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Citation
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Judgment date
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| March 2026 |
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Court dissolved the marriage for cruelty, apportioned the matrimonial home 85/15, set aside an MoU for duress, and awarded joint legal custody.
Family law – Divorce – Cruelty as ground for dissolution – Finding of cruelty based on repeated physical assaults and threats. Matrimonial property – Beneficial ownership – direct financial contribution versus indirect domestic contribution – 85/15 apportionment of matrimonial home. Equity and duress – Memorandum of Understanding procured under duress declared unenforceable. Children – Joint legal custody, physical custody to primary caregiver, structured visitation. Debt recoveries – allocation of net recoveries between parties.
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5 March 2026 |
| February 2026 |
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Administrator General appointed pendente lite to preserve estate during family dispute over administrator’s fitness.
Succession Act s.214 – Administrator pendente lite – Purpose to preserve estate and protect beneficiaries – Interim administrator must be impartial and competent – Family disputes and allegations of unfitness justify appointment of neutral Administrator General – Costs to abide outcome of main suit.
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20 February 2026 |
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An advocate who witnessed contested land documents is a material witness and cannot act as counsel; the firm may continue via another advocate.}
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20 February 2026 |
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Court extended Letters of Administration two years because most beneficiaries consented, requiring a final account in one year.
Succession law - Letters of Administration - renewal and extension - beneficiaries' consent - section 337(4) Succession Act - final account - no costs.
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17 February 2026 |
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Consent judgment and conduct can establish divorce despite absence of decree absolute, barring an ex-spouse from intestate succession.
Succession law — effect of consent judgment and parties’ conduct on dissolution of marriage despite absence of extracted decree — estoppel by acceptance of divorce benefits — lawful lodging of caveat — intermeddling with estate — priority of surviving spouse and protection of minors under the Succession Act.
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17 February 2026 |
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The court dismissed the respondent’s suit as an abuse of process, barred by res judicata/functus officio and fatally defective.
Civil procedure – striking out pleadings (Order 6 r.30; Order 7 r.11) – cause of action – locus standi via Power of Attorney – res judicata and functus officio (consent judgment) – suit against deceased persons (nullity/substitution) – parallel proceedings, forum shopping and abuse of court process.
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3 February 2026 |
| January 2026 |
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Cause of action against an executor died with him; without substitution the suit abated and was dismissed.
Succession law – Executor’s duties personal to office – Cause of action must be disclosed against proper legal representative – Abatement on death of executor (Order 24 r.1) – Need for letters of administration with will annexed for continuity – Claims for accounts, revocation of probate and recovery of trust property.
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30 January 2026 |
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A Decree Nisi granted to the applicant for cruelty and constructive desertion; property allocated, alimony denied.
Divorce — Valid church marriage; Cruelty established on balance of probabilities; Constructive desertion; Adultery not proved; Distribution of matrimonial property; Alimony denied; Costs: each party bears own.
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28 January 2026 |
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The applicant's status as a bona fide registered purchaser justified setting aside an injunction granted without notice and conflicting with a consent judgment.
Civil procedure — Review of interlocutory order — Temporary injunction set aside where granted without notice to bona fide registered purchaser; conflict with subsisting consent judgment; jurisdiction of Assistant Registrar; indefeasible title of purchaser for value without notice.
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28 January 2026 |
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Grant of administration obtained contrary to succession and Administrator General Act was revoked; disputed land restored to deceased’s estate.
Succession law – testate estate requires probate or letters of administration with will annexed; ordinary letters for intestacy defective for testate estate – Administrator General’s certificate of no objection mandatory – revocation of grant for defective or fraudulent procurement – Registration of Titles Act: indefeasibility subject to fraud and void underlying transactions – requirements for gift inter vivos and necessity of proper transfer instruments.
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28 January 2026 |
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Court granted adoption after finding petitioners met statutory requirements and the adoption served the child’s best interests.
Adoption law – jurisdiction of High Court in cases involving dual-national applicants – statutory adoption requirements (age, fostering, consent, criminal record, financial capacity, recommendations) – best interests of the child – recognition of foreign recognition of adoption orders (UK/Scotland).
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27 January 2026 |
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Court upheld mother’s sole custody and two-weekend monthly visitation for father, prioritizing the child’s welfare.
Family law – Child custody – Welfare/paramountcy principle (Children Act s.3, Constitution) – Sole custody to primary carer – Visitation limited to two weekends monthly – Right to privacy – Appeal entertained under Section 98 CPA.
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27 January 2026 |
| December 2025 |
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Court granted a one-year conditional extension of letters of administration, requiring filing of the statutory inventory.
Succession law — Extension of letters of administration under S.256(2) & (3); requirement to file inventory under S.273(1); residence abroad as ground for delay; conditional extension; no order as to costs.
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10 December 2025 |
| November 2025 |
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A third party can obtain review and set‑aside of a consent judgment procured through collusion that deprives his beneficial interest.
Civil procedure — Consent judgment — Legal effect of consent judgments; interference permitted only on limited grounds (fraud, collusion, rescission principles). Third-party relief — A person aggrieved by a consent judgment may apply under the court’s inherent powers or applicable procedural provisions. Estates — Beneficial interest and possession; administrators’ collusion vitiating consent settlement. Review — Error on the face of the record and lack of notice/opportunity to be heard.
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26 November 2025 |
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Application for extension to file estate inventory dismissed despite some sufficient reasons because overall criteria were unmet.
Succession Act s.273(1) – duty to exhibit inventory within six months; court discretion to extend time. Extension of time – test for sufficient cause: reasons for delay, absence of dilatory conduct, and absence of injustice (Molly Kyalikunda Turinawe approach). Effect of expiration of letters of administration and procedural prosecution of extension applications. Administrative practice – beneficiaries’ endorsement and setting down of applications for hearing.
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26 November 2025 |
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Decree nisi granted for adultery and cruelty; petitioner awarded custody and respondent ordered to pay maintenance and meet schooling obligations.
Divorce — grounds: adultery and cruelty — proof standard for adultery (inference from circumstances) — admissibility of foreign marriage and birth certificates — custody of minors; welfare paramount — Decree Nisi and ancillary maintenance and visitation orders.
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26 November 2025 |
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Child’s right to maintenance is paramount; court ordered interim estate‑income maintenance pending estate litigation.
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24 November 2025 |
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Court appointed joint interim administrators to protect minor beneficiaries and preserve estate income pending succession suit.
Civil procedure — Interlocutory injunctions — requirement of serious question to be tried, irreparable injury, and balance of convenience. Succession law — appointment of administrator pendente lite to manage estate income and protect beneficiaries. Protection of minor beneficiaries — use of estate income for education and welfare pending determination. Estate administration — alleged intermeddling, mortgage encumbrance and rent collection disputes. Interim accounting — requirement for quarterly inventories and prohibition on distributing estate pending final determination.
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21 November 2025 |
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Purported customary marriage held void ab initio due to respondent's subsisting monogamous marriage; petition dismissed.
Customary marriage — Section 11(e) Customary Marriages (Registration) Act — purported customary marriage void ab initio where a party has a subsisting monogamous marriage; cohabitants' property claims — equitable, trust and common law remedies; preliminary objections — applicability where central legal issue disposes of petition; possible bigamy prosecution under Penal Code Section 142.
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14 November 2025 |
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Letters of administration obtained by forgery may be revoked and a fresh grant made to proper beneficiaries, with damages and costs.
Succession law – grant of letters of administration – revocation for just cause – fraud and concealment as grounds for revocation; certificate of no objection forged; gift inter vivos requirements; entitlement to letters and relief including damages and costs.
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14 November 2025 |
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Court extended letters of administration and granted leave to file a late inventory, finding sufficient cause and beneficiaries' consent.
Succession law; extension of expired letters of administration under Section 337(2) & (4); leave to file inventory out of time under Section 273; sufficient cause standard; beneficiaries’ consent; directions for inventory content and filing timeframe.
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11 November 2025 |
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Whether contested land and shares form part of the deceased’s estate, validity of caveat, and appropriate administrators.
Succession law – determination of estate property; joint tenancy and right of survivorship; corporate personality and transmission of shares; validity and purpose of caveats in administration proceedings; fit and proper test for appointment of administrators.
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7 November 2025 |
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Court granted administrators leave to file the estate inventory out of time for sufficient cause and beneficiary consent.
Succession Act s.273(1) – filing inventory – extension of time; sufficiency of cause; administrators’ duty; absence of dilatory conduct; beneficiary consent; mandatory contents and timeline for updated inventory.
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6 November 2025 |
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The applicants' expired letters of administration were extended for two years due to encroachment, pending suit and beneficiaries' consent.
Succession Act – extension of letters of administration – applicability of Section 337(2) and (4) for grants issued before 31 May 2022. Procedural irregularity – wrong citation of statute – wrong citation not fatal where court has jurisdiction and correct law applies. Estate administration – encroachment, unlawful sales and pending litigation as sufficient cause to extend grant; beneficiaries’ consent relevant.
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6 November 2025 |
| October 2025 |
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Court renewed expired letters of administration, revoked inoperative co-administrator's grant, and allowed late inventory filing.
Succession law – Renewal/extension of expired letters of administration – Section 337 Succession Act and Interpretation Act s34(3). Succession law – Revocation/amendment of grant where co-administrator has died – inoperative grant and protection of beneficiaries. Succession law – Filing inventory out of time – sufficient cause, discretion to extend time and conditions for late inventory. Civil procedure – Exercise of court’s discretion to advance substantial justice in estate administration matters.
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31 October 2025 |
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Court appointed the applicant guardian to protect and represent the minor’s estate interests, applying the child’s welfare principle.
Guardianship — Children's Act welfare principle — Appointment to represent minor's estate — Protection of minor's property — Court approval required for disposal or purchase of immovable property.
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31 October 2025 |
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Court upheld jurisdiction, found several properties matrimonial, awarded equal shares and ordered maintenance for adult children in education.
• Family law – Jurisdiction – High Court may entertain divorce where marriage was solemnized in Uganda despite parties residing abroad.
• Family law – Matrimonial property – Determination requires proof of registration and direct or indirect contribution; not all property in one spouse’s name is excluded.
• Evidence – Technical non-compliance with sealing of annexures is curable where no prejudice occasioned.
• Maintenance – Parental obligation may continue for adult children in education; court may order maintenance until undergraduate completion.
• Remedies – Sale by public auction and equal division of proceeds; award of costs to successful spouse.
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31 October 2025 |
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Court validated late estate accounts and extended Letters of Administration to the surviving administrator with beneficiaries' consent.
Succession Act – Extension and renewal of Letters of Administration – validation of late inventory and account – death of co-administrator – pension benefits excluded from two-year limit – beneficiaries' consent.
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30 October 2025 |
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Court classified three properties as matrimonial or individual, allocating shares based on timing, contributions and use.
Family law – matrimonial property – determination of matrimonial vs individual property based on timing of acquisition, registration, contributions and use as family home. Evidence – burden to plead and prove customary marriage/cohabitation and contributions (monetary or non-monetary). Property distribution – valuation by Government Valuer or agreed valuer; payment of balancing shares within one year or sale and sharing of proceeds. Costs – each party to bear own costs; valuation costs allocated to paying party.
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29 October 2025 |
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Plaintiff lacked locus to claim under the estate, but administrator’s failure to file inventory justified revocation of letters.
Succession law – locus standi and proof of beneficiary status; evidentiary proof of paternity; mandatory duty to file inventory under the Succession Act; failure to exhibit inventory as just cause for revocation of letters of administration (s.230(1)(e)).
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24 October 2025 |
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Court renewed applicants' letters of administration for two years after validating a late inventory and ordering an account.
Succession Act — Extension of Letters of Administration (ss. 337, 256) — beneficiary consent required — validation of late partial inventory — pension benefits excluded from two-year validity limit — requirement to file estate accounts prior to renewal.
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23 October 2025 |
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Court authorized personal representatives to sell patient's moveable assets to pay outstanding hospital bills and ordered estate to bear costs.
Personal representatives – power to manage estate – requirement to obtain leave of court before disposing of moveable/immoveable assets. Estate administration – payment of patient’s medical debts from estate assets. Family notice – duty to inform next of kin and effect of consent or non-response. Remedy – court may authorize sale where patient welfare and continued treatment justify disposal.
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21 October 2025 |
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Court renewed letters of administration and allowed late filing of inventory/accountability for sufficient cause and beneficiaries' consent.
Succession Act – renewal of letters of administration (ss. 337(2),(4)); extension of time to file estate inventory and accountability (s. 273(1)); factors: best interests of beneficiaries, compliance with statutory timelines, administrators’ conduct, consent of beneficiaries, sufficient cause (identification of assets, caveats, government acquisition, ongoing litigation).
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20 October 2025 |
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Legal guardianship granted where petitioner proves child's best interests and biological parents are untraceable.
Children Act – welfare of the child paramount – legal guardianship – statutory requirements (age, citizenship, probation/social welfare report, police clearance) – waiver of parental consent where parents unknown or untraceable – guardian powers to obtain documents and travel – guardianship lapses at majority.
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20 October 2025 |
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Court refused stay pending appeal; upheld contempt finding and ordered applicants' committal and execution.
Contempt of court; Letters of Administration; stay of execution pending appeal — conditions: notice of appeal, absence of unreasonable delay, realistic prospect of success, risk of appeal being rendered nugatory; public interest in enforcing court orders; civil committal for contempt.
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17 October 2025 |
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Court granted administrators leave to file the estate inventory out of time after finding sufficient cause and imposed a 30-day filing deadline.
Succession Act s.273(1) – Requirement to file inventory within six months – Court’s discretion to extend time for sufficient cause. Extension of time – "sufficient cause" test: satisfactory explanation for delay, absence of dilatory conduct, prevention of injustice. Estate administration – duties of administrators; required contents and documentary proof for inventories; timelines and conditions for late filing. Court may extend letters of administration to enable completion of estate distribution.
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16 October 2025 |
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Applicant permitted to file estate inventory late due to beneficiaries abroad; court grants 30 days to file.
Succession Act s.273(1) – statutory six‑month inventory requirement – court discretion to extend time; sufficient cause for delay (beneficiaries abroad, consent, interim filings); duties and documentary requirements of administrators; direction to file updated inventory within 30 days.
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16 October 2025 |
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Application to set aside leave to tax an advocate-client bill denied; taxation to proceed and costs awarded to respondent.
Advocates’ costs — Review of order granting leave to tax advocate-client bill — Scope of review under Section 82 CPA and Order 46 Rule 1 — Pre-taxation meeting under Section 13A of Advocates (Remuneration & Taxation of Costs) Regulations — Alleged prior-counsel negligence not a bar to taxation.
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16 October 2025 |
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Order 17 Rule 4 dismissal is final and bars refiling; appeal is the proper remedy.
Res judicata; Order 17 Rule 4 Civil Procedure Rules; dismissal for want of prosecution can be substantive and give rise to a decree; abuse of court process by refiling same cause of action; Letters of Administration disputes in administration proceedings.
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14 October 2025 |
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Court extended expired letters of administration and allowed late filing of inventory; failed to remove co-administrator.
Succession law – Extension/renewal of letters of administration under S.337(2) & (4) Succession Act; Inventory/accounting obligations under S.273(1); Interpretation Act S.34(3) permits post-expiry applications; ‘‘sufficient cause’’ test for extension; evidentiary standard for removal of co-administrator.
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10 October 2025 |
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Inter‑country adoption granted after court found petitioners met statutory requirements and adoption served the child's best interests.
Family law – Inter-country adoption – High Court jurisdiction where petitioner or child is non‑Ugandan (Section 86(1)(b)). Adoption requirements – Age, age difference, minimum one year fostering under PSWO supervision, residence, absence of criminal record, financial capacity, and recommendation from home country authority (Sections 87–88). Parental consent – Dispensed with where biological parents are unknown despite reasonable tracing efforts. Child welfare – Best interests principle as paramount consideration in adoption decisions; role of National Alternative Care Panel and Probation and Social Welfare reports.
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10 October 2025 |
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The respondents were held in contempt for transferring estate land despite an injunction; transfer void, title cancelled, fines and refunds ordered.
Contempt of court – breach of interim injunction and status quo – transfer of estate land during subsistence of injunction – transfer declared null and void – title cancellation and reinstatement – refund of sale proceeds – fines and alternative committal – costs.
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10 October 2025 |
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Court extended expired letters of administration for two years due to incomplete estate distribution and beneficiaries' consent.
Succession Act s.337(2),(4) – extension of letters of administration; Interpretation Act s.34(3) – entertain out-of-time applications; estate administration – sufficiency of cause; beneficiaries' consent as corroborative evidence.
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10 October 2025 |
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Court extended probate and allowed out‑of‑time filing of estate inventory due to counsel’s error and beneficiaries’ consent.
Succession law – Filing of inventory and accounts – Extension of time under Succession Act and Civil Procedure Act – "Sufficient cause" for delay – Effect of previous counsel’s error – Extension of expired grant for limited purpose.
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10 October 2025 |
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Mother appointed guardian and authorised to sell/mortgage minors' co-owned land in their best interests.
Children Act – Guardianship – Appointment of legal guardian to transact on minors’ behalf; welfare principle; co-registered land – court authorisation required to sell or mortgage minors’ interests; parental status and best interests guiding factor.
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7 October 2025 |
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Court finds disputed land part of an heir's estate, not ancestral land, and administrators did not obtain grants by fraud.
Succession and land law – disputed parcel held as part of an heir's estate, not ancestral land – whether Letters of Administration were fraudulently obtained – Administrator General’s role and Certificate of No Objection – title transfers intended to preserve family estate – remedies: revocation, declaration, eviction, damages, costs.
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6 October 2025 |
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A typographical error as to where an affidavit was sworn may be rectified; application to proceed on merits rather than be struck out.
Civil procedure – preliminary objection – affidavit irregularity – place of swearing – rectification of clerical error; Evidence – competency of affidavit sworn before foreign notary – jurisdictional limits; Review – application to review decision striking affidavit out and treating appeal as unchallenged – competence to proceed on merits after cure of defect.
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3 October 2025 |
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Unexplained, inordinate delay and a belated review application defeated leave to appeal out of time; application dismissed with costs.
Civil procedure – Extension of time to appeal – Criteria for granting extension (sufficient reason, length and cause of delay, prospects of success, prejudice) – Review versus appeal – filing a review after appeal period cannot justify delayed appeal – conduct indicating satisfaction with judgment (consent to execution, taxation, payments) undermines claim for extension.
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3 October 2025 |
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Court appointed Administrator General as administrator pendente lite and authorised sale to meet undisputed mortgage and beneficiaries’ needs.
Succession — Letters of administration pendente lite — Appointment to protect estate from waste and creditor enforcement; Administrator must be impartial — Administrator General appointed where applicants are parties to related suits — Interim sale of mortgaged property authorised to pay undisputed loan and upkeep of beneficiaries — Minor struck off proceedings but application not incurably defective.
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3 October 2025 |
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Where a defendant participated but defaulted at hearing, the remedy is appeal; Order 9 r27 does not apply.
Civil procedure – Order 17 Rule 4 CPR – proceedings where a party initially participates but defaults – remedy is appeal; Order 9 Rule 27 applies to true ex parte decrees only.
Civil procedure – setting aside judgment – sufficient cause and requirement for prompt communication of incapacity by counsel.
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3 October 2025 |