Rule of Law vs. Rulers of Law. Justice Barnabas Albert Samatta's Road To Justice

Description

Mr. Justice Barnabas Samatta retired from the Bench in July 2007 after a distinguished legal career spanning 41 years. Of the four decades of active life, he was a State Attorney, half of which he was the Director of Public Prosecutions. For the rest of the period, he was at then bench of the High Court of Tanzania and ten years in the Court of Appeal. At his retirement, he had spent seven years as Chief Justice of the country, thus at the helm of one of the three branches of the State. This book reproduces some of the leading judgements written by Justice Samatta. It highlights, in a critical fashion, some of his beliefs and observations as embedded in his decisions and speeches. This is to celebrate him as an example of an ethical lawyer whose integrity cannot be questioned, making him a worthy model for the younger generation to emulate and draw inspiration from. Justice Samatta's decisions touched on key areas of: Rule of Law and the Consitution, where he emphasised that the constitution crystallises a consensus among citizens as to the nature and character of their polity and governance; Access to Justice, about which he believed that the doors to justice should be opened to all regardless of their station in life or economic position; Ethics, Integrity and Professionalism where he frequently quoted Nyerere 'There are some jobs in our society that can be done by unethical people...Being a judge or a magistrate is not one of these jobs...'; and Environmental Law where he argued 'The vulnerability of our planet has reached such a depressing degree that there is no greater service judges can render to mankind than playing their role in the protection of the environment...' He summarised his life-long conviction by saying: 'Let everyone in our society give justice a chance to prevail'.

Sujets

• Biography
• Autobiography

Informations

• Publié par: Mkuki na Nyota Publishers
• Date de parution: 22 mars 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 4
• EAN13: 9789987080618
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 9 Mo

Extrait

RULE OF LAW versus RULERS OF LAW

JUSTICE BARNABAS ALBERT SAMATTA’S ROAD TO JUSTICE

RULE OF LAW versus RULERS OF LAW

JUSTICE BARNABAS ALBERT SAMATTA’S ROAD TO JUSTICE

Compiled and edited by ISSA SHIVJI and HAMUDI MAJAMBA

Puîŝé Y Mkûki na Nyota ûblishers Ltd. Nyerere Road, Qûality laza Bûilding . O. Box 4246 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania www.mkûkinanyota.com î àŝŝôçîàîô Wî School of Law, University of Dar es Salaam

© Issa Shivji & Hamûdi Majamba, 2011

ISBN 978-9987-08-055-7

All rights reserved. No part of this pûblication may be reprodûced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means withoût the prior permission of the pûblisher, or be otherwise circûlated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is pûblished.

Contents

Lîŝ ôF Càŝéŝ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi ôéWô . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii Jûstice Samatta’s Road to Jûstice: An Introdûction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Jûstice Samatta’s Life Joûrney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  How I Remember Jûstice Samatta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Hon. B. A. Samatta - A Model of Jûstice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 e Samatta I Know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 How I Remember Retired Chief Jûstice Barnabas Samatta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Recollections on Jûstice Samatta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Jûstice Samatta in His Own ords: Justice Samatta’s Leading Judgements at tHe BencH3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Jûdgement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   Rûling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   Rûling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3  Rûling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   Rûling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   Jûdgement of the Coûrt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3  Jûdgement of the Coûrt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3  Jûdgement of the Coûrt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Jûstice Samatta in His Own ords: Extra-Judicial Statements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 On Environmental Jûstice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  On Tanzania’s Constitûtional Order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 No One is Above the Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Jûdicial rotection of Democratic Valûes: he Judgment of tHe Court of Appeal on Independent Candidates. . . . . . . . . . . 33 Appendix: Events in ictûres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

List of Cases

Attorney General v. Mtikila, Coûrt of Appeal of Tanzania at Dar-es-Salaam, Civil Appeal No.  of  Baraza la anawake Tanzania (BAATA) &  Others v. Registrar of Societies &  Others, Miscellaneoûs Civil Caûse No.  of , High Coûrt of Tanzania at Dar es Salaam, (ûnreported). Barker McCormac (vt) Ltd v. Government of Kenya, High Coûrt of Zimbabwe at Harare, Civil Case ,  October  and  Janûary,  Hamisi Rajabû Dibagûla v. Repûblic, Coûrt of Appeal of Tanzania, at Dar-es- Salaam, Criminal Appeal No.  of ;[]TLR.; []  LRC  Issa Athûmani Tojo v. Repûblic [] TLR  Jûliûs Ishengoma rancis Ndyanabo v. e Attorney General, Coûrt of Appeal of Tanzania at Dar-es-Salaam, Civil Appeal No.  of ;[]TLR.; []  LRC  Kahama Gold Mines v Minister for Energy, Miscellaneoûs Civil Caûse No.  of , High Coûrt at Dar es Salaam (ûnreported) Kesavananda v. State of Kerala  S.C. Lûjûna Shûbi Ballonzi, Senior, v. e Registered Trûstees of Chama Cha Mapindûzi, High Coûrt of Tanzania at Dar-es-Salaam, Civil Case No.  of , [], TLR  Lûtta Symphorian Nelson v. Attorney Generalet al, Coûrt of Appeal of Tanzania at Dare-es-Salaam, Civil Appeal No.  of ;[] TLR. M v. Home Oïce []  All E.R.  Martha Michael ejja v. e Attorney and  others [] TLR.

Mtikila v. Attorney General, [] T.L.R.  Mtûmwa Saidi Haji &  Others v. e Attorney General, High Coûrt of Tanzania at Dar-es-Salaam, Civil Case No.  of , (ûnreported) Mwalimû aûl John Mhozya v. the Attorney General, High Coûrt of Tanzania at Dar-es-Salaam, Civil Case No.  of ; [] TLR. eter Ng’omango v. Gerson M. K. Mwangwa & Another, Civil Case No.  of , High Coûrt of Tanzania at Dodoma; [] TLR. ûmbûn & Another v. Attorney General & Another, Civil Appeal No.  of , Coûrt of Appeal of Tanzania at Arûsha, []  LRC . Repûblic v. Karagha Rûsûngû and Atûli aigo, Economic Crimes Case No.  of , High Coûrt of Tanzania at Singida, Economic Crimes Jûrisdiction (Dodoma Registry), (Unreported) Said Jûma Mûslim Shekimweri v. Attorney General, High Coûrt of Tanzania at Dar es Salaam, Misc. Civil Case No.  of  (Unreported) Tabû ikwa v. Repûblic, [] TLR. Tanzania Air Services Limited v. Minister for Laboûret al, [] T.L.R.  Tanzania at Dar-es-Salaam, Misc. Civil Caûse No.  of  (Unreported) Tanzania Electric Sûpply Company Ltd.et al,v. Independent ower Tanzania Ltdet al, Consolidated Civil Applications Nos.  and  of , Coûrt of Appeal of Tanzania at Dar-es-Salaam; [] TLR. Vidyadhar Girdharal Chavda v. e Director of Immigration Serviceset al, High Coûrt of Tanzana at Dar-es-Salaam Misc. Civil Caûse No.  of ; [] TLR.

Foreword

Dr. AsHa Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations.

Retired Chief Jûstice Barnabas Albert Samatta has made an oûstanding contribûtion to strengthening the rûle of law in Tanzania. is volûme showcases some of his most notable writings, and docûments his life and career, as well as the views of his peers. e portrait that emerges is of a well-roûnded practitioner, a man of prescience who pûrsûed important caûses long before many others, and a leading jûdicial voice who, over decades, rendered groûndbreaking decisions in criminal, pûblic, constitûtional and environmental law. As sûch, this book is not jûst an historical accoûnt bût oers lessons for global eorts to strengthen oûr work for international jûstice and peace. In my capacity as the Depûty Secretary-General of the United Nations, I strive to coordinate the United Nations’ eorts to strengthen the rûle of law at both the international and national levels. rom this global perspective, I can only emphasise how critical national practitioners of the statûre of Jûdge Samatta are for strengthening the rûle of law at the coûntry level. ithoût sûch robûst expertise and leadership, the promise of international law woûld not be accessible to those most in need of the protection it aords. Activities to improve access to jûstice, legal assistance and protection, especially for the poorest and most vûlnerable, are central to the United

Nations’ approach to strengthening the rûle of law. As a former Legal Aid attorney, I was especially moved to read the rst-hand accoûnts of Jûdge Samatta’s deep commitment to ensûring access to jûstice for all. He consistently advocated for the right to legal representation, inclûding for the most indigent, argûing that “legal aid shoûld be the right of every poor person and a constitûtional obligation of the government”. He has been eqûally passionate on the need for the legal profession itself to ûphold the highest ethical standards, a stance for which he was widely known and admired. He has taken the view that the law, rather than powerfûl individûals, shoûld rûle, calling on fellow jûdges to “have the coûrage to say no to those in society who wish to rûle the law”. And he steadily defended the independence of the jûdiciary, striking down legislation he foûnd to be ûnconstitûtional. In his own way, Jûdge Samatta has thûs greatly contribûted to the rûle of law, which the Secretary-General of the United Nations has dened as “a principle of governance in which all persons, institûtions and entitites, pûblic and private, inclûding the State itself, are accoûntable to laws that are pûblicly promûlgated, eqûally enforced and independently adjûdicated, and which are consistent with international hûman rights norms and  standards.” In these times of great tûrbûlence, the mission of the United Nations to strengthen the rûle of law is more critical than ever. ithoût, at the national level, the leadership of eminent jûrists of the calibre of Jûdge Samatta, the United Nations’ eorts to this end woûld be in vain. I thûs commend this volûme on Jûdge Samatta to all those who share oûr determination to achieve this noble goal. Both his writings and his life oer profoûnd insights on the way forward.

. Report of the Secretary-General on the Rûle of Law and Transitional Jûstice in Conict and ost-conict Societies, S//