MUSLI

M UNI
VERSI
TYOFMOROGORO

RULEOFLAW I
NTANZANI
A

Pr
epar
edby
;MohamedMwal
i
muMasud

LawSt
udentatMusl
i
m Uni
ver
sit
yofMor
ogor
o

1
Thepr
inci
pleofRul
eofLawi
nTanzani
ajur
isdi
cti
oni
sdul
yandbasi
cal
l
yent
renchedi
n
andf
ormst
hepr
ovi
sionofAr
ti
cle131.I
tist
hepr
inci
plesofFundament
alr
ight
sthat
si
mpl
ytr
ansl
atei
ntot
her
ight
sofal
lci
ti
zenst
obegov
ernedundert
hesameknown
l
awsandt
her
ightt
oseekr
edr
essusi
ngt
hesameknownandacknowl
edgedpr
ocesses,
eschewi
nganyf
orm ofar
bit
rar
inessandunf
air
ness.

I
nTanzani
athedev
elopmentoft
heRul
eofLawcanbegr
oupedi
ntot
womaj
orphases,
bef
ore1984andaf
ter1984.

Bef
oret
hey
ear1984

Dur
ingt
hatper
iodt
heConst
it
uti
onoft
heUni
tedRepubl
i
cofTanzani
ahadnoBi
l
lof
Ri
ght
s,andf
ort
hatr
uleofl
aw i
nTanzani
adur
ingt
het
imewasi
mpot
ent
.TheBi
l
lsof
Ri
ght
sinTanzani
awasf
oundonl
yint
hepr
eambl
eoft
heConst
it
uti
onofTanzani
aof
1965upt
o1977andi
nal
egalsensepr
eambl
edoesnotf
orm par
toft
heconst
it
uti
on
andi
not
her
,pr
eambl
eisnotenf
orceabl
eandt
hisshowni
nthecaseofHal
i
mal
iAdamj
i
v
.E.
APost
sandTel
ecommuni
cat
i d2.
onsLt

Wher
ebyi
nthi
scaseaTanzani
aAsi
anbyor
igi
nwascompul
sor
yret
ir
edi
nor
dert
o
f
aci
l
itat
e Af
ri
cani
zat
ion i
n gov
ern sect
or.The cl
aimantar
gued t
hatt
he pol
i
cyof
Af
ri
cani
zat
ionwasdi
scr
imi
nat
oryi
nonr
ati
obasi
shencei
twasnotagai
nstt
her
uleof
l
aw,basi
ngont
hatar
gumentt
heAsi
anpet
it
ionedont
hecour
tofl
aw andcour
thel
d
t
hat
;“ThePr
eambl
eoft
heConst
it
uti
oni
nnotenf
orceabl
eandf
ort
hatt
hear
gument
f
ail
ed”
.

Af
tert
hey
ear1984

Af
tert
hey
ear1984,
theBi
l
lofRi
ght
swhi
chpr
ovi
desf
orf
reedom andr
ight
sofi
ndi
vi
dual
wasf
ir
stl
yint
roducedi
ntheConst
it
uti
onoft
heUni
tedRepubl
i
cofTanzani
aof1977,
t
hr he15thamendment
ought sofConst
it
uti
onof1984.

Theamendment
sint
er-
ali
aincor
por
atedt
heBi
l
lofRi
ght
sint
heConst
it
uti
onandhence
gi
vi
ngr
uleofl
awf
orceofl
awi
nthecount
ry,
alt
houghBi
l
lRi
ght
swasi
ncor
por
atedi
nthe

1
Art
icl
e13oft
heConsti
tut
ionoftheUni
tedRepubl
i
cofTanzani
aof1977.
2
Hali
mali
Adamji
v.E.
APost sandTel
ecommunicat
ionLt
d[1977]
.

2
Const
it
uti
onof1884andcomei
ntof
orcef
rom mar
ch1988andev
ersi
ncemar
ch1988
upt
onowt
her
uleofl
awi
spar
toft
hebasi
clawsoft
hel
andi
nTanzani
a.

Ther
eisnow par
ty2ofChapt
er1oft
heConst
it
uti
onoft
heUni
tedr
epubl
i
cof1977
whi
chpr
ovi
desBi
l
lofRi
ght
sorf
undament
alr
ight
sori
ndi
vi
dualr
ight
swhi
chi
srul
eof
l
aw,t
hispar
tpr
ovi
desf
orobj
ect
iveofst
atepol
i
cy,t
hef
undament
alr
ight
,indi
vi
dual
r
ight
sand Bi
l
lofRi
ght
shasbeenenshr
ined f
rom Ar
ti
cle11 t
o Ar
ti
cle24 oft
he
Const
it
uti
onoft
heUni
tedRepubl
i
cofTanzani
a.

Themosti
mpor
tantpr
ovi
sionsr
elat
edt
ofundament
alr
ight
sint
heConst
it
uti
onof
Uni
tedRepubl
i
cofTanzani
aar
etwo,
rightt
oli
fewhi
chi
sthemosti
mpor
tantr
ightofal
l
i
ndi
vi
dual
s’r
ightand f
reedomsas pr
ovi
ded underAr
ti
cle 14 oft
he Const
it
uton3.
i
Howev
ert
hisr
ighthasbeenpr
ovi
dedwi
thsomel
i
mit
ati
onsaspr
ovi
dedal
soundert
he
sameAr
ti
cle.Al
soequal
i
tyofci
ti
zensbef
oret
hel
aw,t
hatt
heconst
it
uti
onr
ecogni
zes
al
soequal
i
tyofal
lpeopl
ebef
oret
hel
awwi
thoutanyki
ndofdi
scr
imi
nat
ionaspr
ovi
ded
underAr
ti
cle12&13(
1)oft
heConst
it
uti
onofUni
tedRepubl
i
cofTanzani
aof1977.

I
nTanzani
ather
uleofl
awi
senf
orceabl
einanycasewher
eani
ndi
vi
duali
scur
tai
l
edhi
s
basi
cfr
eedom andr
ight
s,t
hatper
sonhemaypet
it
iont
otheHi
ghCour
taswher
e
expl
ainedunderAr
ti
cle30(
3)oft
heConst
it
uton4.Agai
i nther
eisanot
herst
atut
ewhi
ch
setoutpr
ocedur
est
oenf
orcebasi
cri
ghtandf
reedom ofi
ndi
vi
dual
sthi
sst
atut
eknown
5
ast
heLaw Ref
orm Fat
alAcci
dentandMi
scel
l
aneousPr
ovi
sionAct.Usi
ngt
heset
wo
l
aws(
Art
icl
e30oft
heConst
it
uti
onandLawRef
orm Fat
alAcci
dentandMi
scel
l
aneous
Pr
ovi
sionAct
),anyci
ti
zenmarenf
orcehi
sbasi
cri
ght
sandf
reedom i
ntheHi
ghCour
tof
Tanzani
a.

Ther
ear
esev
eralcaseswhi
chexempl
i
fyt
his;t
hecaseofNHC v
.Tanzani
aShoe
6
Company wher
eby t
he case env
isages t
he pr
ocedur
es t
o enf
orce t
he basi
c
f
undament
alr
ight
s.Accor
dingt
othecaseenf
orcementofbasi
cfundament
alr
ight
sis
bywayofpet
it
ionwhi
chi
sfi
l
edi
ntheHi
ghCour
twhi
chi
sthef
ir
stcour
tofi
nst
ance.

3
Art
icl
e14ofConst i
tuti
onofUnitedRepublicofTanzaniaof1977.
4
Ibi
d,Art
icl
e30(3).
5
TheLawRef orm(FatalAcci
dentandMi scell
aneousProvi
sion)Act
,Cap310of1955.
6
NHCv .Tanzani
aShoeCompany[ 1995]TZCA23.

3
Al
sot
hequest
ionofknowi
ngwhohast
her
ightt
opet
it
ionwhent
her
ear
einf
ri
ngement
7
off
undament
albasi
cri
ght
swasanswer
edi
nthecaseofCr
ist
opherMt
iki
l
av.A.
G
wher
easi
nthecasei
nter
-al
i
a,t
hei
ssuewaswhohast
hel
ocusst
andi
nmat
terof
i
nfr
ingementoff
undament
albasi
cri
ght
.

TheHi
ghCour
tanswer
edt
hequest
ionbyst
ati
ngt
hatanyper
sonwhohassuf
fi
cient
per
sonali
nter
estov
erandabov
ethei
nter
estofgener
alpubl
i
cmaybeabonaf
ide
l
i
tigantev
enwher
ehehasnoper
sonal
int
eresti
nthemat
ter
.

Ther
ear
efewexampl
eswhi
chmaybeci
tedt
osubst
ant
iat
ethenot
iont
hati
nTanzani
a
t
heRul
eofLawpl
ayst
hegr
eatr
ulei
nensur
ingpr
operadmi
nist
rat
ion,t
her
ear
esome
i
ndi
cat
ioni
nTanzani
aincl
udi
ngt
hef
oll
owi
ng;

1.Thef
ir
sti
ndi
cat
ori
sthepot
entpoweroft
heJudi
ciar
ytodecl
areanyActoft
he
Par
li
amentoranypr
ovi
sionoft
heActoft
hePar
li
amentoranypar
tofcust
omar
y
orwhol
eofcust
omar
ylaw i
nval
i
dift
heyar
edi
scr
imi
nat
oryorcont
radi
ctt
he
Const
it
uti
oni
sani
ndi
cat
orwhi
chev
idencest
heexi
stenceofRul
eofLaw i
n
Tanzani
a.Thi
scanbeexpl
ainedi
nthecaseofEphr
aim Ebongov
.Hol
ari
aPast
or
8
&Anot
her.

2.Al
soi
nJul
y2008t
henMi
nist
erofUni
tedRepubl
i
cofTanzani
aHon.MauaDaf
tar
i
wassuedper
sonali
nCour
tofLaw f
ort
ort
.Thi
sindi
cat
est
hatt
her
eisequal
i
ty
bef
oret
hel
aw,
thatev
ery
bodyi
ssubj
ectt
otheor
dinar
ylawoft
hel
andi
nrespect
oft
hest
atut
eandt
hatal
lpeopl
ear
eti
redi
nthesamet
ri
bunalwi
thoutbei
ng
speci
ali
zedt
osomeki
ndofpeopl
e.

3.Thet
hreepr
inci
pleofnat
uralj
ust
icehasbeeni
ncor
por
atedasapar
tandpar
cel
ofl
egalsy
stem i
nTanzani
aandt
hej
udi
ciar
yrecogni
zest
hem andt
heyar
e
i
nter
pret
ed accor
dingl
yas i
mper
ati
vel
egalpr
ocedur
es and r
equi
rement
sin
adj
udi
cat
ionofv
ari
ouscasesi
ncour
t.I
nagr
eatext
entt
hishasal
sot
akegr
eat

7
Rev.Cri
stopherMt
iki
l
av .A.
G,Ci
vil
CaseNo.5of1993.
8
Ephrai
m Ebongov.Holar
iaPast
or&Anot
her(2001)AHRLR236.

4
 par
tinpr
operadmi
nist
rat
ionsy
stem whi
chadher
est
othepr
inci
pleofRul
eof
Law.

4.Al
sof
rom t
hewor
dingofAr
ti
cle30(
3)oft
heConst
it
uti
onwhi
chst
atest any
hat“
per
soncl
aimi
ngt
hatanypr
ovi
sioni
nthi
sPar
toft
hischapt
erori
nanyl
aw
concer
ninghi
sri
ghtordut
yowedt
ohi
m hasbeen,i
sbei
ngori
sli
kel
ytobe
v
iol
ated by any per
son any
wher
eint
he Uni
ted Republ
i
c,may i
nst
it
utes
pr
oceedi
ngsf
orr
edr
essi
ntheHi
ghCour
t”pr
ovi
desexi
stenceofl
egal
procedur
es
t
oinv
ali
dat
eanyActoft
hePar
li
amentand t
oinv
ali
dat
eanyact
ion oft
he
9
execut
ivesundert
heFat
alAcci
dentMi
scel
l
aneousPr
ovi
sionAct i
sanot
her
ev
idenceoft
heexi
stenceofRul
eofLaw i
nTanzani
ainensur
ingt
hepr
oper
admi
nist
rat
ionsy
stem.

I
n gener
al,t
hedoct
ri
neofRul
eofLaw ent
ail
sthr
eet
hings.f
ir
stofal
litmeans
supr
emacy ofr
egul
arl
aw as opposed t
o wi
de di
scr
eti
onar
y power
sin par
tof
admi
nist
rat
ion,secondi
stheequal
i
tybef
oret
hel
aw wher
ebyev
ery
bodyshoul
dbe
subj
ect
edt
othel
awsoft
hel
and,andl
ast
lyt
hePr
e-domi
nanceofl
egalspi
ri
twher
eby
whenev
erani
ndi
vi
dual
’
sri
ghti
sinf
ri
nged,
itshoul
dber
emedi
edbyt
hecour
tofl
aw.

Thedoct
ri
neofRul
eofLawhasbeenv
eryessent
iali
nTanzani
a.I
thashel
pedt
oensur
e
pr
operadmi
nist
rat
ioni
nthecount
ryandabov
eal
l
,pr
event
ingdespot
ism.Rul
eofLaw
ont
heot
herhandhasbr
oughtaboutequal
i
tyt
oal
lpeopl
e.

Chal
l
engesont
heappl
i
cat
ionanddev
elopmentoft
hedoct
ri
neofRul
eofLaw

Thatbei
ngt
hecasei
nmostcasest
hemostoft
hef
act
orsf
orpr
eval
enceofRul
eofLaw
al
soact
sasbar
ri
ersf
orexpansi
onoft
heRul
eofLawi
nmanycount
ri
es,
forexampl
eif
t
hedoct
ri
neofsepar
ati
onofpower
sisappl
i
edi
nast
ri
ctwayi
tisobv
iousl
yimpossi
ble
t
otakecer
tai
nact
ions.

Thi
smeansi
fthel
egi
slat
urecanonl
ylegi
slat
etheni
tcannotpuni
shany
onecommi
tt
ing
abr
eachofi
tspr
ivi
l
ege,mor
ecani
tdel
egat
eonl
ylegi
slat
ivef
unct
ionev
ent
houghi
t
doesnotknow t
hedet
ail
soft
hesubj
ectmat
teroft
hel
egi
slat
ionandt
heexecut
ive

9
TheLawRef
orm(
Fat
alAcci
dent
sandMi
scel
l
aneousPr
ovi
sion)Act
,Cap310of1955.

5
aut
hor
it
yhasexper
iencedov
eri
tnorcoul
dthecour
tfr
amer
ulesofpr
ocedur
est
obe
adopt
edbyt
hem f
ort
hedi
sposal
ofcases.

Moder
nst
atesar
ethewel
far
est
atesandi
tshav
eto sol
vemanycompl
exsoci
al
economi
cpr
obl
emsandi
nthesest
atesofaf
fai
rsal
soi
tisnotpossi
blet
ost
ickt
othi
s
doct
ri
ne as j
ust
ice Fr
ankf
urt
hersai
d and enf
orcementofa r
igi
d concept
ion of
separ
ati
onofpower
swoul
dmakemoder
nGov
ernmenti
mpossi
ble,st
ri
ctl
ysepar
ati
on
ofpower
sisat
heor
ical
absur
dit
yandpr
act
ical
impossi
ble.

Al
sopar
li
ament
arysupr
emacyi
stheot
herobst
acl
etot
heRul
eofLaw,t
hati
stosay
wheny
out
alkaboutRul
eofLawi
tmeansj
udi
ciar
yshoul
dbef
reebutwhent
hej
udi
cial
r
evi
ew i
snotexer
cisedi
namanneri
tissupposedt
obet
heni
tisagai
nstt
heRul
eof
Law.Judi
cialRev
iewi
stheonl
yst
rongt
oolt
hej
udi
cialuset
ocont
rolt
headmi
nist
rat
ive
act
ions.

TheAct
sofPar
li
amentpower
sthej
uri
sdi
cti
onsoft
hecour
tandexcl
usi
oncl
ausear
eal
l
aboutr
est
ri
cti
ngt
hepr
eval
enceoft
heRul
eofLawasi
twasi
nthecaseofHar
unaS/
O
Nchama&Anot
herv
.Republ
i
c,wher
eMwai
kasuJ.hel
dt ;“
hat Att
hisj
unct
ureImust
poi
ntoutt
hatt
hisappealwaswr
ongl
yadmi
tt
edt
heactcompl
ainedofwaspr
inci
pal
l
y
anadmi
nist
rat
iveoncehi
senqui
ryi
sfi
nalandt
her
efor
ecannotbeappeal
edagai
nsti
tis
onl
ybywayofanappl
i
cat
ionf
orj
udi
cialr
evi
ewt
hatt
heot
hercompl
ainedagai
nstcoul
d
bechal
l
engedf
ori
l
legal
i
tyorwantofj
uri
sdi
cti
ont
her
efor
esuchpr
erogat
iveor
der
s
coul
dtheni
ssuei
nrespectofsuchor
deroft
hel
owercour
t”.

6
 BI
BLI
OGRAPHY

 Const
it
uti
onoft
heUni
tedRepubl
i
cofTanzani
aof1977.

STATUTES

 TheLawRef
orm(
Fat
alAcci
dent
sandMi
scel
l
aneousPr
ovi
sion)Act
,Cap310of
1955.

CASELAWS

 Rev
.Cr
ist
opherMt
iki
l
av.A.
G,Ci
vi
lCaseBo.5of1993.
 Rev
.Cr
ist
opherMt
iki
l
av.A.
G,Ci
vi
lCaseBo.5of1993.
 Ephr
aim Ebongov
.Hol
ari
aPast
or&anot
her(
2001)AHRLR236.

 NHCv
.Tanzani
aShoeCompany[
1995]TZCA23.
 Hal
i
mal
iAdamj
iv.E.
APost
sandTel
ecommuni
cat
ionLt
d[1977]
.