IN.THE.MALAWI.SUPREME.COURT.OF.APPEAL
AT.BLANTYRE
M.S.C.A..CIVIL.APPEAL.NO..27.OF.2003
(Being.Civil.Cause.No..50.of.2003.at.Mzuzu.District.Registry
BETWEEN:
HON..J.Z.U..TEMBO.........1st.APPELLANT
HON..KATE.KAINJA............2nd.APPELLANT
AND.-
THE.ATTORNEY.GENERAL.......RESPONDENT
BEFORE: THE.HON,.JUSTICE.KALAILE,.JA
THE.HON..JUSTICE.TAMBALA,.JA
THE.HON..JUSTICE.MSOSA,.JA
THE.HON..JUSTICE.MTAMBO,.JA
THE.HON..JUSTICE.TEMBO,.JA
Stanbrook,.QC,.Mvalo.and.Mwakhwawa.for.the.Appellants
Hon.�.Fatchi,.SC,.Attorney.General,.Banda,.SC,.Latif.and.Kaira.for.the.Respondent.
Beni,.Recording.Officer
Kunje(Mrs),.Official.Interpreter
JUDGMENT
.
KALAILE,.JA
This.is.an.appeal.against.the.decision.of.Chikopa,.J.sitting.in.the.High.Court,.Mzuzu.registry,.and.our.decision.in.this.appeal.is.unanimous.�.The.two.appellants.were.convicted.of.contempt.of.court.for.disobeying.an.order.of.injunction.�.The.trial.judge.found.that.the.contempt.of.court.in.question.was.criminal.and.that.it.involved.both.dishonesty.and.moral.turpitude.
The.background.to.the.appeal.lies.in.a.dispute.between.two.factions.of.the.Malawi.Congress.Party.over.the.holding.of.a.convention.�.One.faction.owed.loyalty.to.the.Hon..Gwanda.Chakuamba,.and.the.other.faction.to.the.Hon..J.Z.U..Tembo.�.The.Tembo.faction.decided.to.hold.the.party.convention.and.the.Chakuamba.faction.opposed.the.idea.of.holding.that.convention,.and,.it.was.the.Chakuamba.faction.which.applied.to.Court.for.an.injunction.to.stop.the.convention..The.application.was.successful.and.the.injunction.was.granted.by.Mkandawire,.J..That.injunction.was.disobeyed.and.Mkandawire,.J.found.that.both.appellants.attended.the.convention.and.accordingly.adjudged.them.to.be.in.contempt.of.court.and.fined.each.of.them.K200,000.00.�.The.fines.were.duly.paid.
As.a.consequence.of.their.conviction,�.the.National.Assembly.proceeded.to.pass.a.motion.that.the.seats.of.the.two.appellants.had.become.vacant.on.the.grounds.that.they.were.convicted�.by.the.High.Court.of.contempt.of.Court.which.according.to.the.National.Assembly.was.a.crime.involving.both.dishonesty.and.moral.turpitude.
In.the.Court.below,.the.appellants.sought.the.determination.of.the.Court.on.the.following.issues.which.we.now.reproduce.seriatim.that:
�1.The.National.Assembly.usurped.the.powers.of.the.Courts.by.assuming.the.function.of.interpreting.matters.of.law,.and.thereby.acted.ultra.vires.�.Accordingly.that.its.decision.is.a.nullity;
2.The.contempt.in.question.was.in.fact.of.a.civil.nature.and.therefore.as.it.was.not.a.crime.it.fell.outside.of.the.realms.of.section.51(2)(c).of.the.Constitution.�.Accordingly.that.it.was.wrong.to.declare.the.plaintiffs�.seats.vacant.under.that.section;
3. In.the.circumstances.the.plaintiffs.were.not.at.all.eligible.to.have.their.seats.declared.vacant;
4. The.contempt.in.question.did.not.involve.dishonesty.or.moral.turpitude.as.envisaged.by.section.51(2)(c).of.the.Constitution.where.the.offence.is.required.to.be.of.a.criminal.nature;
5. The.decision.was.arrived.at.in.breach.of.principles.of.natural.justice,.particularly.the.need.to.afford.the.other.party.adequate.opportunity.to.be.heard;
6. The.decision.was.arrived.at.in.breach.of.the.Constitutional.right.of.the.plaintiffs.to.lawful.and.procedurally.fair.administrative.action;
7. The.decision.infringed.the.plaintiffs�.political.rights.under.the.Constitution;
8. In.the.result,.the.plaintiffs.have.always.been.members.of.the.National.Assembly.in.the.eyes.of.the.law,.and.accordingly.are.fully.entitled.to,.and.have.always.been.fully.entitled.to.attend.sittings.of.the.National.Assembly,.and.to.all.remuneration.due.to.them.as.members.of.the.National.Assembly,.and.to.all.privileges.and.immunities.of.a.member.of.the.National.Assembly;.and
9. The.defendant.may.be.condemned.in.costs.of.the.action.�
The.High.Court.found.against.the.appellants.who.have.now.appealed.to.this.Court.on.the.following.grounds:
a) that.the.learned.judge.correctly.referred.to.Practice.Notes.t😵rder.52/1.of.the.Rules.of.the.Supreme.Court.(1999.edition).on.the.categorization.of.civil.contempt.and.criminal.contempt.but.deliberately.and.wrongfully.chose.to.ignore.Practice.Note.No..52/1/8.to.Practice.Note.No..52/1/20.and.particularly.Practice.Note.no..52/1/14.�.Had.the.learned.judge.gone.by.the.examples.given.under.Practice.Notes.52/1/8-52/1/20.on.what.is.criminal.contempt.and.what.is.civil.contempt.he.would.have.found.without.difficulty.that.the.contempt.of.Court.which.the.plaintiffs.were.found.guilty.of,.namely.disobedience.of.an.injunction,.was.civil.
b) The.finding.of.the.learned.judge.below.that.the.contempt.in.question,.namely.disobedience.of.an.injunction,.was.of.a.criminal.nature.was.against.the.legal.definitions.and.descriptions.of.�criminal.contempt�.and.inconsistent.with.the.examples.given.of.civil.contempt.and.criminal.contempt.
c) The.learned.judge.correctly.defined.�crime�.but.inexplicably.contradicted.himself.by.finding.that.the.plaintiffs�.conduct.posed.a.serious.threat.to.society.capable.of.injuring.it.and.that.therefore.their.conduct.fitted.both.the.definition.of.criminal.contempt.and.crime,.when.it.clearly.did.not.�.Had.the.learned.judge.properly.addressed.his.mind.to.the.definitions.of.�crime�.and.correctly.applied.those.definitions.to.the.facts.he.would.have.found.that.the.appellants.did.not.commit.a.crime.
d) The.finding.of.the.learned.judge.below.that.the.disobedience.of.an.injunction.by.the.appellants.was.a.crime.was.against.the.legal.definitions.of.�crime�.as.well.as.the.weight.of.authority.on.what.is.a.crime.
e) Having.correctly.stated.that.�a.crime.involving.moral.turpitude�.means.moral.turpitude.must.be.inherent.in.the.crime,.the.learned.judge.erred.in.proceeding.to.the.conclusion.that.the.relevant.contempt.was.a.crime.involving.moral.turpitude.
At.this.point.of.the.judgment,.it.may.be.wise.to.state.the.provisions.of.section.51(2)(c).of.the.Constitution.�.That.section.reads.as.follows:
�Notwithstanding.subsection.(1),.no.person.shall.be.qualified.to.be.nominated.or.elected.as.a.member.of.Parliament.who.has,.within.the.last.seven.years,.been.convicted.by.a.competent.court.of.a.crime.involving.dishonesty.or.moral.turpitude.�
Leading.Counsel.for.the.respondent.Mr.�.Banda,.proceeded.to.defend.and.uphold.the.findings.of.the.lower.Court.by.dealing.with.these.grounds.of.appeal.�.He.started.by.submitting.that.a.mere.disobedience.of.an.injunction.may.not.necessarily.be.a.criminal.contempt.and.that.the.case.of.Scott.-v-.Scott.(1913).A.C..419.makes.it.clear.�.Counsel.further.drew.the.attention.of.the.Court.to.cases.where.mere.disobedience.of.an.injunction.was.also.held.to.be.a.criminal.contempt.
Mr..Banda.argued.that.in.the.case.of.Attorney.General.-v-.Times-.News.Paper.(1972).A.C..an.interim.injunction.was.issued.barring.the.Times.Newspaper.from.publishing.the.contents.of.a.book.called.the.Spy.Catcher.�.The.defendants.flouted.the.injunction.�.Lord.Oliver.observed.at.page.218.of.the.judgment:
�When,.however,.the.prohibited.act.is.done.not.by.the.party.bound.himself.but.by.a.third.party.a.stranger.to.the.litigation.that.person.may.be.liable.for.contempt.�.There.is.however.this.essential.distinction.that.his.liability.is.for.criminal.contempt..because.his.act.constitutes.a.wilful.interference.with.the.administration.of.justice.by.the.Court.in.the�.proceedings.in.which.the.order.was.made.
It.was.argued.for.the.respondent.that.the.appellants.in.this.appeal.were.not.parties.to.the.civil.cause.in.which.the.injunction.was.granted.�.They.were.very.interested.third.parties.who.had.received.notice.of.the.injunction.and.defied.it.�.Then.Mr..Banda.cited.the.case.of.British.Columbia.government.Employee.Union.-v-.Attorney.General.of.Columbia.1988.2.S.C.R..where.an.injunction.was.granted.restraining.picketing.and.attendant.activities.near.Court.premises.in.a.particular.place.in.British.Columbia.�.The.defendant.union.continued.picketing.and.was.duly.found.guilty.of.criminal.contempt.of.Court.
The.next.case.which.Counsel.reverted.to.is.Peter.Chupa.-v-.The.Mayor.of.the.City.of.Blantyre.and.Others.Civil.Cause.No..133/2001.�.What.happened.in.this.case.is.that.the.applicant,.Peter.Chupa,.brought.proceedings�.against.the.Mayor.of.the.City.of.Blantyre.alongside.three.Police.Officers.and.obtained.an.order.of.injunction.which.stipulated.that.the.defendants,.their.servants.or.agents.be.restrained.from.disrupting.or.interfering.with.the.plaintiff.from.holding.a.public.meeting.at.Ndirande.Community.Ground.on.a.specified.date.�.That.Order.of.injunction.was.defied.by.the.defendants�..Twea,.J.stated.in.that.case.that:
�The.parties.were.agreed.that.contempt.consists.of.committing.acts.which.tend.to.interfere.with.the.administration.of.justice.�.This.includes.contempt.in.the.face.of.the.Court,.such.as.insulting.behaviour.to.the.Court.or.violence.to.judicial.officers.�.This.is.what.has.been.called.�criminal�.or.�special�.contempt.�.But.in.respect.of.�civil�.or.�ordinary�.contempt,.it.will.be.termed.criminal.if.it.involves.misconduct.or.refusal.to.obey.specific.orders.of.the.Court.�.To.this.extent.it.will.be.criminal.and.will.be.treated.and.dealt.with.as.such.�.The.parties.in.this.case.argued.that.there.was.a.valid.Court.order.and.that.this.Court.order.was.not.obeyed.�.They.further.agreed.that.to.this.extent.the.contempt.in.issue.takes.the.proportions.of.criminal.conduct.and.that.the.burden.and.standard.of.proof.will.be,.to.that.extent,.at.criminal.level.�
Lastly,.we.wish.to.refer.to.the.Canadian.case.of.Poje.-v-.Attorney.General.for.British.Columbia.(1953).S.C..2516.at.527.�.In.that.case.Wellock.J..observed:
�The.context.in.which.these.incidents.occurred;.the.large.numbers.of.men.involved.and.the.public.nature.of.the.defiance.of.the.order.of.the.Court.transfer.the.conduct.here.in.question.from.the.realm.of.a.mere.civil.contempt.such.as.an.ordinary.breach.of.injunction.with.respect.to.promote.rights.in.patent.or.trade.mark.for.example.into.the.realm.of.public.depreciation.of.the.authority.of.the.Court.tending.to.bring.the.administration.of.justice.into.scorn.�
Mr..Banda.went.on.to.demonstrate.how.the.conduct.of.the.appellants.was.on.all.fours.with.the.contemnors�.conduct.in.the.Poje.case.by.submitting.that.the.Court.should.therefore.imagine.the.situation.where.delegates.from.one.faction.of.the.party.had.gathered.from.different.parts.of.the.country.to.come.and.attend.the.convention.�.The.issue.of.the.application.for.an.injunction.to.stop.the.convention.was.widely.publicised.and.the.granting.of.the.injunction.stopping.the.convention.was.also.widely.publicized.in.the.country.and.outside.�.The.whole.country.waited.breathlessly.wondering.whether.the.appellants.would.or.would.not.hold.the.convention.�.It.is.against.this.background.that.the.appellants,.inspite.of.that.wide.publicity.given.to.the.granting.of.the.injunction.that.they.publicly.and.defiantly.went.ahead.and.held.their.convention.�.This.Court.was.invited.to.constantly.put.these.facts.to.the.fore.as.they.provide.a.proper.perspective.to.the.conviction.for.contempt.of.Court.
Mr..Clive.Stanbrook,.leading.Counsel.for.the.appellants,.dealt.with.each.of.the.authorities.cited.above.as.well.as.their.attendant.submissions.in.the.following.way.�.First.is.the.case.of.Scott.-v-.Scott.(1913).AC.417.at.462.where.Lord.Atkinson.quotes.with.approval.from.the.judgment.of.Lord.Moulton.in.the.Court.of.Appeal:
�It.is.only.the.legislature.that.can.render.criminal.an.act.which.is.not.so.by.the.common.law.of.the.land.�.An.order.of.the.Court.in.a.civil.action.or.suit.creates.an.obligation.upon.the.parties.to.whom.it.applies,.the.breach.of.which.can.be.and.in.general.will.be.punished.by.the.Court,.and.in.proper.cases.such.punishment.may.include.imprisonment.�.But.it.does.no.more.�.It.does.not.make.such.disobedience.a.criminal.act.....�
Counsel.for.the.appellants.Mr..Stanbrook,.further.argued.the.point.that.to.be.an.effective.remedy.civil.contempt.has.always.incorporated.a.disciplinary.element.�.Thus.coercion.and.deterrence.are.to.be.found.alongside.each.other.in.the.frame.work.of.a.civil.contempt.�.Although.�civil.contempt�.is.concerned.with.breaches.of.Court.orders.or.undertakings.in.civil.litigation,.for.the.benefit.of.parties,.the.Court.may.wish.primarily.in.such.cases.to.coerce.parties.into.compliance.with.its.orders,.or,.alternatively,.as.in.the.present.case,.it.may.be.primarily.concerned.to.punish.disobedience.where.the.time.for.compliance.has.passed.�.This.point.is.clearly.illustrated.by.the.case.of.Re.Grantham.Whole.Fruit,.Vegetables.and.Potato.Merchants.Limited.[1972].1.WLR.559.where.Megarry.J..observed.that:.�In.this.type.of.case.a.motion.for.committal.is,.of.course,.a.means.of.putting.pressure.on.the.contemnor.to.obey.the.order,.but.it.is.not.this.alone:.it.is.also.a.means.of.imposing.any.penalty.thought.proper.in.respect.of.the.contempt.that.has.already.been.committed.�.The.appellants�.disobedience.falls.within.the.parameters.of.the.dictum.of.Megarry.J..in.the.Re.Grantham.case.�.This.was.Mr..Stanbrook�s.submission.��������.
So.far,.we.have.captured.the.submissions.of.both.parties.to.this.appeal.�.To.sum.up,.the.respondent�s.argument.is.captured.very.forcefully.in.some.of.the.cases.cited.by.their.leading.Counsel,.namely.the.cases.of.Poje.-v-.Attorney.General.for.Columbia.and.that.of.United.Nurses.of.Alberta.-v-.Alberta.(Attorney.General).[1992].I.S.C.R..which.emphasized.the.public.nature.of.the.defiance.and.the.open.and.flagrant.defiance.of.Court.orders.in.cases.involving.criminal.contempt.�.Counsel.for.the.appellants.distinguishes.the.Poje.case.from.the.one.before.us.by.pointing.out.that.the.case.arose.because.a.large.group.of.American.woodworkers,.part.of.a.Trade.Union,.were.picketing.a.dock.in.Vancouver.so.as.to.prevent.the.loading.of.a.cargo.of.timber.�.The.plaintiff.obtained.an.injunction.against.these.trade.unionists.�.Even.in.the.face.of.warnings.from.the.Sheriff.that.they.were.acting.in.defiance.of.the.Court�s.order,.they.were.totally.recalcitrant.�.Mr..Stanbrook.argued.vigorously.that.this.case.can.be.distinguished.from.the.one.under.consideration.because.in.the.Poje.case,.there.was.collective.coercion.of.third.parties,.warnings.from.the.police,.conditions.of.public.outrage.and,.finally,.the.issue.of.writs.by.the.Court.itself.�.The.present.case.involves.a.mere.disobedience.of.a.Court.order.�.
In.dealing.with.the.case.of.United.Nurses.of.Alberta.-v-.Alberta.(Attorney.General),.this.is.what.Counsel.for.the.appellants.observed. There.was.a.directive.issued.by.an.appropriate.administrative.board.under.Albertas.Labour.Relations.Act.forbidding.nurses.in.Alberta.from.striking..The.union.went.on.strike.regardless.and.were.found.guilty.of.criminal.contempt.and.fined.The.issues.for.determination.were:
(1) Whether.the.union.had.the.status.to.be.found.in.criminal.contempt;
(2) Whether.the.offence.of.criminal.contempt.violated.the.Canadian.Charter.of.Rights.and.Freedoms;
(3)Whether.a.directive.of.a.provincial.board.filed.in.the.Court.could.give.rise.to.criminal.contempt;.and.
(4) Whether.the.proceedings.violated.the.Charter.because.the.union.was.not.permitted.to.cross-examine.on.the.affidavits.filed.by.the.Crown.
The.majority.decision.was.that.the.union.may.be.held.liable.for.a.criminal.offence.(including.criminal.contempt).at.common.law.�.The.criminal.contempt.must.be.distinguished.from.civil.contempt.in.that.criminal.contempt.is.to.punish.conduct.calculated.to.bring.the.administration.of.justice.by.the.Courts.into.disrepute,.whereas,.civil.contempt.is.to.secure.compliance.with.the.process.of.a.tribunal.including.but.not.limited.to,.the.process.of.a.Court.
.
In.Mr.Stanbrook�s.opinion,.the.Alberta.case.is.clearly.one.of.criminal.contempt.because.of.what.Lord.Moulton.observed.in.the.Court.of.Appeal.in.Scott.-v-.Scott.stating.that:
.
�It.is.only.the.legislature.that.can.render.criminal.an.act.which.is.not.so.by.the.common.law.of.the.land.�.An.order.of.the.Court.in.a.civil.action.or.suit.creates.an.obligation.upon.the.parties.to.whom.it.applies,.the.breach.of.which.can.be.and.in.general.will.be.punished.by.the.Court,.and.in.proper.cases.such.punishment.may.include.imprisonment.�.But.it.does.no.more.��.It.does.not.make.such.disobedience.a.criminal.act.....�
.
In.the.Alberta.case.the.criminal.contempt.related.to.an.offence.emanating.from.statutory.provisions.where.the.penal.provisions.were.prescribed.by.statute.�.As.observed.by.Mr..Stanbrook,.this.case.does.not.advance.or.expound.the.difference.between.civil.and.criminal.contempt.regard.being.had.to.the.narrow.divide.between.the.majority.and.minority.opinions.of.the.bench.on.what.constituted.criminal.contempt.
.
Lastly,.Mr..Stanbrook.addressed.the.Court.by.asking.the.question.-.What.is.obstruction.or.interference.with.the.course.or.the.due.administration.of.Justice?�.He.cited.Lord.Diplock�s.dictum.in.Attorney.General.-v-.Times.Newspapers.Limited.(H.L..(E).).[1974].AC.at.309.�.(Per.Lord.Diplock):
.
�The.due.administration.of.justice.requires.first.that.all.citizens.should.have.unhindered.access.to.the.constitutionally.established.Courts.of.criminal.or.civil.jurisdiction.for.the.determination.of.disputes.as.to.their.legal.rights.and.liabilities;.secondly,.that.they.should.be.able.to.rely.upon.obtaining.in.the.Courts.the.arbitrament.of.a.tribunal.which.is.free.from.bias.against.any.party.and.whose.decision.will.be.based.upon.those.facts.only.that.have.been.proved.in.evidence.adduced.before.it.in.accordance.with.the.procedure.adopted.in.Courts.of.law;.and.thirdly.that,.once.the.dispute.has.been.submitted.to.a.Court.of.law,.they.should.be.able.to.rely.upon.there.being.�no.usurpation.by.any.other.person.of.the.function.of.that.Court.to.decide.it.according.to.law.�.Conduct.which.is.calculated.to.prejudice.any.of.these.three.requirements.or.to.undermine.the.public.confidence.that.they.will.be.observed.is.contempt.of.Court.�.The.commonest.kind.of.conduct.to.come.before.the.Courts.on.applications.for.committal.for.contempt.of.Court.has.been.conduct.which.has.been.calculated.to.prejudice.the.second.requirement.�.This.is.because.trial.by.jury.has.been,.as.it.still.is,.the.mode.of.trial.of.all.serious.criminal.offences,.and.until.comparatively.recently.has.also.been.the.mode.of.trial.of.most.civil.cases.at.common.law.which.are.likely.to.attract.the.attention.of.the.public.�
.
Counsel.went.on.to.submit.that.the.definition.of.the.phrase.�obstruction.or.interference.with.due.administration.of.justice�.correlates.well.with.the.definition.and.scope.of.contempt.in.facie.curiae.�.The.two,.requirements,.as.observed.by.Lord.Diplock,.are.the.common.denominator.of.criminal.contempt.�.Therefore.criminal.contempt.is.restricted.and.limited.to.conduct.in.facie.curiae,.and.conduct.disrupting.the.orderly.course.or.the.due.administration.of.justice.
.
In.the.context.of.these.principles,we.can.now.assess.the.facts.of.the.present.case.�.The.contempt.is.certainly.not.in.facie.curiae,.nor.is.it.directed.at.the.Courts.and.did.not.in.any.real.sense.obstruct.or.interfere.with.the.course.of.justice.�.Further,�.the.contempt.proceedings.were.not.a.matter.taken.on.the.initiative.of.the.Court.�.In.the.circumstances,.it.seems.to.us.that.this.case.does.arise.out.of.the.traditional.common.law.scope.of.a.civil.contempt.
.
As.far.as.we.can.see,.the.present.case.turns.on.three.pillars.�.The.first.of.these.pillars.is.the.case.of.Scott.-v-.Scott.(1913).AC.417.�.Civil.contempt.is.described.in.that.case.by.Lord.Atkinson.thus:.
.
�If.a.person.be.expressly.enjoined.by.injunction,.a.most.solemn.and.authoritative.form.of.order,.from.doing.a.particular.thing,.and.he.deliberately,.in.breach.of.that.injunction,.does.that.thing,.he.is.not.guilty.of.any.crime.whatever,.but.only.of.a.civil.contempt.of.Court.�
.
We.are.satisfied.without.doubt.that.the.case.before.us.falls.squarely.within.that.exposition.of.the.law..
�
The.second.pillar.which.also.demonstrates.that.the.facts.of.this.case.related.to.a.civil.contempt.are.the.Rules.of.the.Supreme.Court.(1999.edition).�.From.pages.879.to.881.of.those.Rules,.it.is.stated.therein.that.contempts.of.Court.in.paragraphs.a.to.k.are.civil,.and.the.rest.that.follow.thereafter.are.criminal.�.Specifically.it.states.under.paragraph.f.that.disobedience.to.a.judgment.or.order.to.abstain.from.doing.an.act.is.a.civil.contempt..
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The.third.of.these.pillars.is.Halsbury�s.Laws.of.England.4th.edn..Volume.9.at.paragraph.52.�.Paragraph.52.states.that.it.is.a.civil.contempt.of.Court.to.refuse.or.neglect.to.do.an.act.required.by.a.judgment.or.order.of.the.Court.within.the.time.specified.in.the.judgment.or.order,.or,.to.disobey.a.judgment.or.order.requiring.a.person.to.abstain.from.doing.a.specified.act.�.This.statement.of.the.law.is.further.echoed.in.Black�s.Law.Dictionary,.6th.edition.at.page.245.�.It.is.stated.therein.that.civil.contempt.is.a.species.of.contempt.of.Court.which.generally.arises.from.a.wilful.failure.to.comply.with.an.order.of.Court.such.as.an.injunction.as.contrasted.with.criminal.contempt.which.consists.of.contumelieus.conduct.in.the.presence.of.the.Court.�.Punishment.for.civil.contempt.may.be.a.fine.or.imprisonment,.the.objective.of.such.punishment.being.compliance.with.the.order.of.the.Court.�.Such.contempt.is.committed.when.a.person.violates.an.order.of.Court.which.requires.that.person.in.specific.and.definite.language.to.do.or.refrain.from.doing.an.act.or.series.of.acts.
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In.our.considered.judgment,.the.case.before.us.should.be.determined.purely.on.common.law.principles.and.not.under.any.statutory.provisions.such.as.those.applicable.in.England.after.the.Contempt.of.Court.Act.1981.was.enacted.�.Any.English.cases.after.1981.should.be.taken.into.consideration.with.caution.�.The.same.caution.applies.with.regard.to.cases.from.the.United.States.and.Commonwealth.countries.where.contempt.of.court.is.regulated.by.statutory.provisions.�.In.Malawi,.contempt.of.Court.is.not.prescribed.for.by.legislation.and.this.is.why.we.still.apply.the.common.law.
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In.the.result,.we.hold.that.the.contempt.of.Court.which.the.appellants.were.convicted.of.is.not.a.crime,.but.a.civil.contempt.of.Court,.and,.therefore,.that.the.conviction.falls.outside.the.ambit.of.sections.51(2)(c).and.63.(1)(e).of.the.Constitution.of.the.Republic.of.Malawi.
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Having.decided.that.the.contempt.of.Court.in.the.case.before.us.is.one.of.a.civil.nature,.we.do.not.see.any.need.to.go.through.the.academic.exercise.of.determining.whether.or.not.the.contempt.involved.moral.turpitude.or.dishonesty.�.Accordingly,.we.allow.the.appeal..The.respondent.shall.pay.the.costs.of.the.appeal
DELIVERED in Open Court this 23rd day of December, 2003 at Blantyre.
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J..B..Kalaile,.JA
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D..G..Tambala,.JA
A.S.E..Msosa,.JA
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I..J..Mtambo,.JA
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