132. Citing the decision in Anudo Ochieng Anudo v. Tanzania, the Applicants
submit that the right of an accused to be heard on an application for bail and
also on appeal is contravened by Section 148(5) of the CPA.
133. The Applicants contend that Section 148(5) of the CPA impinges on the
discretion of judicial officers who have the onus to weigh factors for or
against granting of bail. They argue further that the judiciary is established
by Article 107A(1) of the Constitution of the Respondent State “as the
authority with the final decision in dispensation of justice in Tanzania.”
134. Citing the Ghanaian Supreme Court case of Martin Kpebu v. Attorney
General, the Applicants submit that the decision as to whether to deprive a
person of his or her liberty is the domain of the judiciary and not the
executive and especially that “… liberty is too priceless to be forfeited
through the zeal of an administrative agent.”
135. According to the Applicants, Section 148(5) of the CPA amounts to an
ouster of the jurisdiction of the Respondent State’s Courts to determine bail
and thus a violation of Article 7(1) of the Charter. In addition, the Applicants
aver that the ouster of the jurisdiction of the courts to determine bail is an
affront to the dispensation of justice.
136. According to the Applicants, Section 148(5) of the CPA which proscribes
the granting of bail to an accused person who has previously been granted
bail by a court and failed to comply with the conditions of the bail or
absconded is a violation of the right to be heard.
137. The Applicants contend that Section 148(5) of the CPA “does not consider
any justifications that one might or could have had and which led to his
failure of complying with the bail conditions.” Furthermore, that the accused
has the right to be heard despite his previous behaviour.
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