Wakilii

Wangira Moses and 9 Others v Wabwire John Masinde and 4 Others (Miscellaneous Application 8 of 2024)

High Court · [2024] UGHC 1353 · 2024 Application Dismissed AI-generated summary ↓ Download Pin to watchlist Add to matter
Jurisdiction
Uganda
Case Type
Application for leave to appeal from interlocutory order striking out defence, arising from Civil Suit No. 042 of 2021
Decision
Application dismissed as incompetent; applicants retain automatic right of appeal under Order 6 Rule 30(2) CPR

Observed later treatment

No later-treatment classification is recorded for this judgment.

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Holding

The High Court dismissed the application for leave to appeal as incompetent on two grounds. First, the applicants had an automatic right of appeal under Order 6 Rule 30(2) of the Civil Procedure Rules and thus required no leave. Second, the supporting affidavit was fatally defective because it was deposed to by counsel who was in personal conduct of the matter, contrary to Regulation 9 of the Advocates (Professional Conduct) Regulations.

Outcome

Application dismissed as incompetent; applicants retain automatic right of appeal under Order 6 Rule 30(2) CPR

Facts

The applicants, beneficiaries to an estate, filed a joint written statement of defence in Civil Suit No. 042 of 2021. The respondents, administrators of two other estates, raised a preliminary objection that the defence contained general denials and was evasive, offending Order 6 Rules 8, 10, and 30 of the Civil Procedure Rules. The court sustained the preliminary objection and struck out the applicants' defence under Order 6 Rule 30. The applicants then brought this application seeking leave to appeal and stay of proceedings. The respondents raised two preliminary objections: first, that the applicants required no leave to appeal as Order 6 Rule 30(2) grants an automatic right of appeal; and second, that the supporting affidavit was fatally defective because it was deposed to by counsel in personal conduct of the application, contrary to Regulation 9 of the Advocates (Professional Conduct) Regulations. The applicants' counsel filed no response to either objection.

Issues

  1. Whether the applicants required leave to appeal an order striking out their defence under Order 6 Rule 30 of the Civil Procedure Rules.
  2. Whether the affidavit in support was fatally defective for having been deposed to by counsel in personal conduct of the application.

Orders

  • Application dismissed.
  • Costs awarded to the respondents.

Rules and key headnotes

Civil Procedure — Right of Appeal — Order 6 Rule 30(2) CPR — Orders Appealable as of Right
All orders made under Order 6 Rule 30 of the Civil Procedure Rules striking out a defence are appealable as of right under Order 6 Rule 30(2), and no leave to appeal is required.
Civil Procedure — Affidavit Evidence — Advocate as Witness — Professional Conduct
An advocate in personal conduct of a matter may not depose an affidavit in support of the application, as this violates Regulation 9 of the Advocates (Professional Conduct) Regulations, which bars an advocate from acting as both witness and counsel in the same contentious matter.

Legislation cited (13)

Cases cited (4)

  • Hwang Sung Ltd v M. and D. Timber Merchants and Transporters Ltd (Supreme Court Civil Appeal No. 2 of 2018)
  • Ismail T/a Bombo City Stores vs Alex Kamukamu & Others (1992) 3 KALR 113
  • Henry Kaziro Lwandasa v Kyas Global Trading Co. Ltd (Miscellaneous Application No. 865 of 2014)
  • The Most Reverend Dr. Steven Samuel Kazimba Mugalu v Mazzi Joyce & 5 Others (Miscellaneous Application No. 36 of 2023)

Full judgment

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The original judgment as reported. Read the original PDF before relying on any passage.

Wangira Moses and 9 Others v Wabwire John Masinde and 4 Others (Miscellaneous Application 8 of 2024) [2024] UGHC 1353 (11 July 2024)
Source: this page presents Wakilii’s issue analysis and metadata for a publicly reported Ugandan judgment. Any AI-generated summary is marked as such. Judgment text is sourced from the Uganda Legal Information Institute (ulii.org). Wakilii is not affiliated with ULII.