facts and evidence, and concluded that that there was strong evidence on
the record to home a conviction.48 The judgments of the domestic courts
reveal that PW1 gave a clear account of the incident and testified that she
saw the Applicant and his brother assaulting the deceased with sticks. 49
105. In light of the foregoing, this Court considers that the manner in which the
domestic courts evaluated the presented evidence and the weight accorded
to it does not disclose any manifest error or miscarriage of justice to the
Applicant.
106. The Court, therefore, dismisses the Applicant’s allegations that his right to
be presumed innocent until proved guilty by a competent court or tribunal
was violated and finds that the Respondent State did not violate Article
7(1)(b) of the Charter.
iv. Alleged violation of the right to be tried by an impartial court or tribunal
107. The Applicant alleges that the trial court participated in cross-examination
of witnesses, the purpose of which, as set out in the Respondent State’s
legislation, is to allow an adverse party to shake the witnesses’ credibility by
injuring his character, and to elicit answers that might incriminate him or
might directly or indirectly expose him to a penalty or forfeiture. It is the
Applicant’s averment that by cross-examining the witnesses in his case, the
trial court took a position adverse to him and became a second prosecutor,
violating his right to a fair trial.
108. The Respondent State did not specifically respond to this allegation but
maintained generally that the Applicant’s rights under the Charter and the
Constitution were fully observed and protected.
***
The Republic v. Dominick S/O Damian, Criminal Sessions Case No. 61 of 2008, ibid, pages 15-16
and Dominick Damian v. The Republic, Criminal Appeal No. 154 of 2013, ibid, page 7.
49 Republic v. Dominick S/O Damian, Criminal Sessions Case No. 61 of 2008, ibid, pages 2-3 and
Dominick Damian v. The Republic, Criminal Appeal No. 154 of 2013, ibid, page 4.
48
30