~GISTRl\ft Of:' THE HlGll COURT ·----.- -·-· ·-·-·----·· . ___ ... _ ·-------~---- --~ -·-··•-- --- --··--••· ···--·----·····-----· ··- ·- ---------- ___ ., ___